THE WAKE Director Luis Gerard “I read about the number of mass shootings in the US, so I thought of writing a film that revolved around the subject, but I wanted to do it from a different angle, a simpler one.”

Luis Gerard‘s THE WAKE shares the story of a young deaf boy Martin (played by Zander Colbeck-Bhola) who looks up to his older brother and follows him, even at times when he shouldn’t. Zander Colbeck-Bhola comes from a large deaf family. All the cast learnt sign language for this film. This is truly an amazing film. What was the inspiration behind this timely short? I wrote … Continue reading THE WAKE Director Luis Gerard “I read about the number of mass shootings in the US, so I thought of writing a film that revolved around the subject, but I wanted to do it from a different angle, a simpler one.”

Sissy Director Eitan Pitigliani “Realizing that my mom as well as all our loved ones, are not gone for good at all, and even if they’re not physically here and we don’t see them, they live within us”

The award-winning Writer/Director Eitan Pitigliani’s SISSY was inspired by his own personal story of losing his mother. This heart-wrenching tale shares the story of Luca (Vincenzo Vivenzio) and the young girl (Dea Lanzaro), played by a 7-year-old little girl, who was the one that saved the director’s life after his mother’s passing. SISSY is her debut screen role.  I understand this must have been a deeply … Continue reading Sissy Director Eitan Pitigliani “Realizing that my mom as well as all our loved ones, are not gone for good at all, and even if they’re not physically here and we don’t see them, they live within us”

QUEEN OF THE DESERT Director Mary Ann Rotondi “Everyone really Showed up for me and this story. I believe the story itself – finding a way to talk to one another; make room for one another’s humanity; heal some of the angry divisions around us right now – touched a lot of people and made directing easier”

This evocative short film was inspired by the director Mary Ann Rotondi‘s visit to her home state of Montana, where she frequently encountered the Confederate flag, despite the state not having a large black population or any meaningful connection to the Civil War. What is it about this symbol that is so powerful, and what does it say about the loneliness and isolation so many people … Continue reading QUEEN OF THE DESERT Director Mary Ann Rotondi “Everyone really Showed up for me and this story. I believe the story itself – finding a way to talk to one another; make room for one another’s humanity; heal some of the angry divisions around us right now – touched a lot of people and made directing easier”

POPPY JASPER – “Queen of the Desert” expertly directed by Mary Ann Rotondi

When a lonely long-haul trucker picks up a young black hitchhiker, an encounter with the police forces them to push through their prejudices to find a connection as human beings. In recent years we have been reading more about racism, police brutality and Black Lives Matter. I wish we could generate more positivity around race, sexuality, and gender equality. Mary Ann Rotondi director of QUEEN … Continue reading POPPY JASPER – “Queen of the Desert” expertly directed by Mary Ann Rotondi

CIFF – Luis Gerard’s expert directing makes the chilling tale THE WAKE a must-see

Watch the trailer here In recent years the deaf community have been getting some serious recognition in Hollywood and rightly so, any disability is not easy to live with. “The Wake” directed, written, and produced by Luis Gerard is a phenomenal story. We follow the story of a 15-year-old boy whose family run a funeral business. The boy views his father’s line of work as … Continue reading CIFF – Luis Gerard’s expert directing makes the chilling tale THE WAKE a must-see