Official Selections: LA Women Film Festival
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film
L'Inverno (The Winter)
Short
Los Angeles Premiere
A major snowstorm looms in this female-driven drama where a daughter discovers her aging mother has been the victim of a crime. The violation triggers memories and insecurities, causing both women to reconsider their futures.
Director: Karin Kelly
Co-Producers: Karin Kelly, Gerry Sanseviero
Writer: Gerry Sanseviero
Cast: Phyllis Pastore, Gerry Sanseviero
Cinematographer: Alexa Carroll
Editor: Elyssa Cusimano
Directors are drawn to their subjects. For me, it’s always about exploring smaller, more personal stories that encourage audiences to connect and identify on the most human level with a character. "L’Inverno" began as a One Act play written by my dear friend and collaborator, Gerry Sanseviero. I was attracted to this intimate story of a mother and daughter traversing aging and the roles they play in each other’s lives and was excited about re-thinking a piece intended for the stage for the screen.
As a character study, it was important to cinematically capture this story in a manner that organically energized the intimacy of this relationship through blocking and camera framing & movement. The play had to be “opened up” to be visually engaging. Equal care was spent on filming to both heighten the more volatile moments and support the quiet ones. The result is a love story of two women at an emotional crossroads with life and each other.
Karin and I met in NYC in the 90's when we took the same improv class at Gotham City Improv, and the rest is herstory. :)
Last comments: We shot the film in one weekend at my 93-year-old mother's home on Long Island. We're nothing if not efficient. ;)
Outside The Box
Short
World Premiere
OUTSIDE THE BOX is a dark comedy. When Nic, our perimenopausal protagonist, is pigeon-holed in the workplace she decides that more of the same is more than enough!
Director: Claire Coaché
Producer: Claire Coaché & Lisle Turner
Writer: Claire Coaché
Cast: Claire Coaché, Robin Berry, Jenny Frost, Yuta Fairs-Billam, Abi Beaven, Trafford Irvine
Cinematographer: Kie Cummings
Editor: Flaura Atkinson
Production & Costume Design: Ioana Curelea
Composer: Livi Van Warmelo
Titles & Graphics: Fiona Oakley
The idea for Outside the Box came from a conflagration of life events: being a working mum, hitting peri-menopause, being by-passed by male contemporaries in the workplace and watching a lot of Marvel films with my teenage daughter. I had just co-written and co-directed a very serious feature (COLD) and wanted to make a fun, heartfelt but honest short.
This was an ambitious project on a tight schedule and we needed a strong team to make it happen. I was also acting on-camera, so called on my creative partner Lisle Turner to co-direct the shoot. The film was shot by the brave and bold Kie Cummings. We assembled a great supporting cast led by long-time creative collaborator Robin Berry who brought the smarmy Ryan Fox to life. The Costume and Art department, led by Ioana Curelea, worked overtime to create three different sets and looks on location. With the off-kilter BossaNova soundtrack by Livi Van Warmelo, hand-drawn on-screen graphics by Fiona Oakley and Flaura Atkinson’s smart and sassy edit, our comic book stylings all came together in post. We had a tiny budget and only two days to shoot, so this film is a testament to the cast and crew that made it happen.
Website: openskyahead.co.uk
Instagram: @openskyahead
Twitter: @openskyahead
Facebook: @openskyahead