Month: August 2020

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival – Films 13 and 14: “Andrew Buckner’s Big Screen Memories” (2020) and “The Man Who Fears the Rain” (2020)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival concludes with the final pair of films in the 14-part series: “Andrew Buckner’s Big Screen Memories” (2020) and  “The Man Who Fears the Rain” (2020). Both are deeply introspective works that I wrote, produced, directed, scored and narrate. In “The Man Who Fears the Rain”, I even make a brief appearance. Both projects cost absolutely nothing to make. They were also filmed primarily in my backyard and with my phone.

As promised, the festival concludes with:

Film 13: Andrew Buckner’s Big Screen Memories 

Synopsis:

A 14-minute and 45-second documentary which focuses on director Buckner’s personal memories and admiration of the movie theater. The piece draws primarily on midnight movie and family experiences to describe the intimate connection he has to said place. It also describes how the recent cinema shutdowns due to Covid-19 have altered his feelings as a filmgoer.

Told with audio narration and using three bits of symbolic video bits, the endeavor is a truly unique project.

(Re)Search my Trash Review of the Film:

http://www.searchmytrash.com/cgi-bin/creditsb.pl?andrewbucknersbigscreenmemories(2020)

30-Second Trailer for the Film:

Film Still:

Additional Information:

Color.

Shot in June of 2020.

The Film in Full:

Film 14: “The Man Who Fears the Rain”

Synopsis:

A lone man ponders his fear of turbulent weather, namely rain, and wonders what it says about his inner-self.

10-Second Trailer for the Film:

Additional Information:

Color.

Runtime: 2 min. 14 sec.

Filmed in July of 2020.

The Film in Full:

* All films included in this festival were used with the kind permission of the directors themselves.

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival – Films 11 and 12: “Disregard the Vampire” (2016) and “The Impeccable” (2019)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival continues with films 11 and 12 in the 14-part series: “Disregard the Vampire” (2016) and “The Impeccable” (2019). Both of these masterful and thought-provoking endeavors were directed by Mike Messier.

As promised, the online festival continues with:

Film 11: “Disregard the Vampire”

Synopsis:

A behind the scenes glimpse into what occurred during the recording of Mike Messier’s feature Distance From Avalon. 

Reviews for the Documentary:

AWordofDreams Review:

https://awordofdreams.com/2016/06/07/disregard-the-vampire-documentary-preview-review/

One Film Fan Review:

Short Film Documentary Review “Disregard the Vampire”

Mike Messier Web page/ Further Film Award Information:

Best Documentary Award from Shawna Shea Film Festival for Disregard the Vampire!

Additional Information:

Color.

Runtime: 39 min. 58 sec.

Not rated.

*Please note: You can find out about Messier in the “Writer/ Director Mike Messier Bio” section of “The Impeccable”. It is located at the bottom of this page.

*Cast and crew information can be found on the poster for the film above.

Film 12: “The Impeccable”

Synopsis: 

Rhode Island aristocrat Clarrisse, a sexy widow, is excited to introduce her younger stud boyfriend Henry to her visiting niece, Denise. Family secrets rise to the surface, threatening to divide the women permanently.  Fearing for his own future, Henry makes a stirring speech in an attempt to bring them all back together.

Writer/Director Mike Messier Bio: 

Mike Messier is a 34 Award winning Screenwriter, Director, TV host and producer.  As a feature film actor,  Mike has scenes with Meryl Streep & Elisabeth Shue in Hope Springs and Wesley Snipes & Cybill Shepherd (as her son) in Hard Luck, among others. The Messier Mantra TV show features Mike as an interviewer and host  Mike’s previous short film “The Nature of the Flame” premiered at RIIFF in 2015. To see many of these works, please visit  http://www.mikemessier.com

Additional Information:

Color.

Not rated.

Runtime: 22 min. 32 sec.

*The films included herein are used with the kind permission of the director himself.

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival- Films 9 and 10: “The Misplaced” (2018) and “Sisyphus” (2016)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival continues with films 9 and 10 in the 14-part series: “The Misplaced” (2018), directed by Alex DiVincenzo, and “Sisyphus” (2016). The latter was directed by David Graziano. Both titles are connected by the difficulties in a relationship setting the plot in motion. Each work in this pairing is also brilliantly acted and exceptionally well-done. 

Short synopsis:

A young woman unwittingly discovers why things have been going missing around the house.

Longer synopsis:

A young woman (Jamie Lyn Bagley) unwittingly discovers why things have been going missing around the house. See why some things shouldn’t be found in “The Misplaced”.

Additional Information:

Color.

Runtime: 3 min. 54 sec.

Film 10: “Sisyphus”

Summary:

Greta and Marlene are two close friends who are both going through tough marriages. They share a long and secret history together and when one of them decides to make the next
move in their relationship by pursuing a wonderful moment in their lives, she is met with resistance. As time goes by their roles revise and they try to get back on track but like Sisyphus, they might be rolling a boulder up a hill just to watch it roll back down again.

Cast and Crew Information:

Directed and produced by David Graziano

Screenplay by Christopher DiNunzio

Story by Brian Casey

Cinematography by Nolan Yee

Audio by J. Marshall Craig

Original Score by Stephen Lanning-Cafaro

Executive Producer: Christine Perla

Producers: MD Cafaro and LT DiPaolo

Additional Information:

Color.

Runtime: 14 min. 33 sec.

*All films included herein are included in full with the kind permission of the directors themselves.

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival- Films 7 and 8: “The Loner” (2019) and “Slow Burn” (2014)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival continues with films 7 and 8 in the 14-part series: “The Loner” (2019), which was directed by Kris Salvi, and “Slow Burn” (2014). The latter was directed by Stephen Martin. Both projects are connected by being dramatic, credible, character-driven works. Moreover, they are also similarly notable for their intense tone and premises which revolve around crimes of the past.

As promised, the festival continues with:

Film 7: “The Loner”

Summary:

Frank Rizzo is an over the hill hit-man and soldier who is trying to redeem himself. All the while, he is haunted by the murder of a close friend from years ago.

Cast and Crew Information:

Writer/Director: Kris Salvi

Cast: Marc Powers, Dustin Teuber, Kate Eppers, Craig Capone And Samantha Webb

Run Time: 31:52

Director Statement: “This film is done in a docudrama style. Filmed very gritty to represent the lifestyle of this mobster’s life. ‘The Loner’ is a look inside the everyday life of a working class Gangster and the pain that follows him throughout that world.”

The film can be viewed in full at the Facebook page for the short. It can be found here.

Film 8: “Slow Burn”

Tag line/ Summary:

A father struggles with the release of his son’s murderer from prison. Revenge is a given….seeing it through is not.

Cast and crew information can be found on the above poster for the film.

Contact Stephen on Instagram:

Stephenmartin11.11

Additional Information:

Black and white.

Run Time: 19 min. 30 sec.

“Slow Burn” was an official selection of the Woods Hole Film Festival 2015.

It won the Audience Award at the Southeast New England Film, Music and Arts Festival.

*The films included herein are included with the kind permission of the filmmakers.

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival- Films 5 and 6: “A Rock Feels No Pain” (2020) and “Spice” (2018)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival continues with films 5 and 6 of the 14-part series: “A Rock Feels No Pain” (2020), directed by Gabrielle Rosson and Kris Salvi, and “Spice” (2018). The latter was directed by Lawrence Butchbinder. Both shorts are again connected by the genre of Comedy, as was the case with the former pair of brief films. Moreover, they are both hilarious and uniquely heartfelt.

As promised, the online festival continues with:

Film 5: “A Rock Feels No Pain”

Summary:

A Rock Feels No Pain (2020)

Quarantine feels like a life sentence to Jimmy, until he learns to do the time on his own terms.

Not Rated | 8 min |Short, Comedy

About The Directors:

Gabrielle Rosson & Kris Salvi live, work, and make art in Massachusetts, and have collaborated on a number of projects since meeting in 2019.

Salvi is known for his writing, directing, and acting in independent films such as “I Am A Rain Dog,” “Gutterbug,” “Odd Men Out,” “Deja Vu’ers,” “Strawberry Lane,” “The Loner,” “Cleaner,” “You’re On The Air,” and “Salvation,”—among many others. When he isn’t making movies, he’s writing and conducting research for future productions.

Rosson began her filmmaking career as a student at Bridgewater State University where she wrote, directed, and produced her first award-winning short, “Get Up Eight,” as part of a larger effort to raise awareness about addiction and recovery. Since then, she has written, directed, produced, and acted in a number of independent shorts, including “Salvation,” “Kill Me In The Moonlight,” and “Being Kris Salvi.” Her next film, an homage to 1930s Hollywood called “Dessert,” begins principal photography this Fall. 

Directors Statement:

“A Rock Feels No Pain” was conceived during quarantine and was filmed in one day using the principals of social distancing. It was tremendous fun to work with lead actor Justin Thibault, and we are very proud of the final product. We hope it provides a little relief during these trying times! Enjoy 🙂

Film 6: “Spice”

Summary:

“Spice” (2018) is an award-winning comedy from Shoot the Moon Films, about a married couple (Steve Blackwood and Pamela Morgan) who hope to spice things up in the bedroom. This 12-minute short packs in great humor, heart-felt moments, and leaves you wanting more!

Cast and crew information:

Written by David Susman

Produced by Curtis Reid

Directed by Jeffrey Buchbinder

Links to further information on the film:

IMDB page:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5341518/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2&fbclid=IwAR1tRiNegHzUH-2kuXKcQP74so1yVLUrbRKj_vlGlmBTP7TB9t0v9xoEDI8

Shoot the Moon Films Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/shootthemoonfilms

Facebook Page for “Spice”:

https://www.facebook.com/SpiceFilm

*All films included in this festival are shown in full with the kind permission of those involved with the film itself.

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival – Films 3 and 4: “The Red Carpet” and “I Feel”

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival continues with films 3 and 4 (of 14) in the festival: “The Red Carpet” (2018), which was directed by Richard Griffin, and “I Feel” (2017). The latter work was directed by Steve Blackwood. The connection between these witty and hilarious gems are their shared genre: Comedy. In a related note, this will be the first of two of these related categorical pairings in this festival.

As promised, the festival continues with:

Film 3: “The Red Carpet”

Cast information:

Directed and Edited by Richard Griffin

Written and Produced by Lenny Schwartz

Starring: Anthony Gaudette, Sarah Reed, Geoff White, Lee Rush, Dan Martin, Laura Minadeo, Graham Stokes, Bill Pett, Jim Kelly, Erin Archer.

Director of Photography: Dan Mauro

Production Designer: Margaret Wolf

Art Director: Angela Shulman

Assistant Director: Nat Sylva.

Plot:

When a young boxer suffers from a near-fatal hit in the ring, his slow struggle back to glory will fill you with hope and a promise of a new tomorrow. “The Red Carpet” is a movie for anyone who wants to know the true meaning of the nature of the human spirit, and what it means to be a hero.

Color.

Runtime: 4 min. 15 sec.

Contains profanity.

Film 4: “I Feel”

Summary:

A mockumentary about a couples therapy session gone wrong.

Cast:

Director: Steve Blackwood.

Writers: Karen Blackwood, Steve Blackwood.

Starring: Elle Matarazzo, Jeremy Labrie, Marty Smith, Marybeth Paul.

Music: Mathew Solomon.

Editor: Chris Esper.

Cinematography: Chris Esper.

Produced by: Steve Blackwood, Chris Esper.

Sonic Cinema review of “I Feel”:

http://sonic-cinema.com/movie/i-feel-short/?fbclid=IwAR0zV1_BbfNCEgHqaFxZVYyejUT3onA_5j34IqUyVZQ5C0ixRFcg2ZfVeZE

Color.

Runtime: 9 min. 53 sec.

*All films included in this festival are shown with the kind permission of the filmmakers.

 

Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams’ Summer 2020 Short Film Festival: Films 1 and 2 (“Yesteryear” and “Imposter”)

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By Andrew Buckner

The Andrew Buckner/ AWordofDreams Summer 2020 Short Film Festival has commenced!

The idea behind this online festival will be to present two films each day, with a shared filmmaking crew member or narrative link to each other, for five days straight. This online festival will begin anew roughly every three months with fourteen more short films (all under forty-five minutes and in any genre, style and from any year). Each short film will be screened at AWordofDreams and kept on the site for the foreseeable future. 

The first day of this originating festival, August 8th of 2020, will be a Chris Esper double bill! We will be including screeners to his wonderful, thought-provoking short films “Yesteryear” (2020) and “Imposter” (2018).

As promised, here is a poster, general information, director’s statement and a screener link for each of Mr. Esper’s films:

Film 1: “Yesteryear”

Summary: “A visual documentary about the value of home movies through the eyes of those who filmed their valuable memories.” – Chris Esper

Director’s Statement: “With the recent pandemic causing unrest, many are turning to their memories as and nostalgia as a source of comfort. It could be a video or a photo. Whatever the case may be, these precious moments are a reminder of what is beautiful about life in a world of uncertainty.

This was the inspiration behind ‘Yesteryear’. I was initially in pre-production on another short film. However, amid the pandemic, I had to postpone production. This lead to me eventually coming across my home movies and concerting them. I was amazed by the storytelling home movies can possess. From there, I put out a call to folks in my circle who were kind enough to release their memories for this project. Two months and fifteen hours later, ‘Yesteryear’ was completed.

My goal was to show that everyone’s life has a story. With that story, there is a slew of memories that can be unforgettable. The documentation of these is very important in preserving what’s important.”

Color.

Runtime: 13 min. 52 sec.

Film 2: “Imposter”

Summary: “A silent drama that visually represents the inner struggles of suffering from anxiety.” – Chris Esper

Additional Information/ Director’s Statement: “According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the US, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older. I am among these 40 million adults.

As a filmmaker, I enjoy telling personal stories about subjects that are close to my heart while putting a spin on that subject. “Imposter” is easily my most personal film to date. I have always felt that anxiety was a silent disorder that many can feel, but others can’t see and nor do we ever understand it. This is why I chose to make it as a silent film. For many, anxiety is different. “Imposter” was my way of showing how anxiety, particularly the idea of Imposter Syndrome, can be very real to some and how many are suffering around us that we don’t realize. We suffer quietly and often feel trapped or feel like prisoners of our thoughts. That is what “Imposter” is ultimately about in its themes.”

Color.

Runtime: 9 min. 53 sec.

*All screeners included in this festival are incorporated with the kind permission of the filmmaker(s).

Andrew Buckner Announces AWordofDreams’ Seasonal Short Film Festival

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By Andrew Buckner

Submissions are now being accepted for the first ever Andrew Buckner/AWORDOFDREAMS Seasonal Short Film Festival!

Here is some basic information about the festival:

The festival will be held, as the title suggests, once every season (approximately every three months).

Entries will be accepted in any genre and in any style.

The submissions for this season, Summer 2020, will run from today (August 3rd) until 11:59 p.m. on August 17th.

Submissions are free. Please send submissions in the form of a Vimeo or YouTube link. Submissions can be completed any year, not just 2020, and are acceptable in any genre. For purposes of this festival, the project submitted must not run any longer than forty-five minutes. Please verify if this is your debut film and if you are a local (Ohio) filmmaker when submitting. Multiple submissions (more than one film per director) are welcome. Please make sure your film is not bound to festival agreements in any other festival where it cannot be screened at AWORDOFDREAMS.com. Directors please make sure to give AWORDOFDREAMS express permission to showcase your film at the festival.

The films selected and the filmmakers behind them will have AWordofDreams’ permission to use AWordofDreams’ logo on their respective film poster, for each film shown at the festival, as a respective nominee/ winner. They can also do so in any future trailer for the selected film.

Please send submissions to Andrew Buckner’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/andrew.buckner.3, via Messenger. 

I will be accepting 15 short films total per festival.

Thanks for your time and good luck to all submitters!