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).