Last Tuesday was the June (Pride-themed) edition of IndieWorks, and our first of Year 6! We screened 5 films and had over 60 people in house! Our first two films were dramatic, narrative pieces. They were beautifully shot, thought-provoking, and often bittersweet in nature. The second set of three films were slightly more experimental, all exploring identity in different ways. The styles and genres of those ranged but were all very visually driven. All the pieces of the night featured LGBTQ characters and celebrated the beautiful diversity that exists with pride. Some lovely discussions were had, and the night was a big success!
We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope all enjoyed the films and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made!
Enjoy the rest of Pride month! And we hope you'll join us again for our July screening on the 10th - featuring an exceptional lineup of shorts focused on loss, grief, and healing.
See photos from the evening:
The Films of the night:
Her Being Home (Directed by Ellie Gravitte, Written by Sophia Maro)
A young woman turns to an unexpected place to find comfort in a new home.
Sanctuary (Directed by Jeanette Sears & Nicole Solomon, Written by Jeanette Sears)
Throughout the 1960’s, gay bars served as havens for a marginalized queer community across the country. Frequent police raids and laws dictating women to wear three pieces of “gender appropriate clothing” resulted in countless cases of police harassment, assault, and brutality. "Sanctuary" follows Meg and Abigail as they navigate their interaction and coping process after one such raid.
Spot (Written & Directed by Jamie DiNicola)
A group of twenty-somethings circle around a stoop and share a joint when one of them gets lost in the mystery and beauty of the urban sidewalk - a mosaic of stories emerge. Spot pushes the known boundaries of diversity and inclusion in indie filmmaking.
Living Waters (Directed & Animated by Ezra Ray)
When Judaism and transgender experiences intersect, there are many revenues of discourse and action that a trans individual can pursue. This experimental animation shows the birth and subsequent transformation of the protagonist through a Jewish lens. Jewish rituals of purification and transformation are found within water, and offer a path of renewal in this film.
Hopelessly (Written & Directed by Tony Clemente)
Darren is determined to find a connection, no matter how many people he has to go through. Explore the day in the life of a queer, polyamorous relationship, in all its awkward beauty.
Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!
The awards go to...
At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories: Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April.
The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project.
For the June 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
Audience Choice Award: "Sanctuary"
Silver Whiskers Award: "Her Being Home"
