Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival
Toronto, Los Angeles…..and now CHICAGO. LOGAN Cinemas in midtown Chicago.
SHORT CALF MUSCLE, 13min., Netherlands, Comedy
Directed by Victoria Warmerdam
Short Calf Muscle is an absurdist black comedy about Anders. And Anders is different. But he doesn’t know that. Yes, he’s also gay, but that’s not the point here. There is also this thing that others see but he doesn’t.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
SIRI WITH A VENGEANCE, 5min., Norway, Comedy/Thriller
Directed by Martin Sofiedal
Shawn is held has to play a game of survival, after Siri hacks into his Android phone to seek revenge for not using her anymore.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
Daniel John Harris is an award-winning filmmaker based in Chicago, IL. After serving six years as an artilleryman with the IL Army National Guard, he traded his cannon for a Canon to begin his career as a filmmaker and photographer.Director Statement
I think Springsteen put it best when he said artists are part fraudsters; liars in service of truth. This story isn’t my truth, but hopefully I have just enough empathy as a filmmaker to get it right. All my thanks and undying gratitude to my cast and crew, who were given a large task in a small amount of time, but executed flawlessly.
Iv’e been telling stories …Director Statement
Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.
– Groucho Marx
A dark comedy about the student debt bubble and the people behind it.Director Biography – DAVE
Project Links
Zige Zhang is a director and a storyboard artist. She is fond of telling metaphorical stories, and translating her life experience into fantasies. Although Zige likes to create animated films that are filled with theatrical pageantry, she believes they still have the power to make people feel empathy, as these characters play roles that are not so far from audiences’ own experience.
Also, Zige is interested in singing and composing. She started playing piano at an early age and she has a solid foundation in music theory. Her long time engagement with music has led to her the especial interest of musicals and she just finished a musical animation King of the House.
Director Statement
This film is a portrait of a man in a stagnated mental state, which develops in many people. The “king” is afraid to go outside, and unwilling to accept new things, because he doesn’t want to accept his true self. I believe that in order to protect themselves, people sometimes can be deceived, believing they are better off sealed away. Hiding from the disappointments of experience, they succumb to isolation.
I am interested in exploring the dark sides of human nature: the strong possessiveness over one’s territory, and the fear for the unknown. I think these dark sides of the humanity are often connected with our insecurity, and I hope to illustrate human’s reactions under these psychological circumstances through a humorous and ironic story.
To make this piece inline with the “kings” hallucinations, I used a dramatic, musical structure to tell the story. There are three musical songs in this film. I hope the expressionism visual style, and the strong color palette presents a dark and desperate emotional tone within an also humorous film.
A delusional man lives alone in a small dark house, believing that he is the king of the world and his supremacy is secure. However, his sovereignty is shaken by the arrival of a stranger. Little by little, this intruder occupies his living space, forces him to face his inner fears, cowardice and inferiority. Eventually, he realizes the great king he conjured in his tiny kingdom, is nothing but a pitiful tramp to the rest of the world.
Project Links
Ralph Klisiewicz is inspired by directors like David Fincher, Danny Boyle, and Denis Villeneuve. Ralph was a student of psychology. Consequently, he is interested in exploring deeper, and potentially darker, layers of his characters.
Ralph’s entrance into filmmaking was rather unorthodox. About 7 years ago, as a musician, he was in need of a musical video. Although several people with a film background helped him get the project a started, much of the work fell upon his shoulders. In order to complete the project, Ralph was forced to learn and perform many of the filmmaking tasks. Since that initial project, he has fallen in love with the entire process of filmmaking. He has now produced a number of music videos along with 3 short films up to date. In addition, he started his own film/
video production company and produces commercial work. Ralph is a self-taught filmmaker, and such background gives him a perspective and creative approach free of traditional filmmaking paradigms. He looks forward to projects that challenge him and push him to grow
as a filmmaker.
Sally comes home and starts talking with her boyfriend, Tim. Initially, she talks about having a baby. The conversations takes a turn and Sally begins describing her day. She talks about a car accident that she has witnessed. She reveals to Tim what an emotional impact the accident had on her. She saw a man “under the sheet, they were carrying him away” and how it could it have been Tim. However, there was no accident. The man under the sheet was a young, athletic, and charming Kevin.
Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival 