Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival
Toronto, Los Angeles…..and now CHICAGO. LOGAN Cinemas in midtown Chicago.
HONOR AMONG THIEVES, 10min., USA, Sci-Fi/Western
Directed by Justin Eugene Evans
When a planet-hopping cowboy-criminal (Jason R. Moore, Marvel’s The Punisher) returns to New Mexico after a heist-gone-wrong, he expects a hero’s welcome. Instead, he finds his mutinous crew have decided he’s no longer in charge.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
RED THREAD, 3min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Yijun Pan, Anh Vo
A red thread connects your destiny, but perhaps not the only one you find.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
BALLHAWKS, 10min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Samantha Sanders
Outside of Wrigley Field, a group of die-hard Cubs fans have attended years of games and only rarely entered the park. They spend the innings on the corner of Waveland and Kenmore in the hopes of catching home runs in what they call the far outfield. Their shared passion has led to lifelong friendships and a community spirit that hearkens back to the early days of the game. In the fall of 2016, after a 100-year dry spell, the Cubs will play in the World Series and these Ballhawks have a chance they’ve only dreamed of – to catch a World Series home run ball.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
A married, closeted-gay mayoral candidate who is outed in a very public manner must contend with its effects on his campaign and family.
CAST LIST:
Leslie: Esther Thibault
Ed: Steven Holmberg
Narrator: Kat Smiley
Justin: Brandon Knox
Camile: Patrice Henry
Cassidy: Amiee Poulin
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Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Festival Moderators: Matthew Toffolo, Rachel Elder
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editors: Kimberly Villarruel, Ryan Haines, John Johnson
Festival Directors: Rachel Elder, Natasha Levy
Camera Operators: Ryan Haines, Temitope Akinterinwa, Efren Zapata, Zack Arch
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Justin Eugene Evans’ previous film, A Lonely Place For Dying, was accepted in 46 film festivals. The film was nominated for 53 awards and won 29 including 18 best pictures. Justin then took a leave of absence from filmmaking for 8 years to invent a new type of cinema lighting system. He is now returning to filmmaking with a Science-Fiction/Western short film entitled Honor Among Thieves.
Justin’s engineering skills include mechanical, electrical, mechtronic, optical, and thermodynamics. He worked in 18 factories throughout China to teach himself the fundamentals of modern manufacturing. He taught himself basic Mandarin so he could navigate the world of Chinese and Southeast Asia manufacturing.
As an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome, he often feels slightly out of step. Justin’s son, David, is also Autistic and his wife is a college culinary instructor at an Autistic school in Wisconsin. Together, they educate non-Autistics about Autism and advocate for Autistic acceptance.
Justin splits his time between invention and filmmaking.
Director Statement
It always comes down to characters. Superficially, combining science fiction and the wild west may seem difficult. But, the challenges weren’t the visual effects or science fiction weapons; the challenges were about character.
I don’t believe in genre. I believe a writer’s primary job is to be a malevolent manipulator, crafting deeply flawed characters and then constantly thwarting their ambitions.
And in that sense, this science fiction western is really a story of failed friendship, mistrust and an inability to take a leap of faith. It is, I hope, funny, quirky and deeply human.
But, my script would never have been possible without my amazing team! James Wulfgar’s science fiction weaponry and props are as good as any Hollywood film. Branden Miletta’s visual effects work is stupendous. Luis Caffesse’s amazing editing blows me away; I could never do what he does. Bytheway-May’s music carefully balances the comedy and action of this short film. The costumes and sets are incredible.
And the cast! The cast did such an amazing job! Michael Tabb, Jason R. Moore and Chris Ranney own their roles. They bring so much depth and detail to their characters.
I’m truly blessed to have such an amazing team help bring my quirky, strange, genre mash-up to life. We hope you enjoy Honor Among Thieves!
Official Selection of more than 29 film festivals. And our list keeps growing!
When a planet-hopping cowboy-criminal (Jason R. Moore, Marvel’s The Punisher) returns to New Mexico after a heist-gone-wrong, he expects a hero’s welcome. Instead, he finds his mutinous crew have decided he’s no longer in charge.
Project Links
News & Reviews
Rachel works on a range of video and interactive projects with an emphasis on finding new and innovative ways to capture and tell human-centric stories. Combining her interest in emerging technologies and know-how of traditional disciplines, Rachel has been recognized internationally for her perspective by Wired Magazine, Vimeo Staff Picks, The National Film Board of Canada, The Atlantic, Vice, Adweek, and Fast Company.
An intimate look into a small community in Alaska through the eyes of Beverly Sue Waltz, the bartender of the only bar open all-year-round.
Born in Texas, Beverly had dreams of becoming a country singer and traveled around the US performing at a young age. Pregnant at 15 and escaping a troublesome relationship, Beverly found herself in a small Alaskan town where she cares for her community that gathers in the Anchor Inn bar, occasionally singing on the bar’s stage that was built for her.Director Biography – Rachel Knoll
Samantha began her career in film by working for some of her favorite filmmakers including Jim Jarmusch, and Barbara Kopple. She returned to school to study film and video at Columbia College Chicago and received her MFA in June 2001. Her films and screenplays have won awards internationally. A feature film she produced, entitled Chicago Boricua, premiered at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival and is released on home video by Screen Media/Universal. She has written/produced television for the series American Justice and Biography on the A&E network and produced the pilot episode of When Forensics Fail for MSNBC. In the summer of 2006 she produced the Weather Channel’s first HD special Storm Stories: A Hurricane Katrina Anniversary Special. She produced Witness: GI Homecoming and Witness: Joplin Tornado which both aired on the National Geographic Channel May 2012. An indie fiction feature she co-produced entitled American Folk – a contemporary musical road movie set in the backdrop of 9/11 – premiered theatrically and on demand on Hulu January 2018. She loves anything that takes her out of her comfort zone – which this summer was a beginning attempt at hang gliding. Miraculously unscathed, she plans to continue that pursuit although her fear of heights may work against her.
Outside of Wrigley Field, a group of die-hard Cubs fans have attended years of games and only rarely entered the park. They spend the innings on the corner of Waveland and Kenmore in the hopes of catching home runs in what they call the far outfield. Their shared passion has led to lifelong friendships and a community spirit that hearkens back to the early days of the game. In the fall of 2016, after a 100-year dry spell, the Cubs will play in the World Series and these Ballhawks have a chance they’ve only dreamed of – to catch a World Series home run ball.
