Toronto, Los Angeles…..and now CHICAGO. LOGAN Cinemas in midtown Chicago.
Author: chicagofilmfestival
Submit your Short Film and get it showcased at the FEEDBACK Film Festival in Chicago. 1 event in 2019. 12 events in 2020. Festival takes place at LOGAN Theatre in downtown Chicago on the 3rd Friday of every single month.
Best Short Form Short Film: TILLIE Best Long Form Short Film: FIELD DAY Best Direction: BAPTISM Best Performances: YOLKS Best Story: DEEPFAKE Best Documentary: MR. BULLOCH: CHICAGO’S DONUT KING
DEEPFAKE, 6min., USA Directed by Nate Zegue A scammer uses deepfake technology to disguise her voice.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
TILLIE, 5min., USA Directed by Noelle P. Wilson, D Andrew Hartfield An 8 year old girl adopted from China leads her father to a deeper understanding of what she faces in a new culture and what she longs for from her home country.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
MR. BULLOCH: CHICAGO’S DONUT KING, 5min., USA Directed by Claude Edward Fethiere This short film celebrates Mr. Buritt Bulloch the successful owner of Old Fashioned Donuts Incorporated, a business which has thrived in the financially blighted Chicago south side neighborhood of Roseland for over 50 years.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
BAPTISM, 8min, USA Directed by Alex Alexander The relief, the rest that comes from truth.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
YOLKS, 4min,. USA Directed by Jesse Womack John struggles with his relationship with food and body image in the form of his own subconscious.
Here is the list of 2023 screenplay winners from the CHICAGO Feedback Festival.
Watch the 2 winning screenplay best scene readings:
DAVID’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, by Michael Moore
Short Script
In the late 1960s college freshman David and high school junior Jimmy discover a new understanding of their friendship. Although they must keep their feelings for each other hidden, they enjoy the developing closeness until an indiscretion threatens to ruin everything.
9066, by Cassie Phillips
This is a snapshot into the moment one Japanese-American family is forced from their home to live in an internment camp during World War Two, and what happens when one family member refuses to leave.
Best Feature Film: ENCONTRO Best Short Film: UNION MATER Best Direction: POLLO LOCO Best Cinematography: WAVESWATERWALL Best Sound & Music: I SAID, NO Best Performances: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS Best Story: BIG EXIT Best Student Film: THE TRIAL
Watch the Audience Feedback Video for each film:
ENCONTRO, 116min., France Directed by François Manceaux Seven years after the death of his wife, Alain, a belgium director, longs to meet the actress of his unfinished film, with whom he shared a passion in Lisbon. Once in place, discovers that she had disappeared. A unknown woman offers him help for the investigation. It beggins for him a hipnotic journey in Cabo Verde, obsessed by those images from his past in opposition to the present in Lisbon, where it surfaces the duality between those two women.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
BIG EXIT, 11min,. USA Directed by David Sackerman Josh is a lonely, awkward individual who is ignored by his coworkers and disrespected by his boss, but when he gets some bad news, he comes up with a scheme to get the last laugh.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
UNION MATER, 10min,. Mexico Directed by Aldo Márquez An afternoon where the experiences of three men and two women are interconnected. Through a lucid dream; the feeling for the death of an acquaintance; and to paint on tree plants.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, 16min., USA Directed by Nathan Morse Former foster care youth Darroll Reed is asked by his mentor Ted to return to Journey House, a group home for teenage boys, and help locate a runaway at-risk youth. Based on the real life experiences of our writer.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
WAVESWATERWALL, 8min,. Switzerland Directed by Barbara Peikert The castaway is literally pulverized and laminated by monstrous waves and transformed into a tsunami when he comes into contact with the white hole of the ocean. Poetic verses and voices evoke this traumatic destiny.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
POLLO LOCO, 26min,. USA Directed by Derek Bauder When a young, power-hungry drug dealer discovers the love of his life has been unfaithful with a member of his crew, he and his right-hand man seek revenge.
SOMEONE WHO IS PUNCTUAL, 16min,. China Directed by Haibo Wang A woman who is highly punctual in her daily life encounters a series of paranormal phenomenons related to her partner, which ultimately forces her to confront the love tragedy she had long denied.
Get to know the filmmaker. Interview by Matthew Toffolo
1. What motivated you to make this film? The initial idea for this short film came from a concept for a series of horror shorts. However, my attention was drawn to the news of a girl taking her own life due to mental abuse. I felt sadness with several questions in my mind. Did she have a chance to live or to have a revelatory awakening? Could there have been a way for her to escape other than through suicide? The answer is disheartening that most of the time, individuals trapped in mental abuse find it incredibly difficult to redeem themselves. It’s a despair-filled emotional abyss because mental abuse within intimate relationships are often conducted under the motivation of distorted love. Realizing these facts, I transformed the original idea into a horror story about mental abuse with only one simple reason: to make her find another way to relief and escape even the cost is inevitable.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I came up with the idea in the early 2020 and it took me several months to complete the script. I initially had a lot of discussions with Liu Cheng and Hu Jing, the producers of this short film, to develop the storyline, the plots and the undercurrent of the story. After the audition, I talked with the protagonist Du Xian and the supporting actor Lu Jiacheng to develop more believable characters and the lines. As a result there’re many revisions have been made before the final draft. We started pre-production from July 2020 and completed the shot-production at the end of August at the same year. However, when I finished the rough cut, the result is not expected with the lack of storytelling pace and background stories of the characters. My friends and workmates Yang Zhe with Yang Zizheng and Liu Shuo gave me some great comments and advice so we made second shot-production for additional shots in the early 2021. After this, we have been running out of the budget and even worse, the lockdowns during the pandemic continued. So I started to do the editing, color grading and even the sound design all by my own. Thanks to my friend Guo Yunzhong, who helped me to find a great VFX group to finish all of the visual effects in a very low price…I felt quite upset during the seemingly ever-lasting lockdown so all of the jobs are being done in a random schedule. When I found the composer Wang Zhiyang with the professional support of Zhao Xiaoyu, it had been the autumn of 2022. Wang Zhiyang did a great job on the original score and even gave me some great feedbacks on montage which quickly made me recover from the PTSD of the lockdown. In March 2023, with the invaluable support of my fiancee Cris Su, the film is finally delivered.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Dark, Sobering
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? At first thought, I took Low budget and The lockdown as two of the biggest obstacles. But after I recalled all of the experiences for this short film, the balance and the fusion between genre elements design and the main storytelling is definitely the biggest obstacle.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? Thrilled, Excited, ignited and Touched
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? When I felt so sad with many questions about the girl who took her own life because of the mental abuse, I decided to make a film on this topic.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life? The Lust, Caution by Ang Lee. It’s one of the most overwhelming stories I’ve ever watched in a film which made me know how cruel and terrified a chaotic world could possibly be to the individuals, just because it’s a love story from the hell.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? I’m really appreciated for this question. In my humble opinion, it would be great to see my short films could be live screened as many as possible for the audience in the cinemas and could be purchased by online and TV media services to make them more accessible for more audience.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? I think the film submission via online festival platforms is really an efficient way for the emerging filmmakers. It would be even better if those platforms can integrate more tools for the crowdfunding and marketing rather than through other respective sites.
10. What is your favorite meal? Kidney Beans with pancake made by my mom!
11. What is next for you? A new film? Absolutely. I’m currently working on a feature film story and my own fiction stories. Some of them are about domestic violence, others focus on different social groups and issues both in the US and China.
Best Feature FIlm: LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI Best Short Form Short Film: DEAR DAUGHTER Best Long Form Short Film: PLEASE DON’T GAMBLE ON OUR DEMOCRACY Best Direction: SOMEONE WHO IS PUNCTUAL Best Performances: STELLA Best Sound & Music: HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO KNOW Best Cinematography: THE BEF
Best Documentary: POETIQ JUSTIZ
Watch the Audience Feedback Video for each film:
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI, 92min., Bulgaria Directed by Nikolay Bogomilov Somewhere in the space between reality and fairy tale. A poet left in tragic loneliness sees as if on a film, his entire past and the price he paid for his poems.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
STELLA, 16min., UK Directed by Caroline Steinbeis Burying her mother forces Stella to reflect on the choices she has made throughout her life, and the woman she has now become. STELLA is a comedy-drama about parents, self-discovery and learning to live with irrevocable scars. It is a story of hope and a journey to self-acceptance.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE BEF, 9min., USA Directed by Eric Burleson While being pursued by a police officer, a young boy struggles with his decisions for the baby in his care and how to help his sick mother.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO KNOW, 16min., India Directed by Gautam Kapur Maulik a former MMA fighter suffers from trauma who is search of the girl in HIS DREAMS . He finally seeks help from an unconventional therapist who helps him find his answers. Its a Journey that takes him into his past life and his thirst for true freedom.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
SOMEONE WHO IS PUNCTUAL, 16min,. China Directed by Haibo Wang A woman who is highly punctual in her daily life encounters a series of paranormal phenomenons related to her partner, which ultimately forces her to confront the love tragedy she had long denied.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
DEAR DAUGHTER, 7min., USA Directed by Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff A mother’s tribute to her daughter and a reflection on how the love for her evolved throughout the years.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
PLEASE DON’T GAMBLE ON OUR DEMOCRACY, 28min,. USA Directed by Adam Mockler An interactive documentary about January 6th, election fraud, and other contemporary political issues.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
POETIQ JUSTIZ, 35min,. USA Directed by Crista E. Noël Police violence against women, especially Black women, was invisible before the Campaign for justice for Rekia Boyd lit a fire among the Activists/ Advocates and her family in Chicago. But how did her name, out of all the women who have been killed by police, make it into Jesse Williams’ BET acceptance speech? Come take the journey as we express our grief, trauma, and recovery through art as therapy and find out.
Best Feature Film: STRANDING STRONG: ELIZABETH CATLETT Best Short Form Short Film: SALUT Best Long Form Short Film: MAN IN THE MOUNTAIN Best Cinematography: NOCTURNAL JACKAL
Best Sound & Music: A FANTASY OF COMPANIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN AND INANIMATE Best Direction: AVE GRADIVA Best Story: THE PIRATE Best Performances: ON DEAF EARS
Watch the Audience Feedback Video for each film:
NOCTURNAL JACKAL, 9min., USA Directed by Vishal Rajput, Harkanwar Singh A lonesome addict battles his depression, anxiety, and hopelessness by a sinister urge that reigns supremacy over his thoughts and actions.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
SALUT, 3min., Isreal Directed by Yuri Riklis George Ginsburg (40s) is a new immigrant from France, a guitar player in a night club in Tel Aviv . His whole emotional world is – his girlfriend Michelle (late 20s) also immigrated from France and his dog Packo. When he receives a message about Michel’s death in a terrorist attack at the “Dolphinarium” Dicko, his life ends also.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
AVE GRADIVA, 18min., Israel Directed by Yuri Riklis When a lonely man, a fashion photographer, meets the sweetheart of his youth, from whom he separated under the pressure of his Oedipal mother, he is attacked by fragments of past memories and does everything he can to realize the love of his life, doubt in the dream – doubt in reality, doubt in the present – doubt in the past, under the influence of a literary and surrealistic character Gradiva.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE PIRATE, 8min., UK Directed by Ruth Carnegie A young girl, stuck in the city, dreams of running away to the sea. With the help of her grandfather, she finds a rather unusual way to break free.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
ON DEAF EARS, 13min., UK Directed by Ty Hunt A mother’s worst fear comes true when her special needs daughter’s actions are misunderstood during a routine traffic stop.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
MAN IN THE MOUNTAIN, 35min., USA, Web Series Directed by Dennis Trombly Pilot Episode: For generations, a family has been protecting secrets of alien encounters on family owned land. Now, in recent times, a scientist looks into them with historical evidence. This Science Fiction short film is a section of a double feature screenplay, approximately Part 3 of 8.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
STRANDING STRONG: ELIZABETH CATLETT, 56min., USA, Documentary Directed by Kevin J Kelley The struggles and triumphs of Elizabeth Catlett Mexican/American artist and political activist who was a pioneer in the Black Arts movement.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
A FANTASY OF COMPANIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN AND INANIMATE, 15min., Animation Directed by Susan Mey Lee Lim, Samudra Kajal Saikia, Christina Teenz Tan In a world dominated by modern society’s pervasive loneliness, “A Fantasy “of Companionship between Human and Inanimate” explores a unique bond between a child and an inanimate toy. Inspired by the growing influence of disruptive sciences and technologies, the film takes us on a journey from the jungles of Tanzania to a village toy factory, where a soul becomes trapped in a plush companion. Purchased by Christina’s mother in California, the toy, named ALAN, remains by her side as she grows into a young woman on the verge of becoming a doctor. However, ALAN becomes aware of its own mortality and the possibility of losing its human companion. Determined to defy fate, it embarks on a quest for a new existence, utilizing synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and ultimately teleportation to quantum entangle its soul with Christina’s forever. This captivating story delves into the realms of fantasy and science fiction, showcasing the power of companionship and the lengths one will go to preserve it.
IN HER NAME, 102min., USA, Drama/Comedy Directed by Sarah Carter In Her Name is a dramedy about estranged sisters forced to confront their differences while dealing with family bankruptcy and their formerly-important-artist father’s terminal illness. Immersed in the absurdity of the Los Angeles art world they fall through the spiritual rabbit hole that is their childhood home. However tragic their lives remain, they find love again.
If I had known that we would be shut down for four months halfway through our shooting schedule due to a global pandemic, I probably never would have made what turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.
With very little money and huge challenges along the way, this film is living proof that everyone involved was genuinely inspired. My greatest accomplishment as a first time director may be the simple fact that people showed up to set everyday. Gathering in a circle at the top of the day and appreciating everyone’s presence always felt like a miracle, and something I might have taken for granted had we shot at a less tumultuous time.
With influences like Francois Truffaut, Fellini, Greta Gerwig, Wim Wenders and Miranda July, I wanted the film to have a dreamlike and meditative quality to it, but not without a sense of humor.
Appropriately In Her Name is an absurd dramedy that explores how shared trauma affects us all in different ways. It’s a film about losing a significant family member and how it can bring estranged people back together in the unwitting purpose of alchemizing the evolution of self and soul.
While making light, the film follows cycles of addiction and how those cycles intertwine with personality distortions that often come with genius. My only brother recently lost his battle with addiction. My love for him informs the compassion and sense of humor this story holds for the complexity and drama of fixating on escape while also longing to be connected with family at a primal level.
The film deals with themes of judgement, resentment, and reconciliation in the family dynamic, while utilizing death as a catalyst for confronting differences. It also explores the false images of self vs. the expectations of the world.
It’s no surprise that finding freedom within a family dynamic is what our film’s story explores, because that’s the spirit that got us through. Witnessing our team choosing to face fears of Covid, the stress of the cultural climate, whatever California fire was burning that day, and to create an elevated surreality has given me something I feel compelled to devote my life to. Family. And what we can create together.
After 20 years in the entertainment industry, nothing prepared me more for feature filmmaking than being a mother. As a mother, it’s easy to love with an open palm and humbly recognize that no matter how clear the vision or how well organized the plan to execute, ultimately, how little control I have or how little credit I can take for what comes through creatively. It’s that kind of feminine leadership I felt was most beneficial to me as a producer and director. For me, this film is a stunning string of miracles.
Our two lead actresses, along with myself, our line producer, production manager, and assistant director are all mothers of young children. This film couldn’t have been made without the willingness to put our children’s needs first which, by the way, was totally possible. The first thing I would say to the cast and crew when they arrived on set was “I have a three year old daughter. Her name is Alice, if you see her around please take a moment to introduce yourself to her kindly and gently, and please understand that her needs come first should something arise throughout the day.” Everyone was receptive. The attitude of family-first created a stronger sense of whole hearted presence and trust in our production leaders… a team of mothers.
It stars fine artist, Erin Hammond, but the story was inspired by the life of the late feminist painter, Huguette Caland, who fled oppression leaving her children in Beirut to make a name for herself in the art world.
I was interested in exploring what it’s like to be a woman with maternal values pursuing a career in art while dealing with oppressive and often abusive circumstances inherent in patriarchal society.
Under the emotional turmoil and various ways of acting out there is a deeper question the film asks the audience. Can we be equally devoted to creative freedom and family? What is more important as it relates to one’s life purpose? Can we judge a person for their priorities? What is the cost of this freedom?
It was essential to me that our process creating the film be infused with the energy of the message. Because of the lead characters’ arc from disempowerment to empowerment, I wanted to create a culture on set where the feminine was honored.
Without having any intention to contribute a particular perspective other than my own, I do feel that my film represents a uniquely feminine approach to cinematic storytelling and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the ever-growing wave of women in film and the expansion in consciousness the female gaze essentially offers.
I understand now that filmmaking can be a shamanic art. The collaborative process of writing, producing, directing, and acting in this film has been undeniably shepherded by spirit. My greatest wish is that I continue to shed light, and share the beauty and humor I perceive in the strangest, simplest, moments that connect us.
With a sense of beauty and play, my intention is for this story to offer insight to the mystical healing patterns that emerge when someone dies and confrontation with reality is forced within a toxic family dynamic. The hope is that we recognize the sometimes subtle and somewhat tragic ways in which love prevails.
Audience Award Winners: Best Short Form Short Film: LIBERA Best Long Form Short Film: FRESH AIR Best Performances: THE MONSTER Best Direction: SHADOW PUPPETS Best Sound & Music: DIRT ROAD Best Cinematography: REVERSE Best Experimental: ANTHOLOGY OF NINE SOULS ON THEIR WAY TO DEATH Best Art Direction: IMPRISONED Best Story: ANGEL NEGRO Best Student Film: SHE IS MY FEAR AND FEAR IS A BONE
Watch the Audience Feedback Video for each film:
THE MONSTER, 15min., Canada Directed by Gabriel Després Alice keeps drawing a monster that seems to terrify her. Everyone in the family has a different opinion about this monster.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
ANTHOLOGY OF NINE SOULS ON THEIR WAY TO DEATH, 12min,. Italy Directed by Penelope Zouganeli, Giuseppe Circelli Andy the night watch was the cemetery gate keeper in Spoon river. He was overseeing the burial of all Spoon river residents. He was the silent observer of life in the small town, knowing everyone and their lives. He could see the good and bad, usually as they were intermixed after death. Having been given a final say following their passing, the bodies have a different story of their lies, cheating, corruption and neglect and Andy is shedding light to the underlying truth of the events.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
REVERSE, 12min., France, Thriller Directed by Christophe Lenoir With the help of her alters, an ex-spy with dissociative identity disorder hatches a plan to get revenge on the one-eyed, the man who tried to kill her.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
ANGEL NEGRO, 8min,. USA, Drama Directed by Eduardo Mr.Etrip Zamora In “Angel Negro,” Eduardo Zamora plays a skilled hitman who specializes in taking out troublesome husbands at the request of their wives. Based in Los Angeles, California, Angel is a highly sought-after assassin who operates in the shadows and has built a reputation for his discretion and efficiency.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
SHADOW PUPPETS, 13min,. USA, Thriller Directed by Penn Pauletich A prisoner finds a new and dangerous way to spark joy in his otherwise mundane life.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
DIRT ROAD, 9min,. USA, Drama Directed by Harlan Wungnema Shield Maria just needs some time alone to come to terms with her demons. As she confronts them, she finds herself inconvenienced by Lee, a passerby who is very cocky and very persistent about having her join him in his SUV. Maria, however, has other plans in mind.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
FRESH AIR, 16min,. USA, Drama Directed by Sarah Cayce, Kendal Miller Cate just wanted a quiet weekend away from her busy life in the city. Unfortunately, she’s not alone in the woods.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
IMPRISONED, 7min,. USA, Drama Directed by Nick Vakhouski “Imprisoned” is a thought-provoking short film set in a dystopian world where creativity is held captive by artificial intelligence. The story follows an artist who finds himself trapped in a white room, forced to create a masterpiece to earn his freedom. As he struggles to meet the AI’s elusive standards, the artist’s sanity and creativity are pushed to their limits. With an unexpected twist, the film explores themes of artistic oppression, the devaluation of human creativity, and the consequences of relying too heavily on technology. It raises questions about the true nature of art and the potential dangers of surrendering our creative power to machines.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
LIBERA, 5min., Italy, Experimental Directed by Brace Beltempo, Barbara Sirotti What happens in a woman ‘s mind after an act of violence? Why do often rape victims blame themselves? Is it really so easy to report an abuse? When your soul is destroyed maybe there Is only one thing to do….
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
SHE IS MY FEAR AND FEAR IS A BONE, 4min., USA, Experimental Directed by Kylie Heewon Park An experimental short film inspired by a spontaneous collective score written by multiple people. The director asked random people around her to contribute a sentence or two to build a narrative. Using their sentences and words as inspirations, she reinterpreted the narrative into a performance.
Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival 