The Wolf Tree Film Festival, first started in 2019, completed its fourth annual showing yesterday, January 22, 2022, with an in-person audience, after having to go "virtual" in 2021 because of the pandemic.
I was one of those lucky enough to attend.
Wolf Tree shows short films-- 30 minutes or less --from aspiring filmmakers across a variety of genres. The rules are simple: the film must have some connection to the Great Lakes region, more specifically, it must be shot in OR be made by someone from the eight U.S. States and one Canadian Province (Ontario) that border the Great Lakes. The Festival is held in Marshall, Michigan. This year there were 70 entries, and nine were selected for this year's event. They are (in the order they were shown):
1)Hudson Hogsett: Kinda Into Soccer-- documentary about a young kid showing phenomenal promise in the sport. Directed by Jordan Presley, approximately 13 minutes.
2)License & Registration-- funny/dark fiction, about a police impersonator. Directed by Jackson Ezinga, 10 minutes.
3)A is for Apple-- funny/dark fiction, stop-motion tale about a worm who discovers an oppressive worm dictatorship within an apple. Do not be fooled by this intriguing film's extremely short runtime. Directed by Adam Mick Laughlin, 2 minutes.
4)The I's Have it-- interpretive dance, taking place outdoors within the snowy Minnesota wilderness. Directed by Kayla Schiltgen, 8 minutes.
5)The Peace Pipeline-- mockumentary about an Indigenous Peoples tribe attempting to run an oil pipeline through White neighborhoods. Hilarious, and winner of the audience choice award at the Festival. Directed by Gitz Crazyboy & Tito Ybarra. 25 minutes.
6)Perpetual Plastic-- documentary about the harmfulness of single-use plastics. Filmed in Bali, Indonesia, the director, Eric Ebner, is from Michigan. 10 minutes.
7)From the Diary of a Space Villain-- science fiction. Surprisingly good "Blade Runner"-type gunshot special effect. Filmmakers were very young. Directed by Spencer Nolan Oswald and Kendall Royce Oswald. 6 minutes.
8)Devils-- Horrifyingly scary! One of the most professionally-shot films of the entries. Directed by Bret Miller. 13 (!) minutes.
9)Static Space-- drama, almost science fiction. Along with "Devils", this was excellently-shot. Directed by John Klein & Kate Black-Spence. 30 minutes.
Very enjoyable festival, open to the public with low-cost tickets. Many of the above films are available for viewing on You Tube, or they at least have a trailer up. Unfortunately, as of this writing, I couldn't locate "A is for Apple" at all, which is a shame, since its brevity makes it perfect for that channel. Hopefully, Mr. Laughlin will make it available soon.
Keep a lookout for these filmmakers-- they submitted some fascinating work, and hopefully, they will keep going with the craft.
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Réponse de northcoast
le 22 janvier 2023 à 06h16
Well, it's that time of year again-- the Wolf Tree Film Festival, held in Marshall, Michigan, showcasing short films with some connection to the Great Lakes region. The presentation for 2023 wrapped up last night, January 21. There were 80 entries this year, of which 10 were selected for the Festival:
Blossom. Approximately 10 minutes. Directed by Tanner Hamilton. A live-action drama about a young girl growing up with a comforting, imaginary, animated pink monster. As she grows older, he begins to fade away. A tear-jerker, and my personal favorite of the night. Michigan.
Thrashed. Approximately 16 minutes. Directed by Joe Nicholas Post. Horror. Two surfers find human body parts washing up on a California beach. Everyone thinks it's a shark, but . . . Note: Although filmed in California, the director is from Michigan.
JOY. Approximately 14 minutes. Directed by Salim Laham. Foreign-language drama (Arabic). A story of a young woman (late teens/early twenties) who suffers from conversion disorder and can no longer play her beloved piano. Another tear-jerker, this won the Audience Choice award for the night. Shot in Lebanon, by a man from Michigan's sizeable Arab-American community.
Different. Approximately 2 minutes. Directed by Alexsys Giraud. A self-described PSA, about disabilities or just being different, and the presence of bullying. Student film by middle-school-age kids, from the Detroit area. Michigan.
All for Naught. Approximately 6 minutes. Directed by T.L. Westgate. Comedy, about a hitman with a penchant for making sure his victims use proper English. This film also has a bit of a kinky side. Michigan.
Pressed. Approximately 8 minutes. Directed by Michelle Elise Harding and Scott "Silent K" Knowlton. Drama, exploring the psychological toll news reporting has on on-the-scene journalists. Both directors are journalists themselves. Mr. Knowlton personally introduced this film, and emphasized that journalists-- just like police officers and firefighters --often suffer from PTSD. Pennsylvania.
An Apocalypse. Approximately 8 minutes. Directed by Matt O'Connell. Drama, about a young boy and his "prepper" father. Illinois.
50 mL. Approximately 9 minutes. Directed by Vanessa Powers. Drama, about a young husband struggling with his sobriety during a family holiday get-together. Minnesota.
Season's Greetin's. Approximately 8 minutes. Directed by Owen Imgrund. Morbid comedy about two friends so desperate to purchase a car that they just might be willing to overlook the cargo in the trunk. According to the filmmakers, this project was shot in negative 25-degree (Fahrenheit) weather (approximately -32 degrees Celsius, for all of you from the rest of the world). Wisconsin.
The Funeral Photographer. Approximately 16 minutes. Directed by Ashley Thompson. Subtle Horror along the lines of The Twilight Zone. This film cleaned up among the jury awards given out at Wolf Tree this year. To the shock of the audience, after the film was shown, one of the filmmakers explained that the female lead "has the thickest Irish accent you've ever heard." And yet, she spoke with a perfect Middle Atlantic American voice. This was also her first time acting! I continue to be impressed by how flawlessly so many European actors can pull off United States speech patterns. Something American actors can seldom do going in the opposite direction. Michigan.
Be on the lookout for these films and their talented directors. The craft still has hope!
Réponse de northcoast
le 21 janvier 2024 à 17h39
The Wolf Tree Film Festival completed its sixth year on January 20, 2024. Here are the nine selected films, out of approximately 50 submitted:
Boogie Bob & Chuck Berry. Documentary. Directed by Geri Alumit Zeldes. MI, approx. 9 minutes. Explores the musical experiences of Bob Baldori, who performed with Chuck Berry over many years.
Tin Can. Drama. Directed by Pat Battistini. IN, approx. 21 minutes. A few days in the life of an undocumented immigrant to the U.S., a former rodeo clown turned "regular" clown, trying to make a living while staying off the radar of law enforcement. This film won Wolf Tree's Audience Choice Award.
Peanut Butter and Jelly. Drama, Horror. Directed by Vanessa MH Powers. MN, 9 minutes. Two words: Stephen King. This one started out as an "off" portrayal of a WWII-era American housewife, ending in a sickening twist involving a child. Be warned.
The Devil Wants a Promotion. Dark Comedy. Directed by Jordan Ketter. WI, 9 minutes. Hey, man, the Devil just wants to be good. But there is a bureaucracy.
Madina. Drama. Directed by Kevin Coval. IL, 15 minutes. A 30-something wife, formerly of the big city, disillusioned with the suburbs. According to the director, this is a prototype for an expanded, feature-length film.
Not Him. Drama, Horror. Directed by Sarah Young. NY, 15 minutes. On the surface, a story about demonic possession, but, according to the director, a euphemism for domestic violence. A very uncomfortable film, with a very professional cast.
Peabrain. Drama. Directed by Steve Blackwood. MI (shot in Massachusetts), 15 minutes. A man cares for his elderly father, who is suffering from alcoholic dementia, and is by turns both affectionate and vile toward his anguished son. A vivid snapshot of elder care.
What if. Drama, Comedy. Directed by Julian Fellah. MI, 3 minutes. A student film with several very young actors, talking about their dreams for the future. Oh, and there are zombies.
Sydney G. James: How We See Us. Documentary. Directed by Juanita Anderson. MI, 17 minutes. A film about contemporary black female muralists in Detroit. Fascinating artworks are shown.
Be on the lookout for all of these new, creative directors and their films.