Building, Shelter, Temple
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Building, Shelter, Temple
Directed by Gabriella Cisneros
Documentary Short
U.S.A. | 10 min | 2018
Building, Shelter, Temple is a documentary based in the Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Branch. Frederick, a frequent patron of the library who is homeless, searches for a book about his grandfather, while a librarian talks about the various ways the public library can help patrons who seek assistance. Elmer, another homeless man, adds comments about his own experience being homeless and how he utilizes the library to better his situation. The library provides these three people a common space, a place to house knowledge, a place to stay when the weather is unfavorable, a place to give and receive the help of others.
Gabriella Cisneros
Director
Film Information
Director: Gabriella Cisneros
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 10 min
Rated: PG
Credits
Editor: Gabriella Cisneros
Cinematographers: Brett Schmidt, Gabriella Cisneros
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Echoes
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Echoes
Directed by Mark Kerins, Elliot Mayen
Narrative Short
USA | 11 min | 2018
With a pair of energetic children to deal with, a young mother seeks a break from her daily routine through escape into a nostalgic fantasy world. But during what starts out as a typical family outing to the local mall, the kids wander out of sight. As their panicked mother frantically looks for them, she finds all is not as it seems, and her search for the children becomes a confrontation with a truth she is unwilling to accept. At journey’s end she has to decide whether to face her past or retreat into her fantasies
Mark Kerins earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Valparaiso University, then transitioned from science to film after discovering he enjoyed making and watching movies more than working in a lab. He went on to earn MA and Ph.D degrees in film from Northwestern University, and now teaches film production and post-production in the Division of Film & Media Arts at Southern Methodist University. As a scholar, his research focuses on film sound design; his book “Beyond Dolby (Stereo),” on the use of digital surround sound in movies, was published in November 2010 by Indiana University Press and won a Godbey Lecture Series Authors Award. As a filmmaker, he works primarily in editing but has also directed a variety of films and music videos. Elliot Mayén is a filmmaker with a background in photography, design and music. Originally from Mexico City, Elliot came to the United States at a very early age and quickly assimilated into (and became obsessed with) American culture. He picked up his first camera in high school and has been working with moving images ever since. Elliot’s professional career has spanned various creative fields from stage to screen, with several stops along the way. As a filmmaker, Elliot has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos, and commercial videos for clients across a broad range of industries. His work had focused on exploring the tensions that reside in the space between perceived reality and objective truth. Elliot earned his BA in Film-Video from Southern Methodist University and is currently a Producer at DHD Films in Dallas, TX.
Mark Kerins, Director
Elliot Mayen, Director
Filmmaker Introduction
ECHOES
Film Information
Directors: Mark Kerins, Elliot Mayen
Country: USA
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 11 min
Rated: PG
Credits
Producer: Brent Turman and Mark Kerins
Sound Editor, Boom Operator: Ferris Shaheen
Original Music/Composer: Gillian Rae Perry
Assistant Director: Ryan Blitzer
Follow the Roses
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Follow the Roses
Directed by Jen Steele
Narrative Short
U.S.A. | 22 min | 2018
Follow the Roses, set in rural Wisconsin at the heart of summer, follows ‘Bruce’, an intuitive and independent young girl, and her sister ‘Ruby’ as they move through an unusual day. It is 1994.
Jen Steele
Director
Jen Steele, originally from Wisconsin is a photographer living and working in New York. Follow the Roses is her first work as a filmmaker.
Film Information
Director: Jen Steele
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 22 min
Rated: PG-13
Credits
Writer: Jen Steele
Producer:Alex Bach
Executive Producer: Mona Fastvold, Will Nathan
Original Score: Jesse Marchant
Director of Photography: R. Aaron Webster.
Grandpa’s Getaways
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Grandpa’s Getaways
Directed by Kristin Holodak
Narrative Short
U.S.A. | 13 min | 2018
Grandpa’s Getaways is a film about love and memory. Will has always been the hero of his own stories in spite of the fact that no one believes him. How much of it is true? And how much does it really matter?
Kristin Holodak
Director
Kristin Holodak has been drawn to image making ever since she was a child and begged her dad to let her hold the family camera while on vacation and then snuck a picture after being explicitly told not to touch any of the buttons. After completing an MFA in film production, she is now an assistant professor in digital media at Marquette University, helping the next generation find their voices as filmmakers.
Film Information
Director: Kristin Holodak
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 13 min
Rated: PG
Credits
Writer: Kristin Holodak
Producer:Maria Patrella
Editor: Kristin Holodak
Composer: Benn Cole
Director of Photography: Dana Shihadah
Key Cast: Kevin Duffy, Libby Amato, Tom Marks, Toni Brady,
Hoan Alone
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Hoan Alone
Directed by Aaron Johnson
Documentary Short
U.S.A. | 9 min | 2018
Milwaukee’s Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge is the crown over Summerfest and has become one of city’s most recognizable landmarks. But it’s also a popular site for suicides. This animated documentary explores the issues of the bridge and suicide through three intimate interviews. Follow animator, Aaron Johnson, as he shares the stories of Dave, John, and Mary.
Aaron Johnson
Director
After graduating from Columbia College Chicago in 1998, Aaron has gone on to a 20 year career in animation. Outside of his daytime professional work, Aaron has remained active in his independent filmmaking pursuits. Johnson has been recognized nationally for his independent animation including awards for animated television commercials.
Filmmaker Introduction
Hoan Alone
Film Information
Director: Aaron Johnson
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 9 min
Rated: R
Credits
Producer: Aaron Johnson
Animator: Aaron Johnson
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IMDb
Leia’s Army
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Leia’s Army
Directed by Oriana Oppice
Narrative Short
USA | 14 min | 2018
A family is torn apart when a teenage girl attends the Women’s March in DC without telling her born-again Christian mom.
Oriana Oppice
Director
Born in Sicily and raised in Chicago, Oriana is an independent film and commercial director, writer, producer, and actor. Recent award-winning films include “Lobster fra Diavolo,” “Camp Belvidere,” and “Lost and Found.” In both comedy and drama, she focuses on telling stories about big things happening to small people. She is committed to elevating the visibility of women in front of and behind the camera. Oriana has degrees from McGill University and the University of Chicago, and is the Director of Programming and Communications for Women in Film Chicago.
Filmmaker Introduction
LEIA’S ARMY
Film Information
Director: Oriana Oppice
Country: USA
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 14 min
Rated: PG-13
Credits
Writers: Jane Barbara
Producer: Oriana Oppice, Jane Barbara
Cinematographer: Rinny Wilson
Editor: Megan Marie Connolly
Val
John
Grandma
Donna
Meet Uncle Paul
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Meet Uncle Paul
Directed by Jessica Bursi
Documentary Short
U.S.A. | 14 min | 2018
Meet Paul. 62-years-young – he’s a lover of The Beatles, The Monkees, and The Terminator and he just so happens to be living with Down syndrome. Tracing the trajectory of his 62 years on Earth, Meet Uncle Paul tells the moving history of Paul’s life (born into a family as loving as it is large) while in the current day he contends with the early stages of dementia. A powerful reminder of the power of decency and compassion, Meet Uncle Paul pays tribute to an unforgettably indomitable spirit.
Jessica Bursi
Director
JESSICA BURSI is a Milwaukee filmmaker. Raised in the Midwest, Jessica graduated from high school in Springfield, IL and then SIU-Carbondale (BA, Cinema & Photography). After college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked at VH1 and The Film Foundation, Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for film preservation. After a decade, she made her way back to the Midwest and settled in Milwaukee, WI, where she became Development Director for Milwaukee Film, a nonprofit organization that runs the Milwaukee Film Festival, a top 10 film festival in the nation, as well as the historic movie palace, the Oriental Theatre. Meet Uncle Paul is Jessica’s first film.
Film Information
Director: Jessica Bursi
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2018
Language: English
Runtime: 14 min
Rated:
Credits
Editor: Carol Brandt
Director of Photography: Josh Hester
Composer: Lawton Hall
Seared
YES! Filmmaker(s) Attending for Q & A
Sun Feb 24, 2019 – 12:00 pm | Hendricks Arts Center
Seared
Directed by Ben Gustafson
Narrative Short
U.S.A.| 9 min | 2017
Beaten by injustice and a life of crime, a young man’s plan to end it all turns into a life of renewed hope and a passionate career as a chef.
Ben Gustafson
Director
Hi – I’m Ben Gustafson, a Chicago-based film director and cinematographer. From a very early age, I had the opportunity to hang out on film sets with my Dad, who was a producer. This lead to the incredible opportunity to watch & learn from some of the best professionals in the industry — it inspired me.
When I was a child, I would sneak away with the family Hi-8 camera and spend days making short films. In High School, me and my close friends began submitting a few of our films into small film festivals and much to our surprise, we started winning.
At my core, I believe now more than ever Hollywood is in need of hope. I approach the filmmaking process with a passion for moving audiences and telling stories that need a voice in today’s world.
Filmmaker Introduction
SEARED
Film Information
Director: Ben Gustafson
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2017
Language: English
Runtime: 8 min
Rated: PG
Credits
Producer: Ben Gustafson
