A happy place for me is talking to filmmakers. I love the way their faces light up with passion about the work they are doing. In most of my conversations with people in film I talk to them about their team, and their collaborators. I had the opportunity to speak to a powerhouse team of women in film: Pinary Binay, Kim Cohen, K.D. Chalk, and Nicole Crespo. They collaborated together on three short films that screened and will be screening at the HollyShorts 2024 film festival. The short films they collaborated on are “August & Ebony,” “Survived By,” and “Carnivora.” All three films are authentic in their storytelling, vary in their genre, but have the common theme of family, with a female and non-binary led cast. Watch our conversation above, and read words by Pinar below. You can see one of these films, “Survived By,” this evening if you are in the LA area. Get tickets here: https://hollyshorts2024.eventive.org/schedule/6691a79981b56d008f9952b7
Words by Pinar Binay:
In a remarkable collaboration, four trailblazing women
in film—K.D. Chalk, Kim Cohen, Nicole Crespo, and Pinar Binay—have united over the past
year to produce three short films, showcasing their collective talent, vision, and dedication
to female-forward narratives.
After meeting at the prestigious Film Independent Project Involve Program, it didn’t take
long for them to gravitate toward each other to tell these three stories. Expanding in genre
and narrative, their collaborations span from horror to coming-of-age to comedy. Their
films, “August & Ebony,” “Survived By,” and “Carnivora,” are set to captivate audiences with their
powerful and diverse narratives at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival this
August.
“All three of our films do a fantastic job exploring what it means to be a part of a family. The
community the four of us have built as artists and friends over the last couple of years
really shines through on the screen.” states the multihyphenated K.D. Chalk who is also at
the helm of “Survived By” as a writer, director, actress and producer. “In ‘Survived By,’ our lead
character, Grace, finds her chosen family. I instantly felt the same way while collaborating
with Pinar, Nicole, and Kim. I look forward to creating with them again and again…and
again. ”
“Survived By” tells the story of a newly orphaned girl, Grace, who dodges the foster care
system and spends a magical evening with a sock puppet, hoping to unpack her
complicated relationship with her father days after his death. The story is inspired by
Chalk’s personal journey of overcoming grief and finding solace in creativity. The film took
home the Audience Award at Dances With Films in Los Angeles in June.
“August & Ebony” is a queer comedy exploring themes of chosen family and parenthood. The
film follows Ebony, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a U-Haul marriage, as
she navigates the challenges with her new wife, August, and best friend-turned-child’s
father, Justin. The film stars Rejena J. Taylor, Ayesha Harris and John Clarence Stewart.
“Carnivora” is a Latinx horror that tells the story of two estranged sisters forced to become
caretakers of their catatonic grandmother after their mother vanishes. “Carnivora” has
already wowed audiences at festivals across America, including the Seattle International
Film Festival, LA Latino Film Festival (LALIFF), and Bentonville Film Festival. The film also
won the best film award at Katra Latin X Film Festival in New York. The film stars real-life
sisters, Gigi and Carmela Zumbado.
Each of these films not only tells a unique story but also embodies a commitment to
diversity and inclusion in the film industry. The collaboration between these four women
began through their participation in the Film Independent Project Involve program, which is more dedicated to fostering diversity in the film industry by supporting filmmakers from
underrepresented communities.
“It’s been an inspiration to work together with K.D., Nicole, and Kim. It’s rare to find such
talented and kind collaborators who share your creative vision, and it’s just an added
bonus that we are all powerful women,” states Pinar Binay, the producer of the projects.
“Building community in front of and behind the camera is at the heart of our filmmaking.”
The films will be screened at the prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival 2024, providing an
excellent platform for these stories to reach a wider audience. The festival, known for
celebrating short films, will take place from August 8-17, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. You can
visit the HollyShorts website to catch these films at the festival: hollyshorts.com
