Q&A moderated by Colette Ghunim (Documentary Filmmaker and Founder of Mezcla Media Collective) with Short Block 1 filmmakers, free event on the Seed&Spark film festival online platform, Thursday, August 6th 5 PM PT / 8 PM EST. Learn more about the films.
The Q&A will be featured on our Seed&Spark festival page and is free and open to the public. Tune in here.
Colette Ghunim – Short Block 1 Q&A Moderator
As a documentary filmmaker and nonprofit co-founder, Colette Ghunim’s passion lies at the cross section of social impact and visual storytelling. Her first documentary, The People’s Girls, received over 2 million views and Best Short Documentary at the Arab Film Festival for its bold spotlight on street harassment in Egypt. As part of the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator Program and the 2020 BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship, she is directing Traces of Home, her first feature-length film documenting her journey back to Mexico and Palestine to locate her parents’ original homes, which they were forced to leave decades ago. Colette’s work has been highlighted on international outlets such as Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, Univision, and TEDx. She is also the co-founder of Mezcla Media Collective, our festival partner, a nonprofit organization that lifts up over 500 women and non-binary filmmakers of color in Chicago.
Dani Wieder – Cool For Five Seconds
Dani is a director of performance and film in Chicago. She creates live and filmed experiences exploring modern identity. Dani has directed plays across Chicago at theaters such as Jackalope Theatre, Prop Thtr, and Haven Chicago. Dani studied Theater and Performance Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Chicago, where she was granted the 2016 Performance Studies Award. http://www.daniwieder.com
Andi Morrow – Pusher
A native of Central Appalachia, Andi grew up attending regional storytelling festivals with her mom, where she fell in love with the magic of stories. As an actress, Andi has appeared on stages and screens all over the country. She recently returned to Knoxville after a five year stint in New York City, where she studied with renowned acting coach/director, Anthony Abeson, the Upright Citizens Brigade Improv theatre, as well as the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute .
Before relocating to NYC, Andi began her journey into the world of filmmaking, and received an Emerging Filmmaker nomination for her short film We All Fall Down at the Knoxville Film & Music Festival Film Shoot-out Competition.
Andi most recently appeared in a co-starring role in the FOX TV show, Gotham, the award-winning indie film Here Lies Joe, and the short comedic film Communin’ With The Void (featuring Jack McBrayer) written & directed by comedian Trae Crowder.
Andi is passionate about using performance art as a means of healing and empowerment for underserved youth, particularly in the Appalachian region, and recently founded the non-profit arts outreach organization, The Art Farm. http://www.andimorrow.com
Nathalie Villarpando – Mi Alma
My name is Nathalie Villarpando and I hail from San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Made my first narrative short film, Mi Alma. I want to be a part of a movement that tells real, inclusive, and classic stories that will shape this generation and for generations after. What inspired me to pursue a career in film was 3 years ago, which was right after I took a trip to Peru and Bolivia for 3 months. Peru and Bolivia are the countries my parents were born in. I loved every second, and my mission later became learning about the culture, the land, and its people. I began to research in engaged learning from people of my generation. I realized even though the countries were considered Third World countries, the impact that I saw film had on being educated about different cultures and their stereotypes was eye-opening. From that moment I knew I wanted to change the narrative.
Brittany Reeber – The Cheap Seats
Brittany Reeber is a Floridian turned Texan currently living in Los Angeles. As an artist and director, her work encompasses music videos, projection, performance and short films in both documentary, narrative and something in between. Her films are dark, funny and occasionally incorporate a choreographed dance routine.
Regina Banali – In the Blood
The first movie she saw in a theater was 2001 A space odyssey at 3 years old. She talked about it and the music so much her parents bought an LP of the soundtrack and played it to occupy her when they wanted alone time. Since then she has been obsessed with cinema and especially films with great music. Like many directors, Regina Banali began her career in front of the camera, appearing in over 50 film and television roles over two decades earning her chops on both ultra low budget movies and blockbusters. One of her first acting roles was as a mermaid in Steven Spielberg’s “Hook”. Her first feature as a director was the film “QUIET RIOT: Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back” a rock documentary on the 80’s metal band Quiet Riot. An early pioneer of crowdfunding, she raised the seed money on Kickstarter in the summer of 2010, long before crowdfunding was a common funding strategy. The film was quickly acquired by the Showtime Network for a two-year license. “In The Blood” is her first narrative short and she wrote and directed it to pay tongue in cheek homage to the great spaghetti westerns of the ’60s and ’70s which in her opinion was the best period for films and music.