Lila Avilés shows us how a young girl experiences the world in her award-winning sophomore feature, “Tótem”
Like Jonathan Demme did seamlessly, respectively in “Rachel Getting Married,” Lila Avilés (“The Chambermaid”) immerses us in a specific time and space full of people that resemble a family, which promises to connect universally with audiences all over the world. But what is unique about Lila’s film “Tótem” is that we are brought into this […]
Filmmaker Colette Ghunim heals and perseveres with “Traces of Home”
I’ve known Colette Ghunim for a while now through her previous leadership with Mezcla Media Collective, an organization that “ensures women and non-binary filmmakers of color can actively participate in Chicago’s bustling media production scene”. Likewise, Colette is the co-director (along with Tinne Van Loon) of “The People’s Girls” (2016), a short documentary that explores […]
Answering the Call Amidst the Grief and Pain
Melissa Marquez is the recipient of our “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” submission contest. She was chosen for her unique and passionate perspective. We are also featuring runner up recipient Viridiana López’s thoughts on the film, see below! The film “Wakanda Forever” was such an emotional rollercoaster for this Latina filmmaker. My younger self would have […]
Interview: “Mijo” director Mazdey Snob, 2022 recipient of the Cinema Femme Short Film Fest Phenomenal Woman in Film award
As I watched the films for Short Block 3 at our virtual film festival a few weeks ago, we just finished Heidi Neff’s “The Long Goodbye”, an animated short film that explores the anxiety of the recent US election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, ending emotionally in a powerful and somber way. Following, like […]
Filmmaker and storyteller Colette Ghunim retraces her heritage with ‘Traces of Home’
Colette Ghunim has been on my radar for awhile. Her work comes from a place of passion and is really making a positive impact on our film culture and world. She first came to my attention with her film she co-directed with Tinne Van Loon, “The People’s Girls” (2016), a short documentary that explores sexual […]