RETOUCH by Kaveh Mazaheri

Kaveh Mazaheri’s Iranian film Retouch has enjoyed a successful film festival run, winning at three Oscar qualifying film festivals, including: Tribeca Film Festival (Best Narrative Short), Palm Springs Shortfest (Best Live Action Over 15 Min) and the Krakow Film Festival (Silver Dragon for Best Short Fiction Film). The film stars Sonia Sanjari as Maryam and Mohammad Ziksari as Siyavash. Retouch, is edited by Pooyan Sholehvar and the cinematography created by Mohammad Reza Jahanpanah.

In the corner of the home, Maryam's husband does weightlifting. Suddenly, the weight falls on his throat and puts him between life and death. Maryam tries to save him, but she just decides to stop helping and stand and watch her husband's death…

Director Kaveh Mazaheri was born in Iran. With an interest in cinema, he began writing film criticism for Iranian magazines and after graduating from college created his first short film, Tweezers. To date, he has made five independent short fiction films, and more than twenty documentaries. His recent films include the documentary A Report about Mina and short fiction Retouch. 

We talked to Kaveh, and here are the excerpts:

It's a very dark film. What was the most challenging and most inspiring thing about making this film?

The dramatic idea of the film came to me, after watching a funny video on the Facebook. But the dark atmosphere you are talking about probably is because I used to think about my mother when I was working on the script. I was thinking if something like that had happened to my father and my mother had not help him, I would never ask her why and I would fully understand her.

Did any movies in particular act as an inspiration?

There are many films that we get inspirations from as a regular audience or a filmmaker, for our personal and professional lives. This is the essence of performing media.

What other American or International filmmakers you like? And why?

Some of my favorite filmmakers are, Abbas Kiarostami, Michael Haneke, David Fincher, Federico Fellini, Kianoosh Ayari, Buster Keaton, David Lynch, Claude Chabrol, Jean Pierre Melville. The reason I am interested in each of them is different. But in general I could say I get excited seeing many of these filmmaker’s films. Specifically, between all of theme, Abbas Kiarostami’s “Close up” is my most favorite film and I believe it has a very special and unique place in the history of cinema.

What's your message to other aspiring filmmakers and storytellers?

We should be patient.

This exciting short film won Best Narrative Short and The Jury Prize at Tribeca, Best Short Film, the Best Short Fiction Film at Krakow Film Festival, the Best Live Action Short over 15 Minutes at Palm Springs Shortfest, Best Short Fiction Film at Traverse City Film Festival, the Audience Award at Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, and nominated Best Film of the Short Film Competition (Silver St. George) at the Moscow International Film Festival.

WOMEN & WINE by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm

Women and Wine is a humorous film about the fear of losing a friend. Turid is attending her close friend?s fiftieth anniversary, but during the party, she comes to realize she is no longer amongst her closest friends. Thus Turid starts a game to make her mark, and the party turns out to involve much more than singing and wine. Director Liv Karin Dahlstrøm and Producer Isak Eymundsson has been sweeping the boards at film festivals throughout the world, having been selected for 13 festivals and taking home the Oscar qualifying award at the Seattle International Film Festival. The film stars the well-known and popular Norwegian actress Marit Adeleide Andreassen.

Director Liv Karin Dahlstrøm graduated from the Norwegian Film School in 2012. She has worked on several television productions including the children?s series The Games for NRK (Norwegian Public Broadcaster) and the comedy series What if (VGTV). She is currently working on the new NRK series Helium. We chatted to Liv, and here are the excerpts.

What inspired to make you this film about friendship and friends? Did any movies in particular act as an inspiration?

I had no movie as a reference. There were people I've met, and similar situations I've observed that were the reference and inspiration.

I am fascinated by how humans interact in social settings; how we protect and defend our pride and jealousy, and at the same time always try so hard to fit in amongst others. I am inspired by the battles we face in our everyday-life (or even: throughout our tough lives). 

I´ve actually been in the same «mask scenario» my self, which was quite similar to the film’s Inciting Incident. A friend and me «kidnapped» a third friend as part of a bachelorette party. we all wore masks and the groom only recognized me and not our friend. Fortunately the situation didn´t cause any drama or uncomfortable situation, but it was at this moment the other writer Thorkild and I saw the potential of a jealousy inflicted drama and this became the base for the short film.

What was the most challenging and most inspiring thing about making this film?

I thought it was very difficult to make this film, but at the same time the most fun and exciting project I’ve done. The situations and turning points are small and there´s alot that underlines the project. So at the same time as I want to «keep it all down», I have to be sure that the important aspects don´t disappear. 

I wanted to get a balance between humor and seriousness. Comedy is challenging and must balance well with the drama to work.

The story and our script inspired me. The collaboration with the main character Marit was also very inspiring. The photographer and I worked in an exciting way. We filmed many scenes in a row, and the recordings could last up to 15 minutes. We worked in an inspiring way.

What was your first reaction when you found out about Oscar qualification? Who all would you thank for this film?

First of all I was very grateful and happy that the SIFF jury gave the film the Grand jury prize. I appreciate that alot! Of course, it was very fun with the Oscar qualification. I do miss seeing movies with everyday-struggle been put into the light, and are very happy when that happens.  If we would get a Oscar nomination, I think I my reaction would be humble, but also filled with laughter. Even though that would be fantastic it would also have a down side. I must find a dress that is pretty enough to wear on the red carpet! I prefer pants before dresses and I do not have a talent, walking in high heels. :)

Most of all, I would like to thank the scriptwriter Thorkild Schrumpf, who wrote the script together with me. And the main actor Marit A. Andreassen, which gives me a lot of inspiration.

What other American or International filmmakers you like? And why?

I have no favorites. But I really liked Maren Ade's movie "Toni Erdmann". It has a perfect mix of comedy and drama. It's sad, vulnerable and fun at the same time.

Women and Wine has been selected at festivals such as The Norwegian Short Film Festival, Aspen Short Fest, Go Short International Short Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival. The film won the Best Narrative Short Film Jury Prize at Seattle International Film Festival and The Writers Guild of Norway?s Award for Best Screenplay at The Norwegian Short Film Festival.

GAME by Jeannie Donohoe

Director Jeannie Donohoe’s award-winning film Game is a story about pushing boundaries to achieve your goals. The film stars Rick Fox (Dope, He Got Game), Nicole Williams (film debut; Univ. Nevada point guard) and Tye White (People Vs. OJ Simpson, Drumline).

AJ Green, a new kid in town, shows up at the high school boys basketball varsity tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Coach takes notice, and so do the other players, some of whom feel threatened by the new blood. The school’s team is excellent— second best in the state—and this is the year Coach plans to win it all. AJ proves himself on the court and clearly has talent, heart, and drive... as well as a big secret. Will AJ make the team once the players and coach discover the truth?

Jeannie Donohoe is an award-winning filmmaker who has written and directed several short films, including Game, Lambing Season (selected for over 50 film festivals and multiple awards; named one of the “Best Short Films of 2014” by Indiewire; currently airing on PBS Film School Shorts) and Public (Palm Springs ShortFest, PBS Imagemakers). Jeannie was selected from over 4,600 applicants to write and direct Game through the Lexus Short Films program. This talented director is currently developing her first feature-length film. 

We chatted  with Jeannie, here are the excerpt.

• What inspired to make you this film? What are your thoughts on gender inequality in Hollywood or in America?

For starters, I love basketball.  I've played a lot of sports in my life, and I also love sports movies.  I see many parallels between athletic pursuits (especially team sports) and filmmaking. So making a sports film was an exciting prospect that combined a lot of my interests.  Being on teams, in school, in jobs, and working in the film industry, I've also experienced and observed stark differences between opportunities for women compared to men.  I wanted to talk about gender inequality, but to do it within a character-driven, action-packed sports movie that's also entertaining and optimistic.  I think it's pretty undeniable that we live in a patriarchal society with a lot of gender-based injustices.  I actually wrote, directed, and we finished the film in the months leading up to the presidential election last summer and fall.  Like most people, I thought we were on the verge of electing our first woman president.  We premiered the film the day after the election, and suddenly the story took on a whole new meaning and urgency (locker room scene and all).  And 2017 has continued to illuminate the obstacles women face and the struggle for equality.  The message of GAME feels more timely than ever.

Jeannie Donohoe

• What do you enjoy about short films?

I love short films.  Making a short is a very common way for filmmakers to get their start.  You really discover your cinematic voice in the process.  I've made several short films -- GAME has been the most ambitious and the highest-level production.  I think shorts are a great form for experimenting and working to pack a screenworthy story into a concise period of time.  They also have a unique opportunity to explore a specific moment or turning point in a character's life. I watch a lot of shorts, mostly at film festivals, but also established directors' early short films.  Looking back at these, you can see the beginnings of an artist's style and interests.  These early films are often powerful, brief capsules of themes or ideas that continue to inspire later work.  

• How was the funding & casting for this film?

I had made a previous short film called Lambing Season as my thesis from Columbia University's graduate film school.  It's an offbeat family drama set on an Irish sheep farm (involving a live lamb birth!) so it's very different from GAME's high school basketball story set in Los Angeles.  I entered Lambing Season into the Lexus Short Films competition, a program that supports up-and-coming filmmakers with funding for a new short film production.  I was (miraculously) selected as one of four international filmmakers out of 4600 applicants, and Lexus generously funded GAME.  I'm extremely grateful!  We worked with great casting directors: mother-daughter duo Lisa Pantone and Gigi Berry.  GAME had some big casting challenges written into the script: we needed kids who were great basketball players on top of being great actors.  And the lead, "AJ," also needed to be able to pass as a boy.  We auditioned many great young women for the role, and one day, the casting director was shopping in a clothing store and she spotted an employee who was tall, lean, muscular, and kind of had that look.  She went up to the employee and asked if she by chance played basketball (yes), and had she ever acted? (no).  Would she like to audition?  (sure!)  And that was Nicole Williams, who came in and blew me away.  Nicole played four years of college basketball at Nevada, as point guard, and she was a total natural in the scene work.  Casting the Coach was another challenge.  While writing the script, I had this dream of trying to get an NBA player or retired player for the role, both to bring an authenticity to the character and to shine a light on the message of the film.  I'm from Boston originally, so I've followed Rick Fox's career from his early Celtics days to winning NBA championships with the Lakers, and also his transition to acting.  He's in my favorite basketball movie, Spike Lee's He Got Game.  I wrote a long letter and we sent him the script.  One of the most exciting days of this entire process was when Rick came on board.  The material resonated with him, and he brought tremendous expertise, insight, and heart to the character and to the set experience.  Jamie McShane, Charles Parnell, Tye White, Dominique Columbus, and Michael Purdie were all incredible to work with.  The rest of the team is also made up of real basketball players--some actors, some not.  It was such a joy to work with this dream cast, from the auditions to rehearsals to the shoot.

• What other filmmakers do you like? And why?

I like a lot of styles of films, but I tend to gravitate toward naturalism and humanism in filmmaking.  Some of my favorite filmmakers are: Andrea Arnold, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jane Campion, Kelly Reichardt, Ryan Coogler, the Dardenne Brothers, Lisa Cholodenko, Thomas Vinterberg, Lynne Ramsay, Peter Berg, and Kenneth Lonergan.  For me, the most compelling films prioritize emotional truth in performances and story, and they have a specificity about them.  Filmmaking is an incredible mode of expression -- I think it's very powerful to get access to someone else's outlook, life experience, or imagination.

• What's your message to other aspiring filmmakers and storytellers?

Make work from the heart.  Tell the story only you can tell.  And just keep going.  Filmmaking is an obstacle course, full of challenges and plenty of rejections, but the field is also full of opportunities to keep moving forward.  I think of this career as a marathon, and my daily work is logging miles, chipping away at the dream.