Short film fest long on female perspective
Event showcases professional, student filmmakers
Here in B.C., female filmmakers have a strong and very timely ally in the Vancouver Short Film Festival. Of the 37 films in this year’s program 14 of those have female directors at the helm.
“The female content this year was so strong. We’re really proud of that,” said Marena Dix, who co-directs the festival along with Zlatina Pacheva.
“I did the happy dance a bunch of times while watching good movies that turned out to be made by women.”
VSFF is a celebration of both professional and student B.C. filmmakers. Thirty-one films are vying for thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind services from festival supporters in the competition portion of the event. Another six films have been curated together to make up an After Dark horror film program.
Opening the eighth annual festival is Mayumi Yoshida’s film Akashi.
Akashi is a poignant look at the relationship between a young woman and her grandmother and the intersection between the modern world and old ways.
Yoshida — who also wrote, produced and starred in the film — is understandably pumped that the number of female filmmakers is rising, and that the industry culture is going through a major shift.
“I’m very excited that this movement is now creating rapid change in the industry. I’m glad #MeToo didn’t just end as a trend or a phase,” said Yoshida who lives in Vancouver and whose film was helped along by the Storyhive funding program.
“I think some people inevitably will lose jobs. The real challenge is not just getting rid of those people, but changing the norm. We were all part of that toxic culture. Lots of reeducating is needed and I am so happy that our voice can be part of that.”
Mary Galloway, a native of Qualicum Beach, is another of the festival’s female directors. Her film Unintentional Mother looks at a nanny’s struggles to break away from her abusive father while trying to protect and love someone else’s child. It is a beautifully nuanced look at love and loss.
Galloway is currently living in Los Angeles and, like Yoshida, she is optimistic there will be a brighter future for women in film and TV industry.
“I am really excited there is a movement happening right now to get gender parity in film and television,” said Galloway who will be shooting the APTN show Wynter next month in Winnipeg.
“Things are going to change. I feel it.”
But she isn’t waiting around for the changes to happen. Like many other female filmmakers, she is making her own way by creating and bringing to life her own projects.
“That is mainly the reason I started writing,” said Galloway. “I thought there is not enough female lead roles and female stories being told besides the love stories. I thought ‘well damn why am I not doing anything about it?’ I’m a woman and I’m a First Nations woman to boot so there are lots of stories to be told in those two areas that are lacking right now. So that’s why I started going behind the camera.
“It is great timing for me because there is a movement happening,” added Galloway.
“It could have been a lot harder, but there has been a lot of people open and accepting of that and looking for that so it’s been a good change.”
It’s a tough change, though, as directors like Galloway and Yoshida have also taken on writing, producing and acting roles for their films. Sure the DIY approach is incredibly empowering and educational but it is a ton of work, too.
“As an actor, being in the storytelling mind as the writer/director is a lot easier. Wearing the producer hat on set was a challenge sometimes. Because as I’m trying to concentrate on being in the scene, I’m also wondering what to do about catering,” said Yoshida who just completed another short film and is currently working on expanding Akashi into a feature-length film.
“It was my director/writer debut so I’d say it was a bit of a challenge. But now I feel restless when I am only wearing one hat.”
Galloway’s Unintentional Mother was her first directing gig.
“Directing took the most of my attention and focus,” said Galloway. “I have never directed before and I think that had a lot to do with it, because acting has sort of become second nature to me. But directing is so new. I was always learning so it took a lot of energy to direct.”
It was energy she happily spent, as each minute of shooting passed she became more and more aware that directing was something she really connected with and wanted to further pursue.
“I loved directing. I had no idea I would love it so much. I want to do more,” said Galloway, who is in pre-production to direct her first music video for a Swedish artist named Moa.
“So I am starting now to look for places to direct. To get my hands dirty in that area.”
Pulling off a really good short film is tough. You have to have all the storytelling elements (beginning, middle and end) firing tightly as the format leaves no room any extra fat.
“The ability to tell a story completely in a short amount of time is an incredible feat,” said Dix. “As a producer I know the challenges of sitting in the editing room. You have to be ruthless in the editing suite. The phrase used is ‘kill your darlings,’ and short filmmakers know that phrase well.”
Short filmmakers also know it is the festival circuit that affords them a chance to get their work in front of live audiences — to see and hear reactions and make career connections.
“It was important to attend these festivals/awards to meet people and find potential opportunities for the future. That’s how I got an L.A. representation for acting and literary, too,” said Yoshida, whose film has already screened at a variety of festivals.
“Also, seeing the audience’s reaction in different locations was totally eye opening. I love short film sections in festivals. They are often so daring and inspiring.”
And, now, full of women.