Lina is a swedish filmmaker with the drive to make character based stories that doesn’t necessarily fit the dramatical curves. With bold, and a bit provocative films she wants to get the audience to wake up and engage in topics about the cynical world we live in.

Who are you?

When I know the answer to that I will stop searching, until then I will continue to try and make movies and keep on finding myself.

How did the project begin?

This project actually started when I was applying to get money for another script called “4510”. They needed to see something more from me to prove myself qualified to even apply. So I wrote Henningsson very quickly and it turned out to be more than expected.

What is Henningsson about?

We live in a very confused world right now. We seem to have lost control over what is right and what is wrong, good, bad etc. Social media’s impact on us, especially our younger members, is horrifying and I wanted to process my mixed feelings around it.

Henningsson is a very analogue symbol of social media. A story about someone who didn’t even have a home before, gets addicted and leaves his destiny in other people’s hands.

I’m trying to approach the problem that we voluntarily give away so much information about ourselves, and we let people judge us and that is accepted. Also, on the other side there is the audience, that seems to own the power to say and express anything about people they have never met.

An anecdote about your filming?

When I wrote the script I was inspired by my friend Linus Henningsson, who later also became the actor even though he never acted before. And we didn’t rehearse once! And I stole his real last name for the movie that was called “Like” from the beginning.

It was a World Premiere for Henningsson, what does it represent?

To be honest, it represents a great deal. I have struggled a long time in Sweden, but haven’t found one company or film institute that think I have good ideas. To have the world premiere outside of Sweden was amazing for me as a filmmaker, and I have a lot of love for Paris so that was just double of luck!

What represent Excuse My French “Best Screenplay” for you?

It means that finally I know that what I do is appreciated somewhere. And that’s what keeps me going.

What is next for Lina Engborg? 

I’m working on another movie about homeless in LA, the situation there is so bizarre and I find it both fascinating and very sad.

Who are you?

Bonjour! I am Jack. I am working with Netflix project recently. I usually take place in concept design and visual effects in films and broadcast programmes in past few years. I begin to develop my own individual films in recent years.

when I was young, I liked the fascinating visuals in the industry very much. Therefore, I started to work in my first company, Imagi Animation Studios as a 3D animator and joined the project of “Astro Boy”. Then, I joined Sola Digital Arts and worked on “Starship Troopers:Invasion” as production designer.

When I was getting more and more close to films in my work, I discovered that the more important part of film is the thinking inspired by them. Then, it inspires me to be a director and tell things and discuss things to the society and the world.

How did the project begin?

During my working days, I was attracted by the avant-garde hypothesis and they led me think deeply about the issues. For instance, “Matrix” makes me think about the identity of human. “Dark city” makes me have a new perspective to time. As a result, I also want to do something and lead the audience and the public to think. However, I could not achieve my aspiration in my jobs. The productions that I involved mostly was just eyes candy and I did not satisfy with them. Moreover, special genres of films like detective, sci-fi, mystery like was rarely founded in China and Hong Kong. Eschatology is seldom talked about in films. So, I quitted my job and started my project, Zackman.

What is Zackman about?

Someone in the later century want to define the meaning of the will. Then, he finds limbs from people who are superior in different area with special abilities and joins the parts to form one complete body. He wants to see the five wills in five limbs fighting for one body and results an evolved species. A couple incidentally fells in the experiment. It arouses the interest of the man to know what will happen when the couple really join together in one body forever. The man put five wills in a body and let them to fight for the only body. 

It was a premiere for Zackman in France, what does it represent?

Thanks for the selection for Zackman to be screened in France. I hope it can be a good chance to do culture sharing with French audience through films. It is also a great chance for me to engage in the European film culture. In my first short film – “Zackman”. It represents the thinking that there is always a chance for people to reborn. No matter in what situation, even if you are dead like the main character in Zackman, you can reborn and break through your limit in another world if you keen to catch the chance.

An anecdote about your filming?

One interesting thing in my filming is about the custom of the characters. Firstly, I designed the customs only based on the visual needs. When the custom had been made and dressed by the characters, it was difficult for them to do any movements since the customs were too tight and heavy for them. After some adjustments and cooperation with the custom designer, the characters finally could do acting with movements. Although the performance of character seems not nature due to the restrictions from the customs, I think it creates a unique image to the character. Those strange movements can even deepen the characteristics of the them.

What is next for Jack Tong?

In fact, I am not satisfied enough for this project because the resource for the project is not enough for me to work out a perfect production for the story. Moreover, I plan that the next story should be longer and more familiar to the general public. I want to focus on the story arc and bring a world with comedy and sci-fiction to the audience. Thanks for your attention. Merci.

Who are you? Sofia Kyritsis, emerging filmmaker?

I completed my MBA and Bachelor in International Business from Quinnipiac University, in Connecticut, US, while playing basketball on a NCAA scholarship. After abandoning my basketball career because of a debilitating injury, I returned to Montreal and sought alternative healing for my rare and irreversible injury. Because Qi Gong, Tai chi and meditation helped me reconnect to my center, I decided to implement these practices when I was asked to help coach a group of boys’ basketball high school team. We went undefeated for the entire season and became provincial champions. I soon realized that I was on to something.

This year in prep school (Cegep), three of my star players have fallen back in their old patterns and their team is on a losing streak. Building on the bond I created with them during the 2014 Championship, I returned to coaching. This journey is the subject of my compelling documentary film MILLENNIAL BLUES, which explores my unorthodox approach with a group of young men who don’t adhere to traditional coaching techniques anymore. After completing filmmaking at NYFA in NYC, I realized that this might be my last contribution to basketball. In the process, I want to capture these young men’s journey and the obstacles they need to overcome to reach their dream.

What is Fadeaway about?

FADEAWAY is an experimental short film exploring the chaos in an athlete’s mind and his struggle to subdue it.

To produce FADEAWAY, I used the footage of my feature length documentary “MILLENNIAL BLUES” that is in production as we speak.

Synopsis:

MILLENNIAL BLUES chronicles the journey of a young men’s basketball team mired in losing streak and crippled with indiscipline as they undergo a radical shift in training with retired NCAA player Sofia Kyritsis.

This team of millennials does not respond well to the old authoritative teaching tactics, so Sofia’s intuition is to nurture them and guide them to find their centre. Following the efforts of three star players, Nudy, Judy and Jerry, we witness their everyday progress and setbacks as they pursue a shared goal: getting an NCAA scholarship and a chance at a professional basketball career.

While shifting the paradigm of the coach-player relationship, these new teachings affects more than their game. MILLENNIAL BLUES captures an entire season in the life of boys becoming men, and in the process reveals a maturing that will last them a lifetime.

An anecdote about your filming?

One of the thing that is surprising is that the players are sometimes very self-conscious about the filming and some other times they are oblivious to the point of not seeing the cameraman. They have the impression the film is something not too serious, but they want to become better players, so they are taking this whole adventure as part of their training.

It was a premiere for Fadeaway in France, what does it represent for you?

I’ve been living in the “basketball” bubble for more than a year while filming this project, so to get a recognition and exposure for the short film at your festival is very exciting. It suddenly made the potential of the film suddenly real and it’s increased my motivation to make a great film.

What represent Excuse My French “Best Original Score” for you?

It’s a great honor to receive this award. The score has a big influence on the mood of the story, and I was very lucky to work with a great sound editor, Luc Raymond. Because music is so important to me, for training and meditating, I wanted to make sure it was an important contributor to the film’s mood and impact.

What is next for you? 

In production and entering post-production for my feature length documentary in a couple of months. In post-production on a short film on a French baker in Montreal who prepares organically his own flour and how the industry is producing nutrition less white flour and bread, also known as poison to him. Also in development on other documentary and fiction projects simultaneoulsy.

Julien Carpentier, Film Director of Pablo

• Julien Carpentier

  Director
• Julien Carpentier

  Writer
• Naïa Productions

  Producer

Eva Sigurdardottir is an Icelandic film producer and director

• • Eva Sigurdardottir

    Director
  • Eva Sigurdardottir

    Writer
  • Alexandra Blue

    Producer
  • Eva Sigurdardottir

    Producer
  • Kennedy Atkins

    Key Cast
  • Megan Prescott

    Key Cast
  • Marlon G Day

    Key Cast

Eva Sigurdardottir, Film Director of Cut

Who are you?

My name is Eva Sigurdardottir, and I am an Iceland producer and writer-director. I live and work both in Iceland and in London in the UK. I run a small production company called Askja Films which focuses on female driven stories and female filmmakers.

How did the project begin?

The idea for the short film ‘Cut’ came in two parts. Firstly I have always been interested in the effects that social media has on young women, and just how devastating it can be if images of you are leaked online. I also have been fascinated with the fitness/bodybuilding world for a while now as its very mainstream in Iceland and I have some friends who have competed. It is such an extreme environment and I struggled to understand why you would want to be put on stage to be judged on your physique! And so the two ideas came together – revenge porn and then the fitness world. That’s how ‘Cut’ was born! Ultimately it is a film about body image, and how vulnerable we all are when it comes to us being judged by others as well as ourselves. 

What is CUT about?

Cut follows 17-year-old Chloe on the day that she competes in a bikini fitness competition. We then learn that she had been a victim of revenge porn, and has since decided to try and change her image. But she struggles in the competition, especially backstage, where people are still talking about her and her video.

An anecdote about your filming?

We street cast the main actress – Kennedy Atkins. She had never acted before, and she had also never competed in a fitness competition before. Not only did she do an amazing job as an actress, but she also completely embraced the training. We then actually entered here into a real competition (so that we could film her on stage) and amazingly she won her category! Our secondary lead Megan Prescott also won her category, so it was an amazing bonus and adrenaline rush for our filming period.

It was a premiere for Cut in France, what does it represent?

It is so great to show the film to a French audience, and I am very curious to hear how the French audience experienced the film. These kind of experiences are sometimes very different in different countries and cultures, and France has been very controversial recently when it comes to the #MeToo movement and other related topics. But I am most interested in hearing from young French girls, to see if they can relate to our character who is English in the film. My suspicion is that the experiences and feelings are very similar. 

What represent Excuse My French “Best Film” for you?

It is amazing to win Best Film for the film Cut, as it is really a prize for the whole team. In particular my producer Alexandra Blue and co-producer Katie Hodgkin deserve recognition as without them there wouldn’t be a film. This was by far the most ambitious short film that I have ever done, and it is so great to see that it was all worth it!

What is next for Eva Sigurdardottir? 

I am currently developing a feature film, as well as I am looking into making a documentary about bikini fitness in Iceland. I also keep on producing and have a few projects on the go. In short – I am very busy, so watch this space!

Taylor Bracewell, Film Director of Candyland

Taylor Bracewell hails from Newnan, GA. She moved to Shreveport, Louisiana in 2015 to begin her career as a filmmaker via the network of the Louisiana Film Prize. She has since gone on to direct the award-winning short film Polterguys and now follows up with her second short Candyland.

Tanin Torabi (طنین ترابی), Film Director of The Derive

Tanin Torabi (طنین ترابی) was born in 1992 in Tehran, Iran. She has got her BA in Sociology and her MA in Contemporary Dance Performance from University of Limerick, Ireland. Torabi has made several award winning dance films and performances and currently works as a dancer, choreographer and dance film maker in Iran and Ireland.
Her most noticeable works are The Dérive, Invisible Point, Ruby, Beyond the Frames and Immensity. She has received more than 15 awards for her films to date and her works have been described as rebellious, creative, inspiring, unbearably elegant and affecting, emblematic and poignant, empowering to women, and with clarity and an exceptional ambition that is layered with a complexity of personal and cultural nuance, by festival directors.

Hakan Sağıroğlu, Film Director of Eric

Hakan Sagiroglu was born on January 03, 1991 in Istanbul. During his high school years, he realized his increasing passion about cinema. He worked as freelance documentary photographer while he was studying at Istanbul University. After he realized that what he is studying is not what he wants from life, he left his study uncomplete and moved to Budapest for studying film-making.

Exclusive interview of Hakan Sagiroglu, film director of Eric, short film, world premiere at Excuse My French Film festival 2nd edition. Awards winner – Best actress