Midwest Movie Maker

Midwinter is often when the heart of the film festival season kicks off, with Sundance in late January followed by South by Southwest (SXSW) in March, the Los Angeles Film Festival in early summer and the New York Film Festival in June. Those are the big festivals, though. There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of film festivals across the country. From the prestigious Columbus International Film and Animation Festival to the true grassroots indie FunMill Films Festival, there’s a place to showcase your work. Even if you’re a kid. Introducing the Cleveland International Kids Film Festival This weekend, the Cleveland International Kids Film Festival will unspool 21 films from young filmmakers ranging in age from 7 to 17. The festival is a division of the non-profit The Young Filmmakers Academy (YFA), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. “We have submissions from nine countries, from the U.S., Iran, Switzerland and more,” says film festival organizer Eric Swindermann. “We’re showcasing 21 f...

Artwork for 'Retribution' by Alaina Tennant In Fall 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, 17-year-old Evelyn Smits and 13-year-old Camila Figueroa teamed up to write, cast, direct and shoot a short film. The Northeast Ohio girls initially set out to make a one-minute video based on the concept of “hearing the end of the world.” In the end, they produced a 15-minute horror film involving nearly 50 people, including a diverse cast and crew made up of young women.   Retribution follows the story of a teenage girl who hears a humming while with her friends. That humming turns out to be the preamble to Doomsday. The story builds as the event affects the girl's friends and soon everyone she comes into contact with. After spending three days developing and writing the script, the team used video reels to cast through NEohioPAL, the Northeast Ohio Performing Arts List .     From left, filmmakers Mia Thomas and Evelyn Smits set up a shot. “Because of COVID, we had to do everyt...