The NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) DocuSlate Film Festival shared narratives about illegal recycling, a woman’s transition from the streets to her own home, and a young man dealing with an Auditory Processing Disorder, among other deeply compelling true stories.
Screenings began with the LA premiere of One Pint at a Time, a look into the growing world of Black-owned breweries that are changing the future of the beer industry. It continued with Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol, a personal story full of twists and turns about the dogged pursuit of a childhood dream. Next was Another Day in Paradise, a quietly stunning portrait of a mother’s mental-health struggle. After that came the paired presentation of “Running Home” and A Cuban Documemory, both of which explore familial roots.
The event continued with the first shorts program, Environmental Impact, a collection of films exploring our impact on the planet. Next was the shorts program Resilience & Community, about the power of community in its many forms. The evening concluded with Hero’s Journey, a dynamic collection of shorts about individuals facing a stage of their personal hero’s journey.
NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year in addition to its special InFocus programming, which celebrates diversity, inclusion, and region. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming.
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Here is some information on the filmmakers and their films, as well as their video interviews with filmmaker and film professor Carolyn McDonald.
A Cuban Documemory, directed by Marissa Chibás
About Marissa: Marissa Chibás is a Los Angeles-based writer, filmmaker, and actor. Her short film “Finding Shelter” won best documentary short at the San Diego Latino Film Festival in 2019, and she received a filmmaker of the month award for September 2019 from NewFilmmakers LA. Other shorts include “Zohra,” which was nominated for best actress and best comedy awards at Official Latino Film Festival and streamed on BronxNet, and “Nostalgia,” presented at Fabrica de Arte in Havana. Her films have screened at the Nevertheless Film Festival, Anthology Film Archive and The Segal Center, among other venues. Marissa is director of Duende CalArts.
About A Cuban Documemory: The film follows Chibás in collaboration with Cuban artist Aissa Santiso as Chibás reflects on her many travels to Cuba since 1993.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Marissa Chibás, director of A Cuban Documemory:
“Birds Without Wings,” directed by Rishabh Thakkar
About Rishabh: Rishabh has successfully led documentary projects in India, France, and the U.S., and is a Student Academy finalist who graduated from Chapman University with an MFA in Documentary Film. He believes audiences all around the world connect through emotions. Driven by his passion for inducing emotions and telling stories that matter, he puts his best foot forward in each role he takes on.
About “Birds Without Wings”: Two adults who grew up in the slums of Delhi strive to give new wings to kids bounded by the shackles of poverty, drugs and society.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Rishabh Thakkar, director of “Birds Without Wings”:
Instagram: @thakkarish
“After Skid Row,” directed by Lindsey Hagen
About Lindsey: Lindsey Hagen is a director with a focus on cause-related storytelling, unveiling stories that help us redefine how we perceive and engage with the world. She believes in the power of human connection and shares stories that unite the viewer through emotive, vulnerable narratives.
About “After Skid Row”: The film follows the journey of Barbie Carter as she navigates a transition to housed life following the brutal reality of a decade on the streets.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Lindsey Hagen, writer of “After Skid Row”:
Instagram: @linze3
“Adam,” directed by Christine Zivic
About Christine: Born and raised in Montreal, Christine obtained an undergraduate degree in film editing from Université du Québec à Montréal. She worked on film sets as a scripty and was also a photographer before she moved to Los Angeles to study directing and screenwriting. Currently pursuing her MFA at the UCLA school of Theatre Film and Television, Christine strives to give representation to outcasts and underdogs. Her upbringing in a French-Canadian and Serbian family, with an Autistic family member, informs her progressive outlook on cultural diversity and inclusion. She is inspired by themes of coming of age and invisible lives.
About “Adam”: Adam, a young man from Riverside, California, suffers from an Auditory Processing Disorder among a community that cares little about his unfamiliar affliction.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Christine Zivic, director of “Adam”:
Instagram: @czivic
Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol, directed by Dion Labriola
About Dion: Dion Labriola grew up in Akron, Ohio and studied painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art before moving to Chicago to study video at the Art Institute. He also produced music videos for Chicago artists including industrial pioneers My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Dion then moved to Los Angeles and started working as an editor on several cable documentaries, as well as producing music videos. Dion now works as a freelance editor and artist and has created illustrations and animation for a variety of projects, from indie films to studio productions.
About Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol: A boy’s fantastic dream of making movies with his teen idol finally becomes reality, but in the most unexpected way.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Dion Labriola, director of Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol:
Twitter: @Dionlab
Instagram: @dionlab
“They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise,” directed by Marlena Skrobe
About Marlena: Marlena is a filmmaker and plastic pollution researcher based in Seattle. “They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise” is Marlena’s directorial debut, but she has spent years working in the film industry in New York City on numerous award-winning films as a camera assistant and grassroots casting director. Marlena’s work focuses on the social life of plastic, human-plastic entanglements, and the disproportionate burden the full life cycle of plastic has on communities around the world.
About “They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise”: The film follows two activists in the Environmental Protection Agency of Kuala Langat, Pua Lay Peng and CK Lee, during a night-drive searching for illegal recycling facilities while learning about their fight against the tide of plastic waste being sent to Malaysia from overseas.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Marlena Skrobe, director of “They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise”:
Twitter: @sweetmarlena @theykeepquietfilm
Instagram: @sweetmarlena
“La Espera,” directed by Jakob Krese & Danilo Do Carmo
About Jakob: Jakob grew up between former Yugoslavia and Germany. He studied cinematography and directing in Berlin, Havana and Sarajevo. Since then, Jakob has worked as producer, director and cinematographer of creative documentaries. His films have been shown at festivals like IFFR Rotterdam and DOK-Leipzig. In 2019, he co-founded the independent production company Majmun Films, based in Berlin.
About “La Espera”: Dust, campfires, the railway line, people here and there — a snapshot of a caravan heading towards the U.S border. Individual destinies within moving times.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Jakob Krese, director of “La Espera”:
One Pint at a Time, directed by Aaron Hosé
About Aaron: Born in the United States and raised on the Caribbean island of Aruba, Aaron Hosé is a producer, director, and editor with over 20 years in the film, television and video industry. His work has screened at over 100 film festivals worldwide and is distributed on digital platforms such as Hulu, Amazon, Vimeo on Demand, Tubi and Gaia. Aaron has received multiple awards and honors, including five regional Emmy Awards and twelve nominations.
About One Pint at a Time: Black-owned breweries share less than 1% of craft beer revenues in America. This has inspired Black brewers, beer brand owners and influencers across the country to reshape the future of this multi-billion-dollar industry.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Aaron Hosé, director of One Pint at a Time:
“This is the Way We Rise,” directed by Ciara Lacy
About Ciara: Ciara Lacy is a native Hawaiian filmmaker who crafts films that use strong characters to challenge the creative and political status quo. Her work has shown at festivals around the world, including Sundance and Berlinale, as well as on Netflix, PBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, and the Criterion Collection. In the digital space, she has created content for the Guardian and the Atlantic Online. She was the inaugural Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellow, as well as part of the inaugural class of NATIVe Fellows at the European Film Market. Ciara continues to work in documentaries while expanding her intimate style of filmmaking into the branded content, animation, and narrative spaces.
About “This is the Way We Rise”: An exploration into the creative process alongside Native Hawaiian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio as she follows her calling to protect sacred sites atop Maunakea.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Ciara Lacy, director of “This is the Way We Rise”:
Twitter: @CiaraLeiLacy
Instagram: @ciaraleilacy
Main image: “They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise,” directed by Marlena Skrobe, one of the NFMLA DocuSlate Film Festival films.
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