The First Annual

GIRL IMPROVED (short) FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL

JUNE 22-23rd, 2018

Presented by ImprovEd Arts and Ground Floor Theatre

At GIFT Fest 2018, all content met the following parameters:​

– Creative and production teams were at least 50% female or gender nonconforming;
– At least 50% of the characters in the piece were female or gender nonconforming;
– The story was centered outside the realm of romance;
– And it was ten minutes or less.

 

GIFT FEST 2018 AWARD WINNERS

AUDIENCE AWARD: forget-me-not | Analisa María Sweeten (14)

ONE TO WATCH: Baseball Orange | Bella Shepard (14)

STORY SAVVY AWARD: Round and Round | Olivia Carter (15)

BEST OF FEST: Raiders of the Rock Art | Marina Petrovic-Kinzy (12)

D&T FIGLIO GIRL IMPROVED AWARD: Part of a Generation | Daisy Cornejo (18)

 

PHOTO GALLERY

Click on photo to start the slideshow.

SHOW BLOCKS FOR GIFT FEST 2018

SHOW BLOCK 1

  • When I’m With You Two girls have been best friends for years, but one of them has to move away, so they go out for one last adventure.
    Trini Heide (14), Violet Stewart (15), Daylynn Overton (16), Lauren Jones (15) are all soon to be sophomores in high school. Trini loves running, filmmaking, and making art of all kinds. Violet loves all things books, photography, and having adventures. Daylynn loves to draw, read, and write. Lauren Jones loves filmmaking and photography.
  • Don’t Play with Intergalactic Ray Guns A public service announcement for the modern world.
    Esme Kazzoun (10) has acted in several screen productions and theater ensembles throughout Austin and is a fourth grader at Mathews Elementary where she makes movies with her friends.
  • The Risk for Freedom This documentary follows the director’s Grandma and her family’s journey to America.
    Alex Le (17) is a junior at Anderson High School with hopes of attending the University of Texas at Austin for its RTF program and to pursue a career in filmmaking. He aspires to be an editor.
  • Dissatisfaction Two girls are so completely immersed in their self-centered conversation that they fail to realize the abnormal things happening in the background.
    Maeve McGeady (13) is going into her Freshman year at McCallum high school and has been in various film programs since she was in third grade.
  • TOONed Out Two girls are fighting over the TV remote when the remote malfunctions and teleports the girls into the TV. Stay TOONed. youtu.be/oKJ5IZUKPJQ
    Izzy Dilger (14) has won several awards for animation. Her passions include writing a graphic novel, poems, cartoons and comics, and keeping in touch with a large group of artistic friends.
  • Don’t Panic Three teenagers wake up in a strange room with no memory on how they got there. Now they must solve the mystery in order to survive.
    Sarah (12), Olyvia (14), and Siyona (13) met at Austin Film Festival’s Summer Film camp and share a passion for storytelling. Music supplied by Golden Hornet Youth Composers Fiona Gehrke and Katelyn Rodriguez.
  • Bright Two stories about the never-ending journey towards self-acceptance.
    Solaris Naquin (16) is a rising senior with a love for movies. She is also a Kennedy-Lugar Scholarship recipient.
  • *Right or Wrong Oliver and Emily rush to their friend Sarah’s house in a panic after accidentally shooting their friend Logan and killing him.
    Clara Jackson (15) is an actress who is interested in Shakespeare, WEBTOON, art, social justice issues, Kpop and fashion.
    *NOTE: This piece contains gun violence.
  • Fairy and Zombie In this stereotype-bending movie trailer, with whom would you side, or do you love them both?
    Eleanor Berg (10) and Josephine Moss (10) created “Fairy and Zombie” as 5th graders at Maplewood Elementary. Both plan to continue making films; Eleanor in the Digital Media Department at the Lamar Fine Arts Academy and Josephine at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
  • forget-me-not A young witch must come to terms with her mother’s death.
    Analisa María Sweeten (14) is a passionate half Mexican filmmaker and artist who just finished freshman year at Westwood High School.
  • Monster in the Woods In an attempt to gain friends, a little girl ventures into the woods in search of the monster that’s rumored to live there.
    Melina Rosales (17) currently attends Austin High School and has a passion for drawing and aspires for a job in the art or animation industry.
  • IRL An anti-social girl makes a friend online, but does she know her… IRL?
    Zia Schwartz Kinzy (14) is an actress/writer/filmmaker who enjoys playing roller derby, photography and Shakespeare.
  • Part of a Generation A gay first-generation Latina struggles to balance parental expectations with her own personal passions.
    Daisy Cornejo (18) is an LA based writer, editor, director, and content creator for her very own YouTube channel, “HotCheetoMami”, which has amassed over ninety-thousand subscribers.

SHOW BLOCK 2

  • Relentless Two female assassins meet on a bridge and fight it out.
    Meghan Whitfield (20) is a Stunt Performer who is a State Champion Gymnast and a World Champion in Tae-Kwon-Do. She has worked on Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Jumanji, and is the female motion capture lead performer in an upcoming AAA video game.
  • The Flower Conundrum A girl picks a bluebonnet and finds out it may be illegal, but how fix it?
    Zia Schwartz Kinzy (14) is an actress/writer/filmmaker who enjoys playing roller derby, photography and Shakespeare.
  • Take a Break An experimental short that uses stop motion to tell the story of a young woman’s journey.
    Lauren Ryan-Holt (13) and Audrey Harper (14) met at the Express Yourself Girls Camp at Austin Film Society this summer. The camp is an open space for girls to explore and express themselves through film, television, and other media.
  • Sticky Girl A super-heroine with a real life problem.
    Scarlett Logue (10) has completed her studies at Gullett Elementary and enjoys acting and developing stories through a filmmaking collective called Film Kids.
  • The Photo Album A young girl finds an old photo album in her attic and goes on an adventure to find out more about the girl in the photos.
    Georgia Pearson (17) is a local Austin actress and playwright who loves all things artsy and learning languages.
  • Beyond the Train Tracks Follow three girls as they are lost in a forest, as well as listen to original music made for this movie.
    Willow Goldsmith (14) has always enjoyed making short movies and videos, and believes this is a great opportunity to grow.
  • Olga and Volga’s Happy Hour Olga and Volga discuss plans to take over the government.
    Zia Schwartz Kinzy (15) is an actress/writer/filmmaker who enjoys playing roller derby, photography and Shakespeare. Georgia Pearson (17) is a local Austin  actress and playwright who loves all things artsy and learning languages.
  • Furry Scavenger A humorous film about a dog struggling, yet determined, to get her favorite treat; shot from a dog’s point of view, you get a glimpse into her thoughts and dreams of finally getting bacon!
    Aria Repich (13) is a filmmaker, writer, and actress who loves swim team, editing movies and photos, and her dog, Paintball.
  • Raiders of the Rock Art This documentary reveals the many “raiders” that threaten the recondite Native American rock art of the Lower Pecos River Valley, and why we have to protect the elaborate, complex renderings of our past.
    Marina Kinzy (12) creates art, documentaries, and writes short stories in her spare time. Native American culture, as well as the rock art of the Lower Pecos River Valley, fascinates her.
  • Flu Season A girl gets the flu and her friend tries to help her with mixed results.
    Izzy Dilger (14) has won several awards for animation. Her passions include writing a graphic novel, poems, cartoons and comics, and keeping in touch with a large group of artistic friends.
  • Baseball Orange A girl struggles to find herself through her poetry.
    Along with filmmaking, Bella Shepard (14) is interested in photography, art museums, and works of John Bock and Wes Anderson. She would like to thank everyone who helped her in making this film.
  • Round and Round Alex is the new kid and has to find somewhere to sit on the bus, but little does she know the person she sits next to could be the decision between popularity or nothing.
    Olivia Carter (15) is an Austin filmmaker who loves to tell universally relatable stories through her work.

PANELS

GIFT Fest 2018 included a block of panels featuring both professional and student creators.

Creating Without a Due Date | Panelists: Marina Petrovic-Kinzy, Raiders of the Rock Art; Analisa Maria Sweeten, forget-me-not; Jennifer Sturley, Writer, Producer, Director – Love’s Labour’s Lost movie | Moderator: Patti Neff-Tiven, Ground Floor Theatre

Girl Animated – The Future of Animation | Panelists: Izzy Dilger, Flu Season and TOONed Out; Melina Rosales, Monster In the Woods | Moderator: Andee Kinzy, Girl Improved

Using Improvisation to Devise Your Story | Panelists: Willow Goldsmith, Beyond the Train Tracks; Zia Kinzy, Olga & Volga’s Happy Hour; Sarah Marie Curry, Actor, Improviser, Teacher – ROOK member | Moderator, Timeca Seretti, Blacktress, Musician

Girl Fight – Adding Female Fighters to Your Story | Panelists: Meghan Whitfield, Relentless; Janell Smith, Producer, Stunt Coordinator, CEO of Iron Dragon Prods. | Moderator: Andee Kinzy, Girl Improved

Disaster Stories from the Trenches | Panelists: Olivia Carter, Round and Round; Katrina Heide and Violet Stewart, When I’m With You; | Moderator: My-Cherie Haley, Model, Actress

Where Are All the Girls? Roundtable Discussion | Panelists: Danyelle Cavaness-Weatherford, Actor, Producer, Director; Stephanie Moore, Filigree Theatre; Minerva Villa, Actor, Teatro Vivo; Patti Neff-Tiven, Ground Floor Theatre | Moderator: Zia Kinzy, IRL

PROFESSIONAL SHOWCASE

We were lucky to have several professional artists grace us with their talent at GIFT Fest 2018. Not only do young creators learn by doing, they also learn by emulating skilled professionals.

ROOK is a musical improv troupe based in Austin, TX that specializes in modern musicals. Combined, they have over 30 years of professional improv, music, and theater experience. 

JEANNE STERN is an animator, painter, filmmaker, and professor who likes accordions, swimming, and pre-historic mammals. 

TIMECA SERETTI, blacktress in the first degree, singer of great songs and writer of stories untold.

GIFT FEST 2018 THANKS:

PATTI NEFF-TIVEN, SABEEN NOORANI, ROOK, LISA SCHEPS, TIMECA SERETTI, JANELL SMITH, JEANNE STERN, JENNIFER STURLEY, ANALISA MARIA SWEETEN, CARYS BLANEY, DANYELLE CAVANESS-WEATHERFORD, H.CHERDON, KISHA C.G., SARAH MARIE CURRY, GRACE FERRELL, TAYLOR FLANAGAN, MY-CHERIE HALEY, STEPHANIE MOORE