LAVA Film Festival: all about the films!

Max Wilhelm is a photographer and videographer currently based in South Hadley, MA, where he works full-time at Mount Holyoke College. Originally from Williamsport, PA, Max recently transitioned from central Pennsylvania to pursue his creative endeavors in film and photography. His filmmaking style leans toward a spontaneous and authentic approach, crafting narratives that feel raw and grounded in the moment. Kill to Love was a passion project created with a team of dedicated creatives, bringing together a blend of quick production and heartfelt collaboration.

Director Biography – Yonah Sadeh

Yonah Sadeh is a filmmaker and photographer based out of Northwest Connecticut. He has been making films since 2010 and specializes in promotional video creation, wedding films, freelance cinematography, editing, and event photography. His animated short, Change is Possible, won the 2020 Ocean Awareness Contest film category. His documentary titled “In Our Backyard”, won the grand prize for the Bridging Divides, Healing Communities Youth Film Challenge in Fall of 2021. His narrative directing debut, Lament, was screened online at the Paus Premieres Festival in 2022. His passion for storytelling and my professional background in cinematography, editing, and lighting allows him to create videos that are visually stunning and emotionally impactful.

Director Statement

This film is the culmination of my work as an undergraduate student. I wrote, directed, produced and edited this project, with support from my peers at both Simon’s Rock and Oberlin College.

Inspired by my experience growing up on my family’s farm in rural Connecticut, this film fuses memories I have had in my life into a fictional character and story line.

Through the character of Dan and the evolving seasons of rural Connecticut, “Subnivean” weaves together loss, memory, and resilience. With this film I hope to offer viewers a glimpse into the universal journey of finding solace amidst life’s ever-changing landscapes, and healing from loss through connection to the land.

Director Biography – Christina Hodel

Christina Hodel is an award-winning American/French Polynesian filmmaker, screenwriter, film & television scholar, actress, and educator. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Bridgewater State University, where she teaches filmmaking and film studies courses. She works in both Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA.

Christina holds a Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies from the University of Kansas, an M.A. in Individualized Study (Film/Dance) from New York University, and a B.A. in Film and Electronic Arts from California State University, Long Beach.

As a practicing artist, Christina has written, directed, produced, starred in, and edited various industrials, public service announcements, commercials, event trailers, video installations, narrative films, and documentaries. Her award-winning feature documentary, Freedom Love Gold, has screened at over 17 festivals around the world. Her most recent film, American Foulbrood, is on the film festival circuit.

Her films and screenplays have received funding, won awards, and screened at festivals including Docs Without Borders, Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards, Essex Doc Fest, American Golden Picture International Film Festival, Tallgrass International Film Festival, Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival, and Lady’s First International Film Festival among many others.

She has worked for Food Network, HBO, CBS, ABC, NBC, Freeform, Showtime, The CW, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, The History Channel, and YouTube Premium.

Director Statement

As the story goes, while beekeeper Charlotte is battling her insurance provider to find support for her daughter, Violet, who is suffering from a genetic disease, her neighbor Jeremy struggles to secure therapy and medication for his worsening schizophrenia. This occurs during a bioterrorist threat, which the healthcare system and local government do little to alleviate. When Charlotte and Jeremy first meet, they strike up a unique friendship due to their common bond over their troubles with the US healthcare system–and their love of honey.

The title of the film references a fatal bacterial disease of honeybee brood. Bees are going extinct due to human involvement, allowing killer bacteria called American Foulbrood to wipe out colony after colony. The story serves as a metaphor for the current state of American society’s healthcare system and a convenient reminder of how we must care for one another.

Without care, society as we know it would be impossible. American Foulbrood teaches audiences that true democracy is one in which the public can candidly and fearlessly ask questions. The story is very much about questioning the US government. A questioning person does not become less patriotic than others. Instead, a good question can remind the people in authority of their obligations and pave the way for society’s betterment. The intent of such questions is not personal gain but a collective gain for society. By voicing opinions and questioning issues via this film, one might be solving an individual problem, but it results in the collective good of all.

This film aims to raise awareness about how the broken American healthcare system negatively affects society and offers a remedy. Currently, in many parts of the US, a new patient seeking care for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, is put on a waitlist to see a provider that is 1-2 years long. Without prompt access to care, those suffering from the illness may develop suicidal thoughts, irreversible brain damage, and other mental health issues (Zhuo 2021). In addition, the rising cost of healthcare and certain drugs excluded from coverage means there are many Americans who will needlessly suffer or die due to greed, fraud, and abuse (Cohen 2018). In the film, Jeremy and Charlotte support one another as they navigate the inequitable healthcare system and, in so doing, teach us something about healthcare reformation: social solidarity. Jeremy and Charlotte are interconnected regarding their views on healthcare and drive home the concept that care should not be a market product but a fundamental right.

Jeremy, Charlotte, and Violet represent the millions of Americans suffering from a health insurance industry practicing discrimination and lacking transparency and accountability (Lundebjerg et al. 2021). American Foulbrood’s significance is that this film holds the power to shape our beliefs, values, and perspectives. Every movie is set and developed in a particular culture. Movies are an integral part of us; they mirror what we believe and how we coexist. It is easier to see our concerns, attitudes, flaws, and strengths in films than decipher them from our daily interactions.

When our prevalent beliefs and ideologies are challenged in films like this one, we can better interrogate ourselves and embrace change.

Director Biography – Minna Abalian

Minna Abalian is a mixed media designer and filmmaker based in Boston. Through an intuitively led creative process, her work focuses on color and texture to highlight beauty in the mundane.

Director Statement

Food is the lifeblood of the Armenian culture, and this film honors how that rings true within my own family. What began as a visual dictionary of meals and traditions turned into a heartfelt tribute to my grandfather after his passing during the middle of production.

The result is a raw representation of my journey navigating grief and how there is a quiet strength to simply gathering around a table with family to enjoy a good meal.

We’ve known Jim Mias since we were small kids and he has always been a role model, particularly when it comes to being a good community member. We started this short film as a personal project so we could spend more time with Jim, but it ultimately became a piece that we hope inspires others to look at life like Jim does.

Colin Hodgson is a filmmaker born and raised in Northampton, MA. His films tend to focus on community and have been accepted in over half a dozen festivals around the country. He recently finished his first feature documentary, alongside director Sam Ho, entitled Hero Camp!

Lucas Fappiano is a documentary filmmaker and composer from Northampton MA. Much of his work has a focus on community and lived experiences.

Director Biography – Christopher David Denmead

Chris hosts the late night talk and music show Radio of Horror in Worcester MA at WCUW where he has shot 3 short films called the Radio Trilogy.

Director Biography – Sam Mescon

Sam Mescon is an artist, storyteller, movement practitioner, and community builder deeply passionate about collaborating with others.

Graduating with Highest Honors in Studio Art from Clark University in Worcester, MA, Sam began his artistic expression through documentary filmmaking and photography. His student artwork explores themes of human connection and personal introspection, with notable films including “Just To Be,” which delves into his family’s history, and “You Make It,” a self-portrait exploring feelings of isolation.

Sam’s latest endeavor, “An Invitation,” represents a significant milestone outside of the university setting, marking a transition to more passion-driven and collaborative projects. Dedicated to creating work that prompts deep introspection and meaningful conversations, Sam continues to create art that is a true expression of his own heart.

Sam embodies a nomadic lifestyle that fuels his creative spirit. He splits his time between Durango, CO, where he thrives on connecting with people outdoors, and traveling the world to study movement and search for the next story to tell.

Director Statement

“An Invitation” emerged from my residency at the North Carolina Zen Center, where I had the privilege of meeting KT. From our very first interaction, KT’s warmth and kindness drew me in, forging a deep connection that would shape the course of the film. As the cook for retreat participants, KT’s role extended far beyond the kitchen; she became a beacon of hope and resilience, her story unfolding with each passing day. After her daughter Erin’s tragic passing in a car accident, KT embarked on a journey of healing and renewal, finding solace in serving her local community in Pittsboro, NC for the past twelve years.

The title “An Invitation” encapsulates a profound realization that KT experiences, highlighting the depths of her journey and the themes explored in the film—an invitation not just to provide nourishment through food, but to embrace vulnerability and authenticity in the face of loss. This realization serves as the cornerstone of the film’s exploration into the complexities of grief and the transformative power of acceptance. Through this small window into KT’s journey, I’ve been deeply grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences of loss and resilience. Thank you, KT, for inspiring us.

Alongside the beloved documentrary, I edited together archival footage, footage from Beyonce’s tour, shows Legendary and Pose, archival images, and more. This video is not only a historical narrative, but a highlight on the lives, figures, and events not written into history books — and it focuses more on the imagery and importance of black and brown joy, queer joy, rather than continuously retelling and sharing the overwhelming amounts of trauma, oppression, and violence these minoritized groups often face for existing freely as themselves.

Mackenzie McCree is a filmmaker based in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Mackenzie attends UMass Dartmouth as a part-time student and has recently resubmerged herself within the arts of independent filmmaking, writing, editing, and producing. Her passion for video making began once she started attending her middle school’s media club (where she received second place for a group video she made about sustainability for the 2015-16 Eversource Challenge), and was then further explored as a four year media student during her high school experience. She eventually received two 2019 Student Production Awards for Excellence for her films, “Le Place: A Grandmother’s Legacy” and “Coming Out” from The National Academy of Television, Boston/New England Chapter. A year later, in 2020, she then received another two honorable mentions for a music video/juxtaposition piece that was a group project titled “Don’t Touch My Hair”, and a solo project and documentary dedicated to her family titled “The Fall of 1985 (The McCrees for the Emmys)”. The 30 minute documentary is one of Mackenzie’s proudest achievements that was dedicated to her late and deceased uncle who unjustly lost his life by the hands of police. However, as she wrapped up “The Fall of 1985 (The McCrees for the Emmys)”, the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests shortly followed. That then resulted in a few years where Mackenzie experienced burnout and lacked inspiration, creativity, and motivation, media wise. Three years passed, and in 2023 Mackenzie not only admitted to herself that film is her passion, she returned to the art form with a new perspective and directional pull toward thematics focused in unapologetic Black and Queer Joy.

As I join fellow artists and activists in the Movement for Black Lives in the summer of 2020 and reach back to learn the history of discrimination, police violence, second-class citizen status in the US, I draw lines of connection to my own DNT peoples’ history of being labeled “Born Criminals” by the British colonial government and how that same colonialism gave birth to slavery and how and in which forms this colonialism still exists in modern world.

“Hear Me” is crafted from in-depth conversations with seven at-risk young people in the affluent Berkshire County of Western Massachusetts. Each of our remarkable cast members are working through various aspects domestic abuse, neglect, and street violence. In our film they are the experts—on their own lives, and on the root causes of gun violence.

We hear reports on mass shootings, urban street violence, and we follow political debates on the proliferation of firearms in America. But for members of the protected class gun violence usually feels like it happens elsewhere. Our cast reminds us that gun violence is happening in every community. They share wisdom, humor, creativity, and prescriptions for a way forward.

They remind us that we all share responsibility for identifying and addressing the root causes of gun violence in America.

Director Biography – Dave Simonds

Dave Simonds (director) is an actor, writer and award winning filmmaker. He directed the docs Hear Me, The Hoy Boys, Cherry Cottage and Forgotten Farms. As an actor, Simonds worked extensively in New York, and regionally at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Long Wharf Theatre, and The Portland Stage Company. He was a familiar face in the indie-film renaissance of the late 80s and early 90s and his screen credits include Amateur, The Book of Life, Signs and Wonders, The Fish in a Bathtub, Henry Fool, B Movie, among many others. He appeared in music videos for Everything But the Girl, Beth Orton and others. He was the co-founder of the award winning Cucaracha Theater. The New York Times proclaimed, “Cucaracha Theatre has become a center for some of the most interesting experimental theatre in New York.”

Tyler Lum is a student filmmaker, born and raised in Massachusetts, currently studying visual media arts at Emerson College and minoring in science as a freshman. Although he had a lingering interest in biology, his creativity and passion to tell stories is what won. He’s worked on productions at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and worked with the Asian Community Development Corporation to facilitate and bring to life Films at the Gate, a non-profit, three-day, free film festival with the mission to restore Chinese cinema to the Chinatown community in Boston.

“I made Just Talking at the very end of my high school senior year. It’s supposed to juxtapose the ideas of putting yourself out there and approaching new paths with caution, and then finding balance in between. I want to thank the LAVA Film Festival for this amazing opportunity. I know my filmmaking journey is still in its infancy. So I’m excited to look back one day and always remember how much I’ve grown.”

Director Biography – Carley Byers

Carley Byers is writer, producer, and director based in Boston, MA. After graduating from film school in 2021, she started her career in the art department. These experiences deepened her love for developing characters through their spaces. Her short film, “After Closing”, a disco dance musical, had success at film festivals both locally and internationally. It went on to win “Best New England Short ” at Mystic Film Festival in 2022. Carley’s background in dance and theatre translates into her love of creating both physical and emotional movement with actors. She is currently writing her first feature film, “Hell Week” and hopes to make a proof of concept as her next creative endeavor.

Director Statement

The screenplay for Don’t Fall From Grace came from a few places of inspiration. The first being my mom. She suffers from insomnia and takes medication to help her sleep. However, the side effects of the drugs make her sleepwalk. When I started writing, I thought it would be more unnerving if the “monster” is someone you know and love. That idea brought me to the concept of possession. Equally, I had been reflecting on the recent events regarding women’s healthcare in the United States. I felt like I didn’t have control of the decision making around my body. Unlike more traditional possession films, I wanted Grace’s character to show resistance and ultimately have to save herself through force of will. My hope is both women, Mother and daughter, show their strength in different ways.

Another inspiration for “Don’t Fall From Grace” was our shooting location. The film’s Director of Photography, Hunter Anderson and I fell in love with the idea that the house itself is a character in the film. We created the camera movements and blocking around the anatomy of the building. For example, when the Mother walks down the staircase, we wanted the audience to feel as if she’s traveling down its intestine into the “belly of the beast”.

The actress portraying Grace, Ariana Pérez and I studied the movement of puppets to sculpt how Grace would carry herself. We practiced for weeks with a carton of Easter eggs to perfect the rigidness of the opening scene. My hope is the audience is captivated by the world we created and feels the maternal dedication and unconditional love expressed through our main character’s relationship.

Director Biography – Carolina Ribeiro

Caro is a Brazilian-American filmmaker, born and raised in Miami but currently residing in Boston. She studied Sociology at Harvard and then promptly sold her soul to a firm that focuses on management consulting (she’s still not sure what that means). Four years later, she quit her job, bought back her soul, and decided to pursue her passion for writing/directing.

She has participated in Jumpcut Media’s incubator for emerging writers, where she worked with producer Winnie Kemp to develop a TV comedy. She is also a former Diversity Fellow at the Upright Citizens Brigade. She is represented by Peter Katz at Story Driven.

Director Statement

I’ve always been drawn to telling stories I wanted to see on the screen. Cinema is one of mankind’s best inventions and each film is a reflection of the director’s point of view. It is one of the few ways we can see things in someone else’s eyes. Hope Ryder is a story about wanting more out of a person and a lifechanging opportunity. I’ve always been drawn to Sci-Fi and when I wrote the film, I knew I wanted to incorporate the unknown.

Director Biography – Jaina Cipriano

Jaina Cipriano is an experiential designer and filmmaker exploring the emotional toll of religious and romantic entrapment. Her worlds communicate with our neglected inner child and are informed by explosive colors, elements of elevated play and the push/pull of light and dark.

A self taught artist with a deep love for creative problem solving, she writes and directs award winning short films that wrestle with the complicated path of healing. In 2020 she released ‘You Don’t Have to Take Orders from the Moon’, a surrealist horror film wrestling with the gravity of deep codependency. Her second short, ‘Trauma Bond’ is a dreamy, coming of age thriller that explores what happens when we attempt to heal deep wounds with quick fixes.

Jaina’s photographic works forgoes digital manipulation, everything is created for the camera. She takes an immersive approach to working with models, approaching a shoot like a documentary photographer as her subject is let loose in a strange designed space. Working with Jaina is often described as cathartic and playful.

Jaina founded Finding Bright Studios – a design company in Lowell specializing in set design for music videos and immersive spaces. She has collaborated with GRRL HAUS, Boston Art Review, and was a Boston Fellow for the Mass Art Creative Business Incubator and a finalist in EforAll Merrimack Valley.

Her photographic work has been shown internationally.

Director Biography – Vanessa Query

Vanessa Query is a director, writer, performer, and organizer. She has written and directed several short films and has performed and produced all types of theater, such as sketch comedy, circus sideshow, and collaborative multimedia performance. Her work has been performed and screened across the United States and in Ireland and India.

I am excited to submit my short film, The Art of Descent, for your consideration. As a Massachusetts local and a 20-year-old Asian American filmmaker, I created this Noir-Horror piece during my sophomore year at Westfield State University with a budget of under $1,000. As well as handling most of the writing, filming, and editing myself. Inspired by the retro eerie aesthetics of Cthulhu and The Twilight Zone, I hope this film’s unique dramatic style will resonate with your audience.

I made this film last semester as a Sophomore at Westfield State with my friends and other students in the communication department. I want to recognize the dedication my cast/crew went through and what they entrusted me with. As many of them didn’t have prior film experience (we don’t have a film department here at WSU.)

Director Biography – Joel Rosen

Joel Rosen studied Chinese language and literature at Oberlin, launching his career in film as Chinese interpreter to the special effects crew of Marc Forster’s The Kite Runner (2007). He lives in Western Massachusetts.

Director Biography – Julian Lowenthal

Julian Lowenthal is a film producer and director who has been in the movie industry for over a decade. He has been writing, directing, producing and editing music videos, sketches and short films since 2008. He has also worked on dozens of Hollywood and independent projects, which, to date, have profited over $800 million. Those include: “Spencer Confidential,” “Little Women”, “Knives Out,” “Free Guy,” and Netflix juggernaut “Don’t Look Up.” In 2015 Julian wrote, producer and directed his feature film debut, “Silenced.” He recently wrapped his latest and most ambitious independent film to date, “Money Game.”

Director Statement

Money Game’s central theme, to achieve your dreams, that limitless story, has always resonated with me. Persistence and being straight forward are my way. Big or small, the willingness to not quit and quietly go about catching that dream no matter the obstacles are how work. With rural beauty and poverty our backdrop. Our main character overcomes big life blows and happily lands in his dream. Love, death, family and money drive a dramatic romantic love story money can’t corrupt.

Three movies inspired the direction, style, and tone I took with Money Game “Good Will Hunting” motivated the landscape our protagonist, James, faces. “The Wolf of Wall Street” inspired the lavish and corrupt lifestyle our antagonist, Bryson, lives in. “The Matrix” is about two systems, a theme in this film’s universe. It explores the world that most people think we’re living in while removing the curtain on the reality that we are living in. It is essential to me that we demonstrate how broken, misleading, legally dishonest, and legally corrupt our economic system is. In many ways, the story of Money Game shares similarities to my journey of making the movie.