In the Summer of 2014, for the Mascara and Popcorn Short Film Festival, I gave a speech about what it means to be an indie filmmaker to me, and also answer a bit the question I had been asking the filmmakers in their interviews; what the festival meant to them.
I was told by several that various parts of my speech had touched them in some manner or another. So I decided to share with you all the speech I gave at the festival, perchance you too might benefit from some of the insight I share in this speech.
‘For those who don’t know me, my name is Celinka Serre. I’m a self-funded, independent filmmaker. I do video production and video post-production services, and I did the Interviews and Vlogs for Mascara and Popcorn.
This is the second year that Binky Productions works with Mascara and Popcorn, and I’m very excited to be here. I enjoy working with Florence; we share similar ideas, so we tend to get along, and we are both very passionate and determined women. And the festival is also a good reason to get out of the house. There are a lot of different genres of films we can view at this festival. The highlight might be horror; but there is also the mystery and spooky, sci-fi and suspense, dark comedy and drama; a nice variety to please everyone’s preferences.
The festival is also: ‘’Home of the weird and the wonderful.’’ But what does it mean to be weird and wonderful? I’m going to go ahead and answer the question I was asking the filmmakers during their interviews. So, first off, I came across a definition of weird that I really like, that I’m going to share with you. “Weird: of spirit, fate and destiny.” Isn’t that beautiful? Here, being weird has no negative associations that some people out there tend to give it. Here, weird is just so awesome. And wonderful, well that means: “inspiring delight, pleasure or admiration.” So when you put the two together, doesn’t it create such an amazing definition of what we are?
This festival is also a gathering; a gathering of filmmakers and actors. I get to see people with whom I’ve worked before, people who I’ve interviewed, people whose movies I spoke about in the Vlogs. And there are new faces, new people to meet. It’s a place where we can gather and share our passion: Filmmaking. But not just any type of filmmaking: genuine, independent, self-funded (on the most part). I believe that a true filmmaker shares their vision the way they want, share it so others can believe in that vision; when you are a true filmmaker, you show a story the way it was always intended to be: Yours!
For me that is what it means to be an independent and self-funded filmmaker; not letting anyone change you or your vision, but finding people who can help you show your vision the way YOU would like it to be shown. People who work together towards a same goal, in unison and in harmony (even if a film set can be chaotic, there is still a harmony to be found among cast and crew). Creating a film that is real, that is yours, that is genuine, and by genuine, I mean has come from your inspiration and your soul. And to me, that is what Mascara and Popcorn is about: A genuine festival for real, genuine, weird and wonderful, filmmakers.’
Binky Productions & Binky Ink 