FORSWORN, 8min., Australia
Directed by Courtney Wagner
Princess Ellora has some reservations about inheriting the throne. Her reservations are often quelled by her guard, Brynn, who promises to support her through even the toughest times. After Ellora's betrothal becomes imminent, the girls must decide if their feelings for one another are to be acted upon before it's too late, or extinguished.

Get to know writer/producer/actor Piéra Forde:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I was really interested in the idea of a sapphic fantasy romance, which is
something we rarely see in film. The idea sparked after reading a story about a male/female guard/royal romance and made me ask ‘what if they were both female?’. Plus I’m always an advocate for seeing self-representation, and whilst I lack the pyrokinetic abilities, it is nice to see queer women leading stories that aren’t necessarily about queer things.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I wrote the script in late 2022 after playing with the idea in a novel format,
we shot in February and ran into a bit of trouble in post-production so all up it took about seven months.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Sapphic romantasy
.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Shooting fantasy in Australia is notoriously difficult as it’s not something
that is super popular, or easy to facilitate. Locations and costumes naturally prove a challenge but we were very lucky to be able to shoot in a local bar that allowed us to play around with the environment.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience
talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was incredibly proud that the work was well received, and it really
highlighted for me that there is an audience for this type of content out
there, as it’s not something that is seen often. I spend so much time reading sapphic fantasy, that I don’t realise that it’s not something that is super common outside of my little bubble, so it’s really motivating to be able to see the audience’s reactions and know that there are those out there who want to see more.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I started as an actor in my early teens and have built a professional career from that, but it wasn’t until the last several years that I decided to try my hand at making my own because the roles I wanted to play weren’t out there, so I wrote them myself. I started in fan-films and book to film
adaptations as that was my first love, but since developing a bit of
confidence and having a supportive team around me, I ventured into making original work and that seems to be doing quite well.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I’m not ashamed to admit that I saw Catching Fire, the second Hunger
Games movie in cinemas 17 times before I owned it on DVD, and then lost track of how many times. It’s my comfort movie.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your
filmmaking career?

It’s always wonderful to receive feedback from the audience and other
film-makers as it lets you know how the work is coming across outside of the bubble of being made. I’m always interested in meeting other filmmakers who work within the same genre, and networking.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Easy and without issue.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Can’t go wrong with a nice pizza or bolognese gnocchi.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

After the success in the festival circuit for Forsworn we are currently working on developing it into a feature film, which is really exciting. We’ve also got a few other short fantasy films in the pipeline for the next year or so, so keep an eye out for those.