THE GIFT OF MAGPIE, 11min,. USA
Directed by Anita George
It's carpe diem for a couple of small time grifters on Christmas Eve 1934.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I love the genre and thought it might be interesting to tell a story about expectation and balance of power.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I wrote the screenplay a few years before filming actually started. Once that was completed it was about 11 months until the film's first public screening.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time and keeping current with evolving technology

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
That was a wonderful experience! Especially since the pandemic, when so many film festivals either took a break or went entirely virtual, the communal experience of film-filmmakers-and audience has been greatly diminished. This was a great way to share.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
From a very early age I knew I wanted to be a part of this kind of storytelling. It took some time to realize what my personal role would evolve into.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably The Wizard of Oz

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I think you are on the right track. Exposure, feedback, community and tangibles feel like the most salient elements of a successful festival.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
For the most part, FilmFreeway is a very good platform, at least in my experience. The glitches I've experienced in the past (being notified of the wrong acceptance status, for example) have turned out to be operator error on the part of the festivals and not the platform itself.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Angel hair pasta with garden fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I am currently working on a new animated short. There are a couple of live action scripts that are in pre-production