Revival House screens Short Film Festival
The Revival House hosted its inaugural Short Film Festival, “The Seven Percent” on Feb. 15 featuring films by local female directors followed by Q and A with filmmakers to recognize their accomplishments in the film industry at the Milton Theatre.
Along with the film festival, the Revival House screened an awarded-documentary “Whose Streets” directed by Sabbah Folyan. The documentary is about the Ferguson uprising when the police killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown then left him lying on the street for hours. Folyan spent more than a year in Ferguson after the death of Michael Brown, bearing witness to the protests that followed.
The theme “The Seven Percent” is a salute to women filmmakers because despite Hollywood's widespread recognition of women in the film industry, the actual statistics did not improve in 2016.
The Revival House co-founder Rob Waters said, according to The Hollywood Reporter, women comprised only 7 percent of all directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases in 2016.
Waters said the event is a great opportunity to gather all local filmmakers together because there are not many places for young talents to actually show their work to an audience.
A total of seven female directors submitted their short movies in order to participate in the festival with various genres presented to the audience.
Delaware Technical Community College Lab Specialist Chelsea Wootten said she has been coming to the Revival House since it opened. She is one of the participants of the festival in which she created her short film in memory of her grandfather who passed away.
“I have a film in the short film festival tonight, so I am coming to represent my film and see all the other films that will be presented tonight,” Wootten said. “I think it is really cool to get to share the stage, go up for the Q&A with other female filmmakers in the area, and hear about their challenges and victories when it comes to making their films.”
Many people from around the area came to the film festival to support Delaware talents. Katie Campuzano, an actress in one of the screened films, joined the event to see herself acting for the first time.
Campuzano said, “I am excited to see how the movie was put together because it is my first time acting in the movie, so it is going to be my debut."
The seven percent is one of the monthly Revival House’s film-related events at the Milton Theatre which unites music, art, and food to honor the film.
Short film director Chelsea Wootten discuss her movie with attendees. Photo by O. Kochegura
Founder of the Revival House Rob Waters and his wife Erin Tanner take the stage to welcome the audience and female directors. Photo by O. Kochegura
Video by O. Kochegura