Meet The Artists In Residence

Artists in Residence: A program supporting filmmakers attending the 2019 Palm Springs International ShortFest

Acme House Company is a long-standing supporter of The Palm Springs Film Society. This year Acme House Company has rededicated their commitment to ShortFest by increasing their sponsorship from the Gold to Platinum Level and by collaborating with The Film Society to create the “Artist in Residence” program supporting filmmakers attending the ShortFest.

As a Platinum Sponsor of the 2019 Palm Springs ShortFest, Acme is committed to empowering these emerging filmmakers by providing them time and space to broaden their creative horizons while communing with other storytellers in the pursuit of their artistic goals. These eleven storytellers have been granted up to seven nights of housing in a shared Palm Springs Luxury Vacation Home, plus a food and ground transportation stipend to be used during ShortFest.

Growing up as that kid glued to The Sound of Music, back in Nigeria, to the adult now dazzled by the complexity of the characters in 12 Angry Men, films have always helped me make sense of the world. So, I create work that interrogates the human condition, but with empathy because I truly believe we all live the same lives, we’re just colored differently.

Aimiende Negbenebor Sela – Director, Writer & Producer of Utopia

Be it in acting, writing, or producing I have found myself needing to open my own doors - and I am okay with that. Not satisfied with waiting for a phone call, I began to write my own projects and in turn produce them. And there we have my short film Blink!

 

Brent Alan Henry – Writer & Co-Producer of Blink

I am always hungry for opportunities to be inspired by my creative peers and to dedicate brain space to artistic growth. Selection in the residency program would afford me the ability (and permission) to dedicate time and mental space to a week of inspiring conversation. This would certainly inspire future projects and lasting relationships.

Erin Brown Thomas – Director of But First...

During film school I realized that you don't just become a director, you have to earn it, work hard for it, and prove that you can do it over and over again. I found my second calling in post production. I fell in love with editing and coloring. For me this was a way into the world of film and ever since I’ve been lucky to have worked alongside many great filmmakers.

Jon Olav Stokke – Director, Writer & Producer of Our Father's Cabin

People said that we should never feel isolated, that as storytellers we should focus on the universal emotions, humanity, vulnerability, that “the world is flat.” I don’t agree with that, the world is not flat… I want to see things I could never have imagined back in the Gobi desert.

Jian Luo – Director & Writer of What Do You Know About The Water And The Moon

Giving a voice to the aggrieved and less fortunate has become a tenet of my work, through my choice of topics related to social justice, human rights and immigration. My approach is immersive and focused on the individuals in our society who struggle, but not under a lens of judgment or victimization. My goal is only to show how these people live, through their eyes and words.

Jorge Camarotti – Director & Writer, Kinship

As a storyteller, I hope to create works that inspire feeling. I spent my time in college studying art history and centuries of mankind’s legacy in art. In doing so, I discovered a creative yearning in myself that has motivated my pursuit as a filmmaker.

Katherine Propper – Director, Writer & Producer of Street Flame

Dad was an actor. So was Mum; they met on a film shoot. My earliest memories were seeing family movies. Even my parents’ friends were seen on our TV along with family movies. At an early age, I developed the idea that everyone was on TV. Inevitably, I started making movies which culminated in an Honors Degree in Film and TV and several productions of my own.

Rhys Mitchell – Co-Writer & Co-Producer of Living Room

The subjects that interest me are vast but they always turn around raising empathy toward a harsh situation as you may have understood when watching Just Me and You. I like to portray a nuanced story, where good and bad is misleading and up to the viewer to make up his mind.

Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers – Director of Juste Moi Et Toi

I was born into a conservative, military household in Pakistan, a country where filmmaking is not even considered a real profession. When I broke the news to my parents about my desired career my parents almost had a minor heart attack. To their credit, they eventually supported me, spending a lifetime of their savings on my Columbia University filmmaking degree. For me, attending Palm Springs is not just about the reverence and showcase of my work but also about honoring the sacrifices of my parents thus far.

Saim Sadiq – Director & Co-Writer of Nice Talking To You

At 7 years old, I wanted to be an astronaut, but my family was always making sure that I knew how poor we were and how impossible that was. Then I started watching a series of American movies; the Charlie Chaplin films, E.T, Apollo 13, The Goonies and many others, that blew my 8 years old mind. I thought that If I couldn't go to the moon, I could one day make a movie about it.

Thiago Da Dalt – Director, Co-Writer & Co-Producer of Duke

As a long-standing champion of The Palm Springs Film Society, Acme is committed to empowering these emerging filmmakers by providing them time and space to broaden their creative horizons while communing with other storytellers in the pursuit of their artistic goals.

Congratulations to these artists and to all the other filmmakers participating in the 2019 Palm Springs International ShortFest.

ABOUT THE WRITER:  Modern Mary is a traveling gadabout who adores everything Palm Springs – from the architecture and design to the art, fashion and lifestyle.  A social butterfly in the most modern sense – Mary enjoys swanky cocktail parties, gallery openings, music festivals, shopping and anything pink or yellow. She is a frequent contributor to the Acme Blog –  keeping our readers up to speed on who is staying at our fab fab vacation rental homes and what’s going on in Greater Palm Springs and the surrounding desert cities of the Coachella Valley.  Modern Mary loves big floppy hats, Jackie O sunglasses and prefers sensible shoes over back-breaking high heels.

ABOUT ACME HOUSE COMPANY:  Acme manages Luxury Vacation Rental Homes & Condos in Greater Palm Springs and the surrounding desert cities, catering to those looking to travel to the world-renowned destination for the season, week-long stays and extended weekends. Fabulous pool homes for when you and your peeps want some together time. Visit Acme’s Website to explore more Palm Springs Vacation Rental Homes.

Read the Condé Nast Traveler article that included Acme House Company on their list of Top 10 Vacation Rental Managers to Trust Worldwide.  Palm Springs Life Magazine’s Reader Survey named Acme House Company the Best of the Best in Vacation Home Rentals. We manage our Palm Springs Vacation Home Rentals like 5-Star Resorts. Just like home but way better.

Published on Thursday, May 23, 2019