Lights, Camera, Action!

Seven Snapshots From This Year's Vail Film Festival

The Vail Film Festival's focus this year is on female filmmakers, so we chatted with five who will be in-house for this year's festival about the industry, and of course, their films.

By Kirsten Dobroth March 26, 2017

Carrie Pilby

Director Susan Johnson brings her film, "Carrie Pilby" to the Vail Film Festival, which is an adaptation of a book by the same name written by Caren Lissner and published in 2003. Johnson said that often there's a kind of stigma around female-driven films that people expect a romantic comedy, but "Carrie Pilby" breaks that mold, "It's not about a boy -- it's about her journey and choosing happiness," she says, "And it's been exciting to see the fanbase (from the book) coming out for the movie; they really come from all walks of life." Of actress Bel Powley, who plays the film's namesake protagonist -- a 19-year-old prodigy navigating the real world outside academia-- Johnson said that she was exciting to work with as, "She's such a hardworker, and she could change the scene with a single expression."

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

All We Had

Katie Holmes makes her directorial debut in "All We Had," a film produced by Katie Mustard, who has three films in this year's festival, and said that Holmes' directorial debut gets her in the driver's seat and in charge of the types of roles that challenge and excite her as an actress. "She wants good roles, and this is a really well-written character," explains Mustard on Holmes's debut behind the camera, as her character Rita -- a struggling single mother trying to provider for her teenage daughter -- offers a starkly different version of Holmes than roles she's reprised in the past.

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

Custody

Another production by Katie Mustard, "Custody" features a cast of strong performances by female leads consisting of Viola Davis, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Hayden Panettiere. "Custody," a story of a custody case in which Davis is the judge deciding custody rights for the child of Sandino Moreno, was also produced by Davis, who is fresh off of an Academy Award win for 2016's "Fences."

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

Sticky Notes

Starring Rose Leslie and Ray Liotta, "Sticky Notes," is a Katie Mustard production telling the story of a woman (Leslie) who has to move home and change her life to care for her ailing father (Liotta). Mustard will be on this year's Women in Film panel during the festival, and said that the Q&A part of festivals are some of her favorites, "It's so much fun," she says, "You’re just meeting people and screening your films; the exhibition of our industry has changed so much and it's such a joy to be in a live theatre."

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

Little Pink House

Director Courtney Moorehead Balaker's film "Little Pink House" is based on the true story -- and book of the same name -- of Susette Kelo, who sparked a national conversation by taking on the government over their use of eminent domain to take over her Connecticut home for a corporate development. This was Balaker's first time adapting a book -- and true story -- for the purpose of film. "The book was so well written and it was a very complicated story; the most challenging part was what not to include," she says, "And it’s very intimating making a movie about someone who is going to see it at some point, but my favorite part of it has been watching Susette going on the journey -- we hope that by making this film there never will be another little pink house." Balaker will be another participant on this year's Women in Film panel.

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

Like Cotton Twines

Like Cotton Twines centers on the experience of an African American volunteer teaching in a Ghanian village who battles the practice of Trokosi -- a form of slavery practiced on religious grounds to atone for crimes. Actress Miranda Bailey -- a Vail native (who also has a claim to fame as being one of the original members of Vail Mountain School's first female soccer team) stars alongside Jay Ellis in the production, and will be participating in the Women in Film panel, as well.

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

Little Stones

From the documentary side of the festival comes "Little Stones," the first feature-length production of director Sophie Kruz, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker and PBS producer. The film follows four women from around the world who are trying to empower other females through art. The film will be making its World Premier at the Vail Film Festival, with screenings on Friday and Saturdays evenings.

Photography by Courtesy Vail Film Festival

This year's Vail Film Festival kicks off March 30th, but there's already a buzz surrounding this year's festival due to both the films set screen during the four-day event, and this year's theme -- a celebration of women in film. What does it mean to have an entire film festival celebrating women filmmakers? "People kept asking us if it's political, and it's not political," says Colorado Film Institute board member Sean Cross, "We just felt like it was time to put a focus on great films made by women." And the women represented at this year's festival agree. "The film industry has been slow to catch up," says producer Katie Mustard, who has three films in this year's festival, "But there's this continued explosion of female voices, and coming to a place like Vail I feel like I can encourage other women to pursue being in the media industry."

Being a part of the industry comes in various forms, and all of the films at this year's festival showcase some outstanding selections that offer exceptional roles for leading actresses, or challenge the perception of films put forth by female directors, producers, and screenwriters. And while any of the films are worthy of a ticket purchase, we spoke with five female filmmakers who will be in attendance -- and showcasing their work -- at this year's festival for some insight on their films, this year's festival, and what it's like being a leading lady in the industry.