877. Short Movies, BIG Stories Winners at First Curaçao Film Festival

Awesome filmmakers Benjamin Boyce (18) and Kelsey Gittens (18) won the jury prize for Best Short Film – Fiction at the first-ever Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam held March 29 – April 1 2012. (WDDH was among 34 short films entered in the “Short Movies, BIG Stories” competition for local filmmakers ages 14 – 25)

I don’t know about you, but I was particularly struck by WDDH’s score, turns out both Benjamin and Kelsey grew up in musical families — Benjamin’s mother is a very talented singer and Kelsey’s father is a skilled organist. Kelsey gives mad props to awesome pianist, Vania Ogenio, for writing and performing that lovely piano piece.

(I’ll definitely keep an eye out for these two!)

What inspired you to create WDDH?

Benjamin:

I’ve always loved writing scripts and have always wanted to bring my stories to life through video. When we learned about the competition, we became super excited. Kelsey and I started with absolutely nothing but when things finally got moving we couldn’t be stopped! I was inspired to write WDDH after an experience I had with a little blind girl. A world without sight seemed so foreign to me, and therefore, very interesting. I came up with the concept of sharing the experiences of people missing one of the five senses. I asked Kelsey what she thought of the concept, and she agreed that it was a very interesting idea, something none of the other contestants would consider. I wrote the script and we got started on creating a film that would stimulate people to think and be inspired.

Kelsey:

My job in this film was to bring Benjamin’s story to life – from filming to editing, to producing an original song. A lot of my inspiration for the production of the film came from specific people around me. Take, for instance, the main actress in the film. We both knew her as a friend long before this film, but when we came up with the concept for the film, we immediately knew she would be just right for the role. But I definitely had no idea how good she would be. She had no experience before this film. But I learned that great actors/actresses are not just people who can recreate your character: they are people who can inspire you to bring a whole new aspect to the role and even to the film, something that you wouldn’t have been able to come up with on your own.

What are some of your goals in life?

Benjamin:

I want to finish my bachelor’s degree in Communications. Then I want to get a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Media. I would like to keep writing, I’m writing two stories at the moment. Hopefully, they will be even more successful than WDDH.

Kelsey:

At the moment I’m working on getting my VWO diploma (Dutch A-Levels). I can’t wait to be done, because once I’m done, I plan on going for a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Multimedia Design. After that I’m not completely sure what I’ll do, but I definitely would love to be able to work with media for a living, maybe something in animation. And of course, my dream would be to win an Oscar someday — film has always been my biggest passion.

3. What makes you laugh?

Kelsey:

Gangnam Style! *starts dancing*

4. Favorite aspects of living in Curaçao?

Benjamin:

Living in Curaçao is great because you meet so many different people and experience so many different cultures. The sun, the beaches, and the beautiful architecture.

Kelsey:

I love the capital city of Willemstad. It’s absolutely beautiful! I’m in love with the architecture. Though I’ve lived here more than 3 years, I still never get tired of going to Punda or Otrobanda.