The 2018 Narrative Lab cohort of 7 filmmakers screened their films at HBO theater on October 10th. Joined by Reel Works’ friends, families, alumni, funders, and supporters, we had a fully packed screening room of 110 attendees. The Narrative films will be released first on our patreon page. Join now to get early access!
The Narrative Lab is an advanced yearlong free workshop that pairs young filmmakers with mentors to write, produce and direct original short fiction films. Each filmmaker is paired 1:1 with a professional filmmaker-mentor. The curriculum is designed to hone in on specific skills and areas of filmmaking to allow students to begin the process of specialization.
The evening celebrated 7 filmmakers from the Narrative Lab: Chaoming Xue, Charlie Rennert, Osarugue Faith Adu, Hillary Safadi, Wei Ye Ng, Daphne Parkhill and Jensen Fresnel.
The films touched a variety of themes and genres.
Wei Ye Ng’s film, Outside the Storm, brings us back to Hurricane Maria as a teenager is awakened to the possibility of loss when he loses contact with his parents in Puerto Rico.
In $9.99 by Charlie Rennert, a taxidermist goes lion hunting when zoo animals escape from Prospect Park.
Osarugue Faith Adu shared what she learned from the class: “I learned about how important it is to trust your own vision and stick with it. I also learned the importance of having a community that is there for you, as much as sometimes you might not be there for yourself.” Osarugue’s film Midnight Espresso is about a young barista determined to quit her miserable job when her boss offers a promotion she can’t refuse.
Filmmaker Hillary Safadi shared, “I learned an entirely different side of filmmaking. Everyone sees the director as the main person on set, but there’s an entirely different side with the crew. I actually became inspired to pursue Assistant Directing as a result.” Hillary Safadi’s film, 2 Stops, is about two exes who are stuck on the train and forced to confront their past and reconsider their future.
Thank you to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and HBO for underwriting the screening. We also want to give a special thank out to patreon supporters! See the Narrative Lab films first and join us on Patreon for exclusive content! Donate monthly on Patreon and support a diverse community of young filmmakers in NYC.
