Separate Roads, 14min., Canada
Directed by Shalina Saleira
When former high school sweethearts Daniel and Tyler meet again years after a painful breakup, they're forced to confront the scars of their past - including Tyler's attempt to 'cure' his love through religious conversion therapy. They try to bury the hatchet and find closure, but old wounds may be too deep to heal.

https://www.instagram.com/separate.roads.film

Get to know the producer/writer:

1. What motivated you to make this film? I wanted to show the ramifications that gay conversion therapy can have on people, and that it shouldn't be pressed upon you by any outside force in your life. Especially with many USA states rolling back the bans that were put in place on these practices. This film shows the damage this so called "therapy" can inflict onto you and others around you.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? This is a true story from my life, and it's always something I've wanted to share with the world. But, from start to finish it was about 9 months.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Unspoken Truths.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Our limited budget was a major constraint. Having to get people onboard with this shoestring budget was a challenge. But we had some incredibly talented cast and crew that believed in the story enough to come on this journey with me. And I'm proud of what we made. There are some technical things I wish I could fix if I had a bigger budget, but I'm sure every other filmmaker thinks the same.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? I was incredibly happy that the audience really liked our movie for our storytelling and understood the journey we were taking them on. I loved how they talked at great length about the nuances about the various subject matters, and I'm glad it resonated with people.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I've been an actor my whole life. Acting is what I live and breathe to do. But, in the last few years, I've leaned into making my own content. And creating "Separate Roads" has been an incredible journey. I love making films, sharing my art, and being part of the filmmaking community.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? I love Fantasy and Sci-fi films the most. I'm enamored with the world building, the fantastical imagery, and being transported into those dimensions. Who doesn't love a bit of escapism? .

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? It would be amazing if festivals could somehow collaborate with investors who are looking to back short films to help create a feature length film or help finance the next project.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? It's a great tool to have everything centralized and see what each festival offers. It's very user friendly.

10. What is your favorite meal? Pepperoni Pizza.

11. What is next for you? A new film? At the moment, we are just at the very beginning of the festival run for "Separate Roads". We have 3 more festivals we've been accepted to, and more on the way. But after that, it would be amazing if we had interest in the film to create a feature length. But, I also have more projects in mind that I want to work on next.