Cooked, 3min., Canada
Directed by Darcy Birtwistle
Trapped in a loveless marriage, a woman gets a glimpse of a better life inside her microwave. On the other side: her alternate self, living freely, lovingly and armed with a plan. What begins as a surreal connection across realities turns into an unhinged plan between parallel selves.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This was a school project - I'm in a high school film program at Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto. I enjoy working with themes of perception and reality in my films, and for Cooked I wanted to focus on how the choices you make can change the reality that you end up living in. Which means, if you are stuck in a bad situation, you don't have to accept it - you can make choices to change things.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

For Cooked, storyboarding and refining the idea took the most time, I'd say two or three weeks. After that, filming was done in one day, plus a couple days for editing.

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

Dual Worlds.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Finding an actor. I had originally planned for a different actor, and they cancelled at the last minute so I had to scramble to find someone else. Carrie (who plays the main character) is a friend of a friend and she had played a supporting role in Glitch, an earlier film of mine. I was running up against a deadline, and luckily she was available and ended up being totally perfect for the role! She's great to work with and very collaborative.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was super fun! It's definitely a weird feeling. I've never done anything like this before but it was awesome to see people interacting with it and speaking about it like it's an actual "professional" film.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

It happened over a long time. Like most kids in middle school I was on TikTok, and over time I had learned some basic editing skills on the way. My parents noticed this and encouraged me to go into an arts high school. At first I was more interested in the drama program, but I also had an interest in photography, and film seemed like the obvious combination of the two, so I auditioned and I got in, had two great teachers, and by Grade 10 I realized how much I actually enjoyed making films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

It would have to be The Hunger Games or The Social Network.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Out of all the festivals I've submitted to which frankly hasn't been a lot, this has been the best experience so far. The Under 5 Minute Film Festival is clearly focused on uplifting emerging filmmakers, and the level of care and effort really shows. With many other festivals your film is selected, it plays, and that's the end of the experience. The feedback and comments are so valuable. The comments are genuinely supportive and kind, which makes a huge difference especially if you're just starting out. I really wish more festivals implemented something like this, since it helps filmmakers grow and feel more motivated to continue creating.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

My film teacher had been recommending it for a while. So far, my experience has been very positive. It's very easy to use when it comes to uploading content and managing submissions. It's a great place to keep all my films in one place, rather than searching for the right files on my desktop. I also really appreciate the frequent notification about new festivals and opportunities, it keeps me in the loop especially as someone with very little experience in researching festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I love love love chicken souvlaki with rice and a big greek salad.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes! A new film! I would really like to create a film that wasn't just shot in one day.... So that is my next project.