GINNY'S ENTERPRISE, 18min., Canada
Directed by Suzanne Marie Moreau
She boldly goes where no girl has ever been allowed before! How a young Star Trek fan foils her family's restrictive roles for girls by becoming the Captain of her own starship.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I was motivated by my own coming of age experiences as a girl growing up in the sixties Cold War at a time when gender roles were strictly enforced by a generation traumatised by war. This origin story is a version of my own loss of innocence and a stark recognition of truth as an enigma. It is a reckoning of how I coped with injustice and intergenerational, complex trauma over a lifetime - like Ginny does in the film, at times inappropriately. The film is very meta. It's a path towards forgiveness of self and others, and of healing. It's how I found a way, through storytelling,to those who may have experienced their own version of trauma, to offer a glimmer of hope.

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

Ginny's Enterprise was one of several short screenplays I began writing in 2019. The screenplay was selected by Toronto and Montreal film festivals, and became a festival finalist in Vancouver, New York, Vienna and Paris, France in 2021. After launching my first short film, Blood Buddies (2022), I began pre-production in summer 2022 and wrapped filming in October that year. Ginny's Enterprise completed post-production and made its debut in film festivals in early 2023.

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

Female empowerment.

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

Emotionally, there was a sudden death in the family of one cast member, to whom the film is dedicated. Practically, scheduling over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend made it tricky to have the same crew members in the same roles on each day of the three-day shoot. It made for a very large crew and continuity issues, but we pulled it off in true indy fashion. I'm so grateful for the compounding of riches in the amazing work of the art department, the cinematographer, and the entire cast and crew.

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

I was so gratified to hear that the reviewers completely understood the film! Theirs were such succinct and insightful expressions of their thoughts, they gave so much credibility to the film. It was lovely that they appreciated the two time periods and the attention to detail in creating them through set dec, costumes, hair and makeup. As a relatively new filmmaker, I tend to second-guess my ability as a visual storyteller, but this response smashed those doubts. It is also great to see that the experiences I had so long ago still have relevance, and timeless issues that resonate with young adults today.

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

Perhaps since the time I tried to 'direct' my mother on her Super8 to film my age 6 skipping prowess! Fast forward to post-retirement and craving a creative outlet – independent filmmaking presented itself as a way to incorporate writing and photography – as a visual artist I had limited myself to physical painting and photography. Smartphones and social media were the first steps towards an electronic medium, then immersion in screenplay writing, then a mentorship course on filmmaking, which led to the realisation that the best way to have my scripts produced was to make them myself - and voila!

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

There are so many films! The one that was broadcast on repeat every year in the 60's was "The Wizard of Oz" so that's the first film I saw multiple times on the B&W TV. But on viewing the 1989 50th anniversary DVD, I was shocked to see that Oz is in Technicolor! Second most frequent was "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" which I saw on my first date (to which I snuck out) at age 13, and 4 more times in theatres during its original release in 1969. Both films have bold, adventurous female leads as does the original Star Trek series aired in 1967. It's made me realise that female presence and stories are so important to be told on screens so girls and women can see themselves as more than a second fiddle to men and boys.

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

The most thrilling aspect of my film festival experience is in-person screening in a theatre with a big screen and surround sound. As a filmmaker I travel to festivals that screen my films – I've been fortunate enough to do so in Los Angeles, Toronto and Victoria. To be able to meet and mingle with other filmmakers and fans is the best. Industry panels, presentations, masterclasses and networking events are also a fantastic way to find connections to further independent filmmaking or to break into industry filmmaking. I was honoured to be invited to a panel of filmmakers at one Toronto festival in front of a live audience with real time interaction – it was wonderful! However, it is a major undertaking for the festival and if there's any way to emulate that experience over distances it would be most welcome!

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

I've submitted several of my films through FilmFreeway since 2021 and found it to be a very effective and easy way to navigate the festival circuit.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Any meal shared with my family and friends is my favourite.

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

I am currently editing my first exploratory, documentary short film, which I shot over the last year. I have several narrative live action film scripts ready for pre-production, and a feature and series in development. I continue to write!