BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS, 14min., USA
Directed by Trisha Lynn Furhman
Of all people exotic dancers understand money can’t buy happiness. So where does it come from? This question sets Robin on a personal journey that takes her deep inside her desires and across the country; encountering hurricanes and personal loss of people she thought were just clients and coworkers. These events cause her to accept some hard truths not only about herself, but also about her industry.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This story needed to be told to help remove the stigma from exotic dancing. Not everyone who dances is doing it as a side hustle to prostitution or to scam men out of thousands of dollars. We are performers in every sense of the word; we are here to entertain people in our magical world where problems and inhibitions are left at the door. Strippers are perfectly capable sales professionals who capitalize on gender roles while exploiting society's natural appetite for the female body and attention. Because of our job we are comfortable with nakedness and naturally shy away from honesty for the safety of ourselves and our families. This is out of the norm and incredibly intriguing to the outsiders, therefore my goal was to bring in outsiders and help them understand exotic dancers because I feel that if we all just took the time to listen to one another we would be able to grow closer and stronger.

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

I started pre-production in May of 2020 and finished post-production June
of 2025; 5 years and 1 month.

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

Unhinged....Raw

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

I might be my biggest obstacle. Being a post production crew of 1 there was
no one to be accountable to, no one was waiting on me to finish my part so
they could do theirs. No investors asking for an update or pressuring me to
provide a return on their investment. There was just me and the commitment
I made to myself that everyday I'd do something to progress my film
forward, one step everyday toward my goal.

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

I felt seen. As a first time filmmaker I have gotten a lot of feedback,
most of it came from people who aren't my target audience. Getting feedback from my target audience has been so encouraging and valuable.

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

When I was 9 years old playing Barbies. Each Barbie had a backstory that I
would have to tell my friends about when they came over to play. Someone
said, "It's like a movie!" and the seed was planted.

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

Shawshank Redemption, I love it so much!

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 Female Film Festival has so many helpful and useful elements it's hard
to find something that it's lacking. If I had to nitpick (and I am) I'd say
keeping submitters up to date. Maybe an estimated date that we should
expect to hear something by and if that date is pushed back send an email
with some explanation instead of just a notice stating the date has been
pushed back. I've heard a lot of people voice this concern, feeling
forgotten about or left out of the loop.

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

FilmFreeway is a Godsend, I love how easy it is to find festivals and
submit to them. To have vetted festivals all in one place along with
filters and a rating system is so incredibly helpful and such a time saver.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Pastries! A cupcake and my homemade spinach smoothie I get all the
nutrients I need along with sweet yummy goodness to satisfy my soul.

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

Beautiful Disasters is a proof of concept, I'm going to continue to market
the idea into the hands of interested parties who want to see this film
made into a full length feature.