00:00
Sophia Magnanini
Oak City Move is a podcast on WKNC's 88.1 FM HD 1 Raleigh where we highlight people and organizations creating positive change in the Triangle and beyond. Oak City Move can be heard on air every Other Monday on 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh or online at wknc.org Listen for episodes and more information, go to our blog at blog.wknc.org or follow us on SoundCloud at wknc88.1. Hello, 88.1 WKNC Raleigh. The song you just heard was Shradha Bhatia by Surf Ninja 3. I am Sophia Magnanini, your host and you are listening to Oak City Move. Today we're joined by a very special guest, Christine Parker, the director of the Sick Chick Flick Film Festival, a festival that showcases female driven independent films.
00:52
Sophia Magnanini
First off, I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to join me and if you wanted to start off by talking a little bit about yourself and also telling us about how the Sick Chick Flick Film Festival first began and what inspired it.
01:07
Christine Parker
Sure. Okay. So I'm Christine Parker. I'm a filmmaker. I've been making films for a little over 20 years now. About the past the 15 years or so, we have formed a film group called the Sick Chick Flicks and we would make it was just run by women. And what part of the reason I did that because I had noticed that, you know, when a lot of times when female filmmakers are, have a lot of men around, they lose their voice. But when it's just the girls, you know, we're much more open and more creative and we allow ourselves to be heard and where we have no fear. So I wanted to foster an environment where women were encouraged to make movies and not feel like they have to, you know, defer to men a lot.
02:01
Christine Parker
So we started our film group and we started making movies and then we thought, you know, be really great if we could show films that were made by women because as I was entering into festivals, I was noticing there were not a whole lot of, there was not a whole lot of representation for women filmmakers. And I myself got rejected a bunch of times. I mean, it could have just been because I had a bad movie, but there seemed to be a kind of an old boys club going on, you know. So that's part of the reason why I started this, the Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival. And me and the other ladies in our group have kind of, you know, come together to support it.
02:44
Christine Parker
And a lot of the films that we see in Our festival, I mean, there's tons of, obviously there's tons of women making movies. We're just not seeing them. And there's some fantastic films that you won't see in a lot of the mainstream film festivals. So it's just been. It's been wonderful, you know, to get it started.
03:04
Sophia Magnanini
No, that's awesome. Especially, yeah, giving the voices because like you were saying, I can only imagine how much of a, like boys club it is, especially in like trying to actually get yourself out there and promoting your films and such. And that's just really cool that it's like a strict. People can come with their films and feel safe. It's a safe space to share media and stuff. When you first launched the Sick Chick Flick Film Festival, what kind of gap were you hoping to fill? I know you kind of went into that last. But is there something very specific in your head that you're thinking, okay, I want it to be kind of like this and this is how it'll work?
03:49
Christine Parker
Well, I mean, I wanted, I didn't want it to just be local, you know, just local filmmakers. I wanted to reach out to women all over the world. And I feel like we have done that, especially this year. Almost half our films are from other countries, so it's a good representation. And it's really interesting to see how women in different places have their own sense of what a horror film or a sci fi or fantasy film is. They have different stories to tell than we do here in the US So it's really interesting.
04:24
Sophia Magnanini
No, that's really cool because. Yeah, I can only imagine with all the different kind of cultures put into it creates such a cool, different broad range of what is horror, what is sci fi, what is fantasy? Which was probably super cool to see. And as you're saying, there's a lot of people from not just the US has the. Has it kind of evolved over time where there's more and more of people from not just North Carolina doing it or how have you seen the festival kind of evolve?
05:00
Christine Parker
I think, I think our first couple of years we didn't get a whole lot of foreign films. We got a lot more from the US And a lot of local filmmakers, people that I knew and stuff, just because word hadn't got out about our film festival yet. But it has definitely gotten increased quite a bit. This is the most we've had from overseas this year. So, you know, it's really nice to see. The only bad thing, of course, is they can't all come travel to the Film festival and, you know, see their films on the big screen, but, you know, it's still really neat.
05:34
Sophia Magnanini
It's. It's the balance. It's still what you can get for right now, but, yes, that's really. Do you guys ever think of taking the festival on the road and going to different places?
05:46
Christine Parker
Oh, yeah, I would love to do that, but we really don't have the budget for it.
05:51
Sophia Magnanini
No, I can imagine there's probably a lot to plan and as well. Budget.
05:55
Christine Parker
Oh, yes. Yeah.
05:58
Sophia Magnanini
But as we're talking about, even though you are creating such a safe space for female filmmakers, can you still see, like, certain challenges that the woman filmmakers face in these genres and how the festival.
06:15
Christine Parker
Well, I mean, there's always a challenge, you know, for women. I think it's gotten better. I will say it's gotten better. And I know a lot of my male filmmakers, just by me doing this, have definitely paid more attention to female filmmakers. And some of them have film festivals as well, and some of them have poached some of my films from my film festival, you know, and shown them in theirs, which is great. But, yeah, I think that's definitely helped a lot.
06:46
Sophia Magnanini
That's just really important too, because not only is it just the people attending the films that are gonna love them, but also possible other filmmakers, and then it creates just kind of this chain reaction where it's like it might inspire someone. Or it might inspire a female filmmaker to really take that step and be like, oh, so I can actually have my work be appreciated and shown in a place that is.
07:13
Christine Parker
Yeah. In fact, we would really love to have some film students come out and watch these films. In fact, we're letting people that anyone from UNC or NC State who is in the film program can get in for free by showing their id.
07:30
Sophia Magnanini
Oh, that's really cool.
07:32
Christine Parker
Yeah. Because we just really want people to. To see, you know, and be inspired and maybe talk to a couple of filmmakers that are there. And, you know, there's a lot of networking that goes on at the film festival. When we have the filmmakers there, they end up making movies together and collaborating and stuff, which is really cool.
07:50
Sophia Magnanini
No, I really love that because also, I feel like a lot of times when people think of the film industry, they think of it as very competitive, but you guys are very much helping to build one another up and to kind of share this wealth, share the. The joy of creating and inspiration. So that's really cool. I was going to ask, since you're talking kind of about, like, the local, like the colleges and stuff. What's the festival? How have you seen that? What's the local community's response to it?
08:24
Christine Parker
Well, I mean, it's been a bit slow because we changed venues a couple of years ago after WKNC. We went from the Cary Theater to the Varsity in Chapel Hill. And it's been slow building the audience there. But downtown Chapel Hill has been pretty supportive. They always put us in their newsletter and the Tar Heel newspaper. They've also always done articles. So. So. And we usually have maybe a student or two that will come and just help out and volunteer, which has been nice.
08:59
Sophia Magnanini
That's really nice.
09:01
Christine Parker
Yeah.
09:01
Sophia Magnanini
Especially because. Yeah, I can imagine. How was it during COVID Did you guys continue doing the festival or was it online? Did you guys do something like that or did you kind of just wait until everything was kind of more safer?
09:13
Christine Parker
We, we waited. We just kind of like rescheduled it, I think maybe more than once. But one time we did. We went ahead and. Just went ahead and did the awards and just, you know, because we didn't want filmmakers to wait so long and everybody had submitted and then we also gave them a waiver for resubmitting in the following year if they wanted to submit something. So it was tough because, you know, we really wanted to get going again and we lost a bit of momentum, you know, during the COVID years. And it took a while for filmmakers to start making movies again too because everybody hadn't been able to get together and do stuff.
09:54
Sophia Magnanini
So there was a little bit of like a hiatus between Covet and which it makes sense.
09:57
Christine Parker
Yeah.
09:58
Sophia Magnanini
It's kind of. Especially with like switching locations. Locations and such. I could see how it's harder to kind of get back up there and then your original base where it's like some people might have been there because it was very close. It's like hard to now they got a transport or do transit. But I think it's still. The Varsity Theater is really nice. I like that location a lot.
10:23
Christine Parker
Yes. It's got a really good vibe for the type.
10:25
Sophia Magnanini
It does. So, yeah, for someone who is kind of new to the indie, horror or woman led genres. What. What do you suggest that they do to get the most out of this film festival?
10:42
Christine Parker
Just talk to us. You know, come and watch and discuss amongst yourselves amongst the filmmakers. Talk to me because I've been doing it for over 20 years. I'd be happy to talk to you and give you advice if you want to come and talk to me. And I will always be available. So.
10:59
Sophia Magnanini
Yeah, with this year's lineup as well as the past, Are there any. Well, we'll start with this year's, I guess. But are there any standout films or filmmakers that you're especially excited about seeing and showcasing this year?
11:13
Christine Parker
I'm not going to pick one out.
11:15
Sophia Magnanini
I know that's a hard.
11:17
Christine Parker
Yeah, but they're. They're all really excellent. There's one called the Girl that obviously had a big budget, but there's some really amazing acting in that one. And then we have our feature film, too. That's really good. So we always show one feature that we've picked as the best of the features.
11:36
Sophia Magnanini
I love that. And in the past, are there any festivals or films that really stuck with you or that you saw kind of go on to amass more of a following?
11:48
Christine Parker
So Entropia is one that stuck with us through the years. It's part of our Sick Chick Flicks film showcase for our 10th anniversary. And it is a very disturbing film. It's one that we talk about every year because we had just had the wildest audience response to it. And we even invented an award just for that film called the Most Disturbing Film Award. So that's one. Yeah. And then we had another one called the Spectacular Summer of Weirdog and Amy, which is kind of a twist on a werewolf film. I'm not going to give too much away. And then there's one called Devil's Advocate, and it was the first film, Michelle Iann Tuno, I hope I'm pronouncing that right. It was the first film she made as an adult. And then she has gone on to do amazing things.
12:42
Christine Parker
There's a link under that film blog that shows her bio and what she's up to on IMDb. She's. She's done some really cool stuff. They all have actually evolved doing really great stuff.
12:53
Sophia Magnanini
But no, I love that. I love especially creating the awards because then it's not only did you support them when the things first came out, but your continuing support. Very nice for them, I hope. So are there any ways that you'd like to expand the festival, like you were saying, international filmmakers earlier, or maybe adding workshops or collaborating with any other festivals in the future?
13:18
Christine Parker
I mean, I would really love to expand it. I'd like to. We had it for two days and then we cut back to one day because, you know, were just having trouble getting an audience there at the Varsity. I would love to expand it to two days and show more films and do more workshops and stuff. One thing that we did when were at the care that we haven't been able to do yet. Here is we had a picture project, and that's where the filmmakers would pitch their next project to the audience, and the audience would vote on the one that they thought, you know, deserved to be funded. And the one that won would get a percentage of whatever we made from the film festival that year.
13:56
Sophia Magnanini
Oh, that's really cool.
13:58
Christine Parker
Yeah. So that's something that I'd like to bring back. We are going to have a couple of panels going on at the film festival, and also an amazing special effects artist, Sierra Dahl, is going to be showing us some creature effects.
14:13
Sophia Magnanini
Yeah, that does. That does really sound it. It adds another level where it's like, not only are you watching this art, but then you're able to connect with the creator of it, and it kind of gives you this more. It plants seeds in your mind to be like, yeah, the. All the possible things that can come in the filmmaking industry if you really just put your mind to it. Which is.
14:40
Christine Parker
Yeah.
14:40
Sophia Magnanini
If you wanted to talk about any of your past films, I know you're saying how you were. Well, you are a filmmaker, and if there's any. Are your. Any of your films ever featured in the festival or have they been.
14:56
Christine Parker
No, no, I never show my own films because I don't want to take time away from the other filmmakers. So it's all about promoting them, you know. But, yeah, I mean, we've been. We. We were really busy up until about 2019, and then WKNC hit and we are just now starting to make movies together. Unfortunately, we're all a lot older, so we're like, how did we ever do this? We get tired. So. So we. We just finished shooting a film this weekend and we're all worn out now.
15:28
Sophia Magnanini
Oh, that's so cool, though.
15:30
Christine Parker
Yeah.
15:31
Sophia Magnanini
And do you. Is it a lot of, like, your longtime friends that. Or. Well, I guess friendships that you've made, but that you usually work with. That's really. That's really nice.
15:41
Christine Parker
Yeah. Yeah. We've all been making movies together for many years.
15:44
Sophia Magnanini
That's awesome. Because not only is it. You're in a. I feel like I've said safe space a lot, but you're in a safe space where you can kind of not worry about your ideas being, like, shut down, like, you know you're going to be heard, but also it's just fun being able to work with the people that you're close to and kind of bounce off one another and help each other.
16:08
Christine Parker
Create which is know how each other thinks, you know.
16:13
Sophia Magnanini
Which is really cool. And in the past, has it always been horror, fantasy, sci fi?
16:22
Christine Parker
Yeah, the film festival's always been horror fantasy, sci fi.
16:24
Sophia Magnanini
Okay. No, that's really cool. Is there any specific reason that you wanted to give a platform to those genres in filmmaking?
16:33
Christine Parker
They're kind of like the bastards of filmmaking, I feel like, you know, because everybody takes dramas really seriously and everybody loves a good comedy or whatever. But the horror, sci fi and fantasy films that kind of always kind of get pushed to the side at the Oscars and stuff, but they have the most rabid fans, so. So those are the ones that are dear to my heart, you know, so those are the ones that I wanted to represent.
16:59
Sophia Magnanini
I feel like those are also the ones where you can kind of use the most of your imagination and like creative abilities when you're working on. Because there's just so many possible things that you could do, so many possible ways that you can make it. And so that's really cool as well as a. I feel like in the past with those genres as well, it's been like you were saying of a boys club where a lot of these very famous ones that aren't that are good, but also it's like, are getting all the spotlight when there's these unknown filmmakers that are creating such amazing works. And it's like if they were given the proper budget, they could create amazing things. So that's really cool that you guys are putting that on a pedestal.
17:51
Christine Parker
Yeah, yeah. Let me just say women, female horror is a lot more twisted than male horror in my opinion because women have a lot of, you know, pent up anger and issues over the years that they just get out in the horror films. You know, it's like, in fact one of our panels is the catharsis of making films. You, you know, so it's really cool.
18:18
Sophia Magnanini
Because I feel like, especially like you were saying, women have so much, well, everything. They kind of, they're just very, so much creative ability that, and emotions that can help translate into all these different things and we kind of see in a different light that is able to make these things that are creating crazy and unknown and just really cool. So I, I love what is some advice that you would give to aspiring woman filmmakers who want to break into these genres like horror, sci fi, fantasy.
18:58
Christine Parker
Have a good script and have a good crew and don't be afraid to make a bad film because that's how you make better Films, you know, everybody wants their first film to be perfect. And it just never is unless you're really fortunate. So, you know, go ahead and make a bad movie if you have to. Just make a movie and learn from that and keep doing it. And I think I've told a lot of people, if you're into an independent filmmaker, don't do it for the money. Do it for the love of making movies because you're not going to get rich off of it. Most of us don't. It's very rare.
19:34
Sophia Magnanini
It is. It is like the love drives the creativity, the creation, which is just really awesome that you're also supporting that with this festival and helping people say, hey, it is all about learning. Like, they can see from these other films. It's like, okay, they've done this, now they're building up to this and this. So it isn't just a one movie made and you're rich or one movie made and, like, you're done. So, yeah, that's really cool. If you want. Are there any other ways that listeners could help the festival besides just, like, showing up?
20:17
Christine Parker
Tell everybody about it. You know, word of mouth is like the best thing. And you can pay at the door so you don't have to, you know, buy a ticket online. Although it would be nice to buy a ticket online. Just tell everybody. Just spread the word on social media, you know, get a bunch of people to come out. It's a fun time, you know, at downtown Chapel Hill is a great place to be. So it's a good way to spend a Saturday.
20:42
Sophia Magnanini
Awesome. And if you did want to shout out the dates and when the actual festival is, or if you want to shout the website that people can find information.
20:54
Christine Parker
Yeah, so the. The film festival is Saturday, September 20, and it runs from noon until midnight. And the film festival website is sickchickflickfilmfest.com.
21:07
Sophia Magnanini
As we come up on the end of our chat, I just want to thank you all again for listening and I thank you, Christine, for coming in and chatting with me about all that you and the festival does for the community and women filmmakers as a whole. It's just truly inspirational and I love it. I love everything about it. But once again, thank you all for listening to Oak City Move. I'm your host, Sophia Magnanini, and if you are interested in listening to this episode or to past episodes of the show, you can go to wknc.org podcast and make sure to tune into our show every Monday. Yep, every Monday on WKNC 88.1 FM, Raleigh. Have a great one.
