On this episode of the Film Sessions Podcast, we are excited to feature Phynley Joel:

“Hello! My name is Phynley and I am a 22 year old filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee. I love to make films with simple, hopeful stories and aim to create a set atmosphere that is warm, inclusive and collaborative! Half of my family is from New Zealand and I have a NZ dual citizenship, which is why some of my favorite projects have been done there. I also think that this greatly informs some of the lightness and simplicity that plays into a lot of my stories.

In 2021 I was lucky enough to have my film, "Muggy," screened at the Nashville Film Festival and (to my disbelief, still) it actually won the Next Generation Filmmakers award there. This year, my film, "The Trobie" which was just screened at SWIFF was also screened at NFF. The last year and a half have held some very special occurrences and kindness towards some of my favorite projects.

As of late, I graduated college in May of '22 and I have been to blessed to have gotten my start in directing a documentary piece which has taken me to Norway and Rome over the last few months - very exciting!

To be honest, I'd say that beyond film alone, I am excited to be involved, in any way, in the production of any good story that I'm passionate about being told! I'm not sure what direction that will take, but for the moment, film is the vehicle and I am so thrilled and blessed to get to do it.”

On this episode of the Film Sessions Podcast, we are excited to feature Stelios Psillos:

“What I love the most about making movies is that they have the power to speak with or without using any dialogue, and that's the perfect way for me as an artist to express myself and tell stories that can mean something to me and to someone else. My passion for acting and filmmaking started at the age of 14, and at the age of 19 I created my first independent feature horror-action movie called "Hopeless". Two years later I made the sequel "Hopeless 2" which I directed, wrote, edited, and produced. I was born and raised in Greece and I moved to NYC in 2016. Few years later I made a short documentary about an artist's journey named Jesse Lee and after that I made the music video “Diving Up” which I submitted to the festival. I have graduated Video Arts and Technology from Borough of Manhattan Community College and I'm currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in film and media. I love writing, directing, editing and acting, and my biggest dream is to make a lot and good films.”

This episode was hosted and produced by Mark Leschinsky, the Festival Director of the Student World Impact Film Festival.

On this episode of the Film Sessions Podcast, we are excited to feature Oral Sledge:

“The documentary series, Desire to Fly, depicts the journey of Oralanne Sledge, age 11, as she travels with her dad from Tucson Arizona to Compton California. She comes from a single parent household that realizes the barriers people of color face when attempting to enter it Aviation. The journey is 1000 miles round trip and we have not missed an in person session. Each attendance awards flight time to her log book adding gradually to the number of hours required (40 hours) when she becomes eligible to take her FAA single pilots solo test at age 16 and to be certified to fly at 17.

Being abandoned by her mother at age 5, the need for fellowship and a sense of family is paramount for Oralanne. She finds the like minded 30+ youths from diverse backgrounds, in the program at Fly Compton Educational Foundation, family like and welcoming each and every time.

Alternately, zoom classes are held every other week to reinforce what was taught in person. Having role models that are people of color reinforce the belief that she too can achieve the goals before her is so very essential!

It is a blessing and privilege for this Vietnam Era Veteran (myself) to support my daughters journey while producing and directing this series, with the support and encouragement from film professors at rhe University of Arizona, as she breaks barriers and accomplishes what many others have been prevented from achieving. There is no other full time, low cost/free pilot training year round school for youth in the United States! We are honored to be accepted and excited to continue the journey, no matter how trying and difficult, to see this mission through.”

This episode was hosted and produced by Mark Leschinsky, the Festival Director of the Student World Impact Film Festival.