Robert L Butler Jr is an award-winning indie actor, writer, director, and filmmaker who has made a significant impact on the entertainment industry. Born with an innate passion for storytelling, Robert has demonstrated exceptional talent and versatility throughout his career, captivating audiences with his remarkable performances and creative vision. He has won 364 awards and 140 nominations. : Mr. Butler’s pride and joy are his films, “The Alliance” which has won 161 awards and 94 nominations and the sequel “The Alliance 2 The Hunt for Breeze ” which has won 322 awards and 59 nominations. He also directed a music video for The Alliance 2 The Hunt for Breeze and it has won 21 awards and 4 nominations.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
When I watched Bruce Lee’s movie, Enter The Dragon, at a drive-in movie theater, seeing a minority person in a lead role so amazing that it was my inspiration to become an actor and filmmaker.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
It all depends on the content and how its received by the public and media.
-What would you change in the world?
The social injustice and discrimination that is sadly till happening today.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
With the way technology is steadily advancing, I would not be surprised if AI will be doing movies.
My name is Damiano Rossi, I have always lived in a splendid town called Sarcedo in the province of Vicenza, Italy.
I made my first short film entitled TALITA l’abandonment in the summer of 2019, which was followed by LACRIME DI VENTO in 2020, then SMELL OF PAIN-T in 2022 and then Lil in 2023. I’m currently working on two other projects that will see the light at the end of the year or perhaps next year.
They are very different works, both in terms of weaving of images and in terms of approach, but always with the female figure at the center with all its implications and difficulties of fitting into a world that is often discriminatory and of abysmal stupidity. In my opinion, interpersonal relationships have taken on a downward inclination that is now unstoppable and decidedly incomprehensible and if one wanted to analyze the causes without a sufficiently deep conscience one would end up doing pure academic disquisition, completely useless and sterile.
Defining myself as a director would not be correct as I have never attended a directing school nor have I taken courses even at an amateur level. I simply try to put together the images, sounds and concepts that buzz in my head so that everything is harmonious and fluid (I have always been helped in this by Michele Guazzo who takes care of the technical part of editing and sound design and the whose help is indispensable to me). I prefer to convey concepts rather than narratives in my films because in my opinion simply transposing a story or novella directly onto film, perhaps making use of endless dialogues and explanations, doesn’t make much sense.
Cinema, in my opinion, should basically be image, then sound and then dialogue. I believe that for a long time now we have been going in the opposite direction, or in search of grotesque superheroes, although I would like to say, a lot of independent cinema presents truly extraordinary works.
l’m one of those crazy people who navigates around with a camera, two lights, a recorder and practically no budget. Although what we do may be totally irrelevant to people and the film industry, I feel very good on the margins. I guess over time I might get over it and 1’11 submit a project to Netflix that they won’t even read, but for now l’m happy telling the stories I want to tell with the means I have and with the people I can count on to do it.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
lt’s a very difficult question because the truth is that I don’t even remember it. What I am clear about is that this inspiration didn’t even come to me like the majority of film directors of my generation who say that when they were little they spent all day watching space movies, horror movies, westerns… and they said to themselves, I want to make this. l’m not even a big movie buff, I haven’t seen all the movies I should see nor have I spent my childhood at the video store. I really like the movies that I like, without more. I think my attraction to cinema carne a little later. I seem to remember that a series on ltalian neorealism that was broadcast on television when I was 12 or 13 years old was what gave me that impulse to want to make films. 1 discovered through those films that cinema was not an instrument that only served to entertain us with stories of the good guys, the bad guys, the girl and things that explode against the 1 have nothing and I like them too, but through it we could tell stories that talk about normal people in certain contexts of our history, which are the that really interest me.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Obviously not. Maybe it can serve to make people aware of certain problems or make us see the world from other points of view than our own and that makes us think. But when the movie ends, the viewer is the same as he was befare watching it and society continues to be governed by the same values: Money and power. 1 hope to be wrong.
-What would you change in the world?
What question! I’ll start at the beginning. There are many things that we would all like to change and in my opinion they all stem from the same problem of inequality, if we were all born with the same opportunities I think the world would be better, at least fairer. But the balance is already unbalanced from the start, perhaps because all people are not equal, sorne are stronger, others more intelligent, others were born in countries with more natural resources… I think that if I could change something I would change the future, it’s very scary.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
Everything indicates that the future of the film industry will be conditioned by new technologies. On the one hand, platforms and the internet in general are putting an end to traditional movie theaters, which I don’t know if they will end up disappearing or will be reinvented by taking advantage of technology with sensory, holographic, multidimensional projections… that make the viewer recover. On the other hand, we are witnessing the birth of artificial intelligence that is already being applied to the film sector and that will be increasingly used. In short, I see a film industry in which a bad computer scientist is going to be more important than an excellent cinematographer. We will have to start studying computer science in case we are not still alive in 100 years.
One Woman, Many Hats! Valérie Verseau is the Founder and CEO of Planet Faith Entertainment, a multi-media content studio based in Los Angeles, whose primary focus right now is to produce Songs and Music Videos.
Prior to creating Planet Faith Entertainment, Valérie started her career as a photographer, working for more than a decade for the renowned Press Agency CORBIS SYGMA, in Paris, France. As a famed photographer, she spent most of her time on movie sets, working on numerous Award Winning Films, and directing shoots of many motion picture stars, in Europe, and in the US.
Her pictures have been sought after by leading publications, movie studios, and were utilized for movie posters. Along the way, Valérie studied dance, acting, music, screenwriting, and sound engineering, which lead her to eventually become a composer, a writer, a director and a producer.
Her goal with Planet Faith Entertainment is to produce Songs and Music Videos with uplifting messages for humanity, to inspire people to grow their self-esteem, and develop their full potential.
To embody that, Valérie created the concept “THE EYE VOICE”.
More than a single artist, “THE EYE VOICE” is a Family of Artists, produced by Planet Faith Entertainment. Each song and music video performed by “THE EYE VOICE” has, or can have a different artist. With “THE EYE VOICE”, the star of the show is the message of the song! Valérie is now producing a Rap Remix of “LOVE IS MY GUN”, with an upcoming rap Artist, and her and her team are developing its music video.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I was raised in a family where it was all about making films. Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by Hollywood musicals, the association of dance, music and images.
When I was a teen, my stepfather became a famous writer/director so I was always in the presence of people taking about movies, and making movies!
To me, it was a natural way of living! When I became a photographer, working on movie sets also inspired me to take that next step. But what inspired me the most are the incredible stories you can live watching films, that you would never experiment in real life. Movies are a projection of our lives, but also a projection of our dreams and imagination onto a screen. It is a fabulous way to express and share visions about our world and the worlds we don’t see, the ones that only our imagination can create and translate to a human mind. That is why movies are such an extraordinary vehicle to spread messages, and bring to the world yet unknown universes.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Definitely. A great movie, as a great song or a great novel, can influence some people in the audience that will act upon what they have perceived, and will participate in making a change in the world.
-What would you change in the world?
If I had a magic wand, I would make sure that all wars come to an end, and that every human being can live beyond the “survival mode” of living. I would also make sure that all animals are treated with the utmost care, which is not the case on our planet, and that every human would have enough awareness to respect all forms of life.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I hope that people will still have enough passion to keep writing and making films, and enough courage to get them financed. The TV series and streaming platforms have taken such a huge place in the industry right now, and in the audience lives, that we might think that in a 100 years from now, there will be no movie theaters at all. But, the experience of going to the movies to watch an epic film in a great theatre is so magic and unique, that I think that there will always be some movies made and some movie theaters, and an audience for it! At least, we can dream about it!
I am a full time dreamer. I spend practically all my time in my mind imaginating things, creating worlds, stories and inventing. After studying 5 years in Paris in a filmschool studying to become an assistant director and an editor/special effect artist. I worked in a first company in Paris as an assistant director on a french tv show called “Lazy company” and worked on corporate editing projects for different kind of companies. After one year and a half, I became an assistant editor as well as an editor for a sci fi French tv show called Metal Hurlant Chronicles sold in a lot of countries in the world. It was an adaptation of the French comic book “Métal hurlant” which help to launch a lot of talented reknown such as Moebius and Alejandro Jodorowski. For the anecdote it was adapted into a magazine and an animated film in the US in the eighties. I did learn a lot during this experience as I managed a lot of different role and had to supervise a team as well.
After this massive experience I travelled to Canada for a year as I wanted to discover and get inspired by new stuff. I spent eight months in Montréal working for a production company that created mostly commercial spot videos. It gave me the opportunity to confront myself to a bilingual and multicultural environment. I moved for a short time to Toronto where I had the chance to meet so many people that wanted to help me grow and especially in this industry. I felt really lucky to see all those arms opened just wanting to give me a hand. This short travel made me move to Vancouver where I did work as an editor on an animation movie. When I met the producer the project was in part realized but had no real direction. He gave me the free opportunity to cut the movie the way I felt it and finally he was glad to see the result. That was a huge achievement for me and really I’m honored to have received it.
As a dreamer and really curious guy, alongside all these experiences I put myself into writing and learning animation especially 3d animation. I think I am the kind of guy that’s driven by challenges that’s why it took me nearly four years to learn 3d just by myself. And believe me the challenge presented itself as I did my first short film entirely by myself with the help of a great friend for the sound design and the music. I tried to present it to some festivals and the projects finally received eight selections, which was kind of crazy. I didn’t expect this kind of attention.
Beside this project I published my first book which was a poetry book called “Méli mélo poétique”. The following years I really put myself into writing trying to develop as many stories and concept as I could.
A second book was born called “Fantastic stories from here and there” (Mora-Mora editorial) published in Spain in three languages: french, spanish, english for each stories inside of the same book. It took me about three years to release it with the editors.
Since then I wanted to push the boundaries more and more and be a little more ambitious. I travelled to Mexico for few weeks where I discovered a nest of wonderful artists which gave me tons of inspirations and the crazy idea of creating my own production company. That’s where the project “Luke and Oscar” appears. It took me three months to write and storyboard it. Then the project took another three months to be realized entirely. The objective was to see that if it could be appreciated by the public and the festivals. Rich of the success that it received (at the time it has passed the 39 selections in different countries and received 46 awards like Best short film, best cartoon, best director), I am starting to develop my own structure which is called Atom Studios which is located in Paris France and soon I hope in Mexico as well. Another exciting projects are coming through in the next few months which start with a short documentary called “The Chestnut House” that already earned a great welcome and permited me to receive 3 awards. A huge documentary project is building itself and will be realized in Mexico.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Since I am a child, I have always watched all kind of movies and shows. The first shock I had being a child was to watch the Batman Animated Series who impressed me by his maturity even if it was more a child/family program. The narration of each episode was so efficient and well written. I spent my time analizing the structure of how it was built. I was always amazed to watch an episode and still now sometimes it happens that I watch one sometimes and it still dazzles me.
Maybe that were the first “symptoms” of me being attracted by animation and by this industry. Of course like any other kids I had watch most of the Walt Disney movies but the impact wasn’t as strong as it was for this series.
But the biggest cinematographic shock I received was when at the age of ten I saw Luc Besson’s “The Professional” that’s when I knew I really wanted to get into this industry. Making art would be a way to give back and transmit the feeling I had felt with these “shocks” through my movies and my stories so that people can dream, be amazed and be dragged into another dimension which could give them another sense or perspective about life.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I think cinema can help bring a change into society because there are tons of subjects you can speak about and some which are kind of “taboo” and I think in that way it’s a great way of putting our society and the people in front of the problem we are going through.
Moreover the cinema is a great way of communicating emotions and maybe bring more humanity into the world we live now. With all the technologies and the way the society consume humans, I think it can help forge another perspective and maybe create a wave of change and rebellion against those models. Some films like for example “Easy Rider” reinvented something and helped see life in a different way, just living and experiencing life in all these aspects and his simple and best ways.
That kind of films have a big impact on the public and help shape new models and change mentality. I think seeing a movie is like learning a lesson that your family, your environment and even school will teach you during your life. And in that way I really think cinema can make a big difference to realize that change.
-What would you change in the world?
Probably the shaped society we lived in that controls everything and everyone. People have lost the way of what is it to accomplish a dream and I am not sure what the word “dream” means no more for a majority of people in the world. The other is building things that matter not just for the society but for everyone we cruelly missed that. You ask someone what he wants it will probably tell you being famous, have a lot of money and be an icon or what so ever. But in a lot of cases you don’t hear the word passion, love, excitement, humanity. So this is time we recover a bit of our humanity.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
The film industry will keep reinventing itself by all means. But the way I see it with all the superheroes movies that are invading the cinemas these days and in the future. I think people will be tired and the industry will be gain by some sort of nostalgia. I’m not saying it will go backward but it will be nourish by old and traditional way of making movies. You can see now some big filmmakers like Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan complaining about the model used by Hollywood and the merchandising that’s gaining the film industry which in my opinion is quite sad. Cinema is an object of debate and entertainment so why not continuing combine them.
Another new model could be use with technologies is using avatar models of ancient actors to play in movies, like they did on one Star Wars movies. So that would the appearance or even the resurrection of old famous actors digitalized. The subject is quite used and well explained in the movie Ari Folman’s“The Congress” which tells the story of an actress that let the studios use her digital image to make a movie. Maybe that will be a way of making movies in the future. I don’t know if it will succeed but it’s a possibility.
Jon Paul is an elite martial artist and filmmaker who enjoys the process of performance and creativity. He is a two-time Judo national champion, a Bronze Pan-American medalist, and a two-time world team member for USA Judo. He found passion for film and storytelling during his time training and competing in Judo while traveling to many international countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Germany, Italy, and Morocco to name a few countries. He is currently working on his next film project, which is a feature film to cover the full story of our short film “Dojo” in greater depth.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
What inspired me to become a filmmaker was being able to write down and express my ideas of different stories through filmmaking. Many of my creativeness came from traveling and competing throughout the world, staying in many places and learning about different cultures, about different people, with their many different backgrounds and stories, and learning my own story with my own raw experiences throughout the way.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in society?
Yes, cinema can most definitely change society in many ways through expression of ideas and messages. Film has a way to capture what emotions our audience is relating to at the time they watch a particular film as well as learn the complexity of open interpretation when it comes to storytelling and filmmaking.
-What would you change in the world?
I would change how people see how everything is approached and for people to be open minded when it comes to perception and reality.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I see the film industry having both those who want to continue with original filmmaking, with pure storytelling, and no CGI effects or very minimal and I see the otherside of the film industry where everything is used with CGI and AI has taken many roles when it comes to filmmaking.
I am a published poet and mixed media artist from Manchester, U.K. My work focuses upon ruined identity and mental illness recovery.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
My writing is what inspires my films. I started writing when my mental health declined I began to write about my experiences of hospitalisation and my experience of electro convulsive therapy at aged 26. Last year at aged 29 I had my debut poetry collection published and began combining my love for film to create visual poetry.
As many people I found validation in the alternative narrative international film and art house cinema has always explored. The French new wave, the nihilist nature that is explored and the everyday ideology it questioned. I was so invested in film being a way to see the world as someone else and made the ugly parts of life tolerable. That film taught me how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It became a tool to question my social conditioning and to distant myself from the discord of what I was and what I shouldn’t be. I, like many other artist are constantly looking for answers wether it be in art, music, literature or film. We begin to align ourselves with the freedom of a creative brain, a brain that needs to be fed with possibilities of what could be different and holds the power of being an observer. It brings a feeling of control to our own lives and stories.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I think cinema has already changed society so much so that it has and still is used as a tool to change the norm. Cinema has on so many occasions changed the way we see, it has the power to question, it has the power to alter the narrative, to highlight areas of everyday life that are bound in subjectivity. That the more diverse our societies have become can very much be seen within the art world. A place where normality and reality is bent and moulded into something more fitting as the world around us expands. That human right movements have long used the medium of film to express the inadequacy and the areas shadowed in outdated ways.
-What would you change in the world?
Freedom of expression should be celebrated and protected. That equality comes from listening and learning from others. That film has the power to transform every viewer into an empath to those you have never met and may never meet. Film has the power to turn our gaze and alter our perspective in such a powerful way. Someone of the artist I find most inspiring are those who deal with the taboo and darker sides of life. I hope that my work can offer an alternative vision on societal issues, identity crisis and mental health. The stigma around mental illness it’s past, present and future and how those in recovery see themselves.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I hope film continues to be used as a tool to bring positive change, to continue to diversify and expand the voices it gives power to. That freedom should always win over censorship. Film needs to be protected as a form of expression and an important way of challenging what we know to be true.
I have always identified as a maker, using my hands since childhood to make and fashion all kinds of things. I am a photographer and cinematographer thanks to my father, and a writer and storyteller thanks to my mother. I understand cinema thanks to both. I am a beekeeper. I am a lifelong progressive focused on justice. I am an environmentalist who wants to see the Earth survive. I am a teacher and mentor. But, most importantly, I am a brother, uncle, and husband. I am a father to my amazing nine-year-old son.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I have been making short films since childhood and had always dreamed of being involved in big budget filmmaking. Even though life choices led me in other directions, film, cinematography, and modelmaking remained important to my artistic frame, and to my understanding of narrative. This identified how I thought of artistic expression generally. My parents educated my sister and I indirectly through immersion in Depression era black and white filmmaking, as well as the Hollywood Golden Age classics of the late thirties and forties. Growing up, we spent most of our time together in the theatre, watching the great American films of the 20th Century. This was my film school.
Though I consider myself a digital animator today, it is the language of film that defines how I see story, character, composition, color, and light. I am far more versed in the language and conventions of live-action filmmaking, and of the visual effects that populate those films (what I teach), than I am in the history and technique of historical animation. Consequently, my work is influenced more by the likes of Deakins and Trumbull, than Landreth, Miyazaki or Disney. I am inspired by the works of directors around the world, but most especially Kubrick, Kazan, Spielberg, and Mann, as well as Villeneuve, Denis, Bigelow, and Nolan.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Movies most certainly can and have helped to change societies for the better. Given human reliance on sight and hearing, a skillfully produced film has the potential to reach someone on a level beyond what the written word may be capable of. Films can transport the viewer to a place of empathy and understanding, connecting on an emotional level. A good film can reach deep and illuminate in ways no other medium can. Film history is replete with examples of this, including influential and powerful films like The Grapes of Wrath, An Inconvenient Truth, Philadelphia, Hotel Rwanda, Schindler’s List, Bowling for Columbine, Norma Rae, The White Tiger, and Do the Right Thing. These films made a difference, and many other less high-profile films from around the world did as well.
-What would you change in the world?
I would break the grip that corporations have on democracy. Mindless corporate greed can be traced to most of the ills of the Earth, and until their behaviour is truly regulated and controlled, a more just world will remain out of reach.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
My hope is that cinema will incorporate new technologies as they emerge, pushing the quality and capabilities of the film medium farther. This has happened with the transition away from physical film to digital cinematography, as well as with the development of photorealistic visual effects. My fear, of course, is that AI, and unrestrained use of automated techniques, will result in the abandonment of the craft and artistry of filmmaking.
I am a professor, a writer, and an equestrian. I have been been a professor of communication and film for many years. I teach screenwriting, which is really how I learned how to write screenplays. I write books, essays, and screenplays. I have published three books about art and culture, dozens of essays and about film, architecture and design, and nine screenplays. My screenplays have won more than 90 awards in the last two years. One of my screenplays is in post production right now, and another one will be going into preproduction soon. I am also an equestrian. I spend time with my horses and mule everyday. They keep me grounded, strong, and healthy.
-What inspired you to become a screenwriter?
I was a film scholar long before I started screenwriting. I had already published two books and many essays about film culture before it occured to me that I could write screenplays. I believe having such a background has been quite helpful for my screenplay writing. My most recent scripts, Grab and Go and Dump It feature a profoundly autistic main character. This main character is based on a real person, Danny, a son of one of my dearest friends. I am excited about these scripts because I have been able to channel his energies and translate how he makes sense of his world. I believe I can bring his world to the screen. This representation is an important step for the autistic community. It also makes Danny’s family very happy!
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Cinema has changed society in a million different ways, both good and bad. As a film scholar, I could spend the next month explaining this! But let’s just say for now, yes, it has reinforced debilitating stereotypes for women and minorities. But it also has the power to reverse those stereotypes. It has changed the way we spend our leisure time, and I suspect it has even changed the way we make sense of our dreams at night. It has also changed the way we understand history–particularly the twentieth century. My book The Past is a Moving Picture: Preserving the Twentieth Century on Film goes into great detail about how cinema shapes our understanding of the past.
-What would you change in the world?
I would love it if people could accept the realities of climate change and change their habits accordingly.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
The platforms will necessarily change, as culture changes. Each big shift will bring about anxiety and concern that cinema is dying. But I don’t believe it will. As a historian of the twentieth century, I have written and taught about the various stages of cinematic culture. Each one is significant and meaningful, but each stage passes, as society changes. But this is the great thing about cinema, it can adapt and shift along with our culture.
