American Documentary and Animation Film Festival: 4 filmmakers share their inspirations

Not sure what to catch at the upcoming American Documentary and Animation Film Festival in Palm Springs? We have some suggestions.

The 13th annual AmDocs festival will showcase the latest in animation and documentary films from March 21-25 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. More than 200 films from across the globe will be screened, including opening night film "Superpower" from two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn.

More:Sean Penn will appear at AmDocs Film Fest. His film 'Superpower' to be honored

With so many films available, it can be a little overwhelming to decide which programs to attend. Lucky for local residents, The Desert Sun spoke with a few filmmakers about the inspirations behind their short films and what they hope audiences take with them.

For more information about AmDocs, visit www.amdocfilmfest.com

'To Myself, With Love: The Bessie Stringfield Story'

Director: Diane Weis

When: Noon Friday, March 22 (program 9)

What it's about: Bessie Stringfield, the first Black woman of motorcycling, never let obstacles stop her from achieving her dreams. From being abandoned as a child to riding across the segregated United States in 1930 — six years before The Green Book was published.

Weis initially came across Stringfield's story in a 1981 Miami Herald profile written by Bea Hines. The "Motorcycle Queen of Miami" stayed on Weis' mind for decades, especially how she rode alone across the United States eight times, even when Jim Crow laws were still present.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weis was brainstorming for her next film until she recalled Stringfield's story. After some research, she was surprised to see that there was "not very much about her" in media.

So, she decided to change that.

Weis first spoke with Kimberly Thomas, senior archivist at Harley-Davidson, to see what kind of information was available on Stringfield. That then led her to Tameka Singleton and Lynette Wigfall of the Bessie Stringfield All-Female Ride, a group of riders dedicated to honoring Stringfield's legacy.

"That's when I realized this is a bigger film," Weis said. "It's not just about Bessie and her history and her achievements, it's about her legacy."

"To Myself, With Love" illuminates Stringfield's story, from a heartbreaking childhood to how she came to love motorcycles. Her passion for riding took her across the country in a unique way: She'd toss a penny over a map to pick her next destination. But doing the trips in the 1930s was dangerous, as she faced discrimination and hatred in various forms.

Weis' film also captures the Bessie Stringfield All-Female Ride's journey from Daytona to Key West, an homage to Stringfield being the first solo motorcyclist to ride on the Key West bridge when it opened, according to the film. A constant throughout the film is rumbling motorcycle sounds, courtesy of MoceanLA.

"The film, of course, it's about motorcycling, but I think her tenacity and her perseverance and in spite of all the horrible challenges, it's a great message for a lot of people," Weis said. "If you’re passionate about something, don’t let obstacles stop you. Keep going."

'Frank and His Dogs'

Director: Owen Markham

When: Noon Sunday, March 24 (part of program 35)

What it's about: An aging Irishman lives a simple yet busy life amongst his friends and his dogs.

Some directors know what story they want to tell, while others just happen to stumble upon inspiration. Markham's filmmaking journey followed the latter when a thesis assignment ended up taking him to Ireland and meeting a fascinating man.

While studying abroad in Germany, Markham's assignment was simple: Find a subject and make a documentary. With a number of possibilities open to him, he set his eyes on Ireland, a country he always wanted to visit and one with a beautiful landscape that he wanted to capture as a cinematography student. As he searched through news articles on castles and rivers, they eventually led him to Frank Maunsell, a manager of a fishery. Markham thought it would lead to an interesting film on fishing.

But it wasn't until Markham met Maunsell and saw more than 10 English Springer Spaniel dogs around him, which he trains for hunting, that the filmmaker realized there was a whole other story to tell. Later in a sit-down interview, Maunsell shared that after he returned home from some time in the Irish army, he started dog training in the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, he had around 80 to 90 dogs in his kennels, Markham said.

Markham started filming Maunsell and his interactions with his dogs, which then later led to Maunsell sharing stories about his childhood dog and the connection he forged with it. The filmmaker also followed a group of men who, with Maunsell and his dogs, were heading out for the first day of hunting.

"They were surprisingly friendly and didn't mind too much that there was a camera, and they seemed to act pretty natural," Markham said of the experience.

Markham loved how passionate Maunsell was and "could just see his love for these dogs and what's doing" the whole time. Similarly, he hopes audiences members feel inspired to pursue what they're passionate about as well after they watch the short film.

'The Mayfly'

Director: Sue Perrotto

When: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 24 (part of program 43)

What it's about: The story of Megalyn Mayfly, who goes against all expectations and dedicates her short life to music and dance. Her quest takes her from Central Park West to the Upper East Side's Carlyle Hotel where she dances her final opus at the elegant Cafe Carlyle.

In 2019, Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress Betty Buckley went to see Judy Collins perform at the Cafe Carlyle in New York. Aside from a beautiful performance on stage, Buckley witnessed a golden mayfly flying above Collins' head, "making these beautiful light patterns and very musically doing that the whole concert." On a last guitar note, the mayfly appeared to be suspended in the air until it floated down and landed on Collins' head.

"How did this creature get to the Carlyle?" Buckley thought. So she started researching mayflies.

"I found out that they are born in water and have no purpose other than they're part of the ecosystem. They're born and they only live three or four days," Buckley explained. "I was like, 'Who is this creature that decided that's not going to be her whole thing?'"

All those questions eventually led to "The Mayfly," which follows Megalyn Mayfly, a flying creature that's passionate about music and dance, despite her father's objection. Not wanting to spend her short life under a bridge in Central Park, she ventures out and chases her passion, which eventually leads her to Collins' concert. Buckley narrates the short film.

Even though the film is only seven minutes long, it took more than two years to complete. Buckley initially thought she would write a song about the experience, but later the idea for a short film came after she recorded a story she wrote about the creature to some music. The journey then led her to collaborate with director Perrotto, who also served as lead animator on the project, BluBlu Studios and composer Christian Jacob, among several others.

"It's been so divinely guided, but there's been a spirit to this project that I can only describe as Megalyn's spirit," Buckley said of the project. "It's guided it through and helped me find all these wonderful people that have wanted to participate in telling her story."

Buckley said the whole process made her gain a deeper appreciation for animation. In fact, among her career bucket list items, she said she'd like to be the voice of an animated character (she doesn't count "The Mayfly" because she's the narrator).

'Shura'

Directors: David Damian Figueroa and Kayvon Derak Shanian

When: Noon Sunday, March 24 (part of program 35)

What it's about: Octogenarian Shura Wallin navigates the US/Mexican border with compassion, providing humanitarian aid to migrants facing the harsh elements of the Sonoran Desert.

Co-director Shanian attended the Farmworker Justice Awards last year when he heard Wallin, who was receiving a humanitarian award, talk about the conditions that migrants experience as they hike through the desert to cross the border and the dangers they face from the cartel and wildlife. One particular story she shared, about a man who had both of his arms cut off and his eyes gouged out because he wouldn’t carry drugs for the cartel, especially stuck with him. After the event was over, Shanian asked Wallin if she'd be interested in doing a documentary about her work helping immigrants, and to his delight she agreed.

It was a story that Shanian was passionate to tell, especially considering his own background.

"I'm an immigrant from Iran and I came to this country with my parents when I was a child not knowing anything. It was a bit difficult in the beginning, but we acclimated quickly and it was great for a few years," he said. "Then the revolution happened in Iran back in 1979 and it turned our life here in the U.S. upside down with hate and violence. Having gone through this experience, it has made me very sensitive regarding dehumanization of other ethnicities."

Filming took place at the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona, which Shanian said was an "eye-opening experience," in terms of taking in the vastness of the desert and thinking about those who risk their lives to cross. He also noticed "10 foot gaps every half mile or so" in the wall, which a border patrol agent explained were left for wildlife to travel freely between countries. "Can you believe that?" Shanian added.

One of the most emotional moments in the film is seeing Willin and others help those who cross, including a young child around the age of 5 who was likely abandoned by her parents. Once again, the situation hit Shanian hard.

"I have two kids. To see kids ranging from 3 1/2 years old and up waking in the desert on their own makes you go through many different thoughts that are unfathomable. It makes our daily life decisions pointless, such as what do I eat today? How do we decorate our house? What should I wear?" Shanian said. "All a bunch of (expletive) nonsense compared to what people are facing in other countries."

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.