2026 Woodstock Museum Film Festival Films
Sept. 4 _ Friday
7:30 Cumulus Reverie 7:55 Snowdrops for the Bairns 8:21 Rain Was Not in the Forecast 8:45 Defining Moments9:45 Separate, Together 11pm Federico Faggin – The Man Who Saw the Future
7:30 Cumulus Reverie
Animation. Following the whimsical imagination of a young girl who loves to lose herself in the shapes of passing clouds. 6m28s
Cumulus Reverie” is a short 2D animated film that follows the whimsical imagination of Bambi, a young girl who loves to lose herself in the shapes of passing clouds. Created to inspire young audiences, the film celebrates the connection between music, creativity, and boundless imagination. Featuring an original composition by Philip Spaeth that inspired the story, the film was commissioned by grant award winning musicians and has been showcased in New York State Library.
Director Biography – Breanna Carpico, Willa Pisarski
Hi, I’m Breanna Carpico—a multidisciplinary artist passionate about storytelling that connects, inspires, and builds community. My creative journey began in the world of video games as a story intern on Quarterstaff, where I discovered the power of narrative to shape immersive experiences. That spark led me into production art, where I brought cinematic cutscenes to life through layout, clean lines, color, and final rendering. Currently, I’m the co-founder and director at Tiny Planet Productions, an animation studio built on the belief that great stories come from great humans. We’re focused on cultivating a community of kind, collaborative artists who are excited to create meaningful work together.
In addition to my studio work, I freelance as a children’s book illustrator and storyboard artist, combining thoughtful visuals with narrative clarity.
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7:55 Snowdrops for the Bairns
Scottish heroes reflect back on 1996 school shooting and the start of a newspaper campaign to make the U.K. safe for all. They voted to ban handguns. 25m12s
Director Biography
Donna Dees was selected in 2021 by the editors of Glamour magazine as one of 100 women who have “re-shaped the world” over the last 30 years. More than an accolade, “WOTY celebrates women who place civic engagement squarely in front of their forward-facing talents and perceived fame. It brings together women who are actively doing work that is making a difference in the world.”
“Snowdrops for the Bairns” is her second impact film documenting successful public health campaigns led mostly by women.
Director Statement
I am a former journalist based in Louisiana who routinely reported on gun violence, particularly on how it impacted women and children.
While there are many worthy documentaries that address the trauma that gun violence inflicts on American communities, none focus on the grassroots organizing that is required to succeed in changing policy. Those are hard stories to tell. Unless there are compelling characters. So I go looking for them. “Snowdrops for the Bairns” is my second documentary-short that focuses on successful campaigns. This one was started by three mums in Scotland. The “snowdrop campaign” is what it was called. Named after a wildflower that symbolizes “hope,” this campaign united UK citizens in demanding tougher gun laws to protect their children. Their bairns.
With this film, I want to give American parents hope for their children — especially in a year in which guns are now the number one killer of young people.And, like the film’s two Gen Z narrators, I hope this film also serves to empower young people. (Although to be honest, this young “lock-down” generation inspires me. Everyday.
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8:21 Rain Was Not in the Forecast
Man gets visit from his old spy client & lover. Does she plan to save the climate, or to catch her old flame in a weather trap? 4m39s
A caged lion festers in anger and silence until an unlikely friend comes along to help him tell his story.
Director Biography – Mimi Chakarova
Mimi Chakarova grew up in a village in southwest Bulgaria. When Communism collapsed, she and her mother immigrated to the United States. Chakarova picked up her first camera in Baltimore – no one back home believed the harsh reality of poverty in America. By 8th grade, Chakarova was working three jobs that didn’t require English. Four years later, she graduated early from high school and, at 17, moved to San Francisco. She rented a tiny studio in the Tenderloin for $525 a month and enrolled at City College of San Francisco. Without the resources to study filmmaking, she chose documentary photography instead. Chakarova eventually found her way to making films and hasn’t stopped since.
As an independent filmmaker, Mimi Chakarova covered global issues examining conflict, corruption and the sex trade. Her first film “The Price of Sex,” a feature-length documentary on the trafficking of women, was awarded the Nestor Almendros Award for courage in filmmaking at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York. She was also the winner of the prestigious Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting and a Dart Awards Finalist for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma.
Chakarova went on to direct, shoot and produce five other feature-length documentaries and over 30 award-winning short films, completed by her own production company, A Moment in Time Productions. “Men: A Love Story” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival; “Letters,” a collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Kris Davis, premiered at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. Chakarova is the founder and creative director of “Still I Rise Films,” a documentary series about resilience and rising above the odds. In 2021, she set up a fellowship program for women filmmakers and visual artists in need of support and mentorship.
Mimi Chakarova is the recipient of the Dorothea Lange Fellowship for outstanding work in documentary photography and the Magnum Photos Inge Morath Award for her work on sex trafficking. Other awards include a People’s Voice Webby and a nomination for a News and Documentary Emmy Award.
Mimi Chakarova taught visual storytelling at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism for 14 years. She also taught reporting classes at Stanford University’s African and African American Studies and Comparative Studies for Race and Ethnicity and has lectured extensively in universities throughout the world.
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8:45 Defining Moments – The Life & Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein
Story of a remarkable woman who inspired generations with her battle cry “To serve is to live.” Revamped the Girl Scouts; The Drucker Foundation to help non-profits. 45 mins.
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First national CEO of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., who led the organization’s historical turnaround (1976 – 1990). Globally respected leadership figure and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. inspired generations with her battle cry “To serve is to live.”
“Defining Moments”, is a documentary featuring Frances Hesselbein, the first national CEO of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., who led the organization’s historical turnaround (1976 – 1990). She was a globally respected leadership figure and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient – a “pioneer for women, volunteerism, and opportunity”. The story of this remarkable woman, is brought to you by producers Sarah McArthur and Beverly Jacobson-Schler.
Director Biography – David Schler
David Schler is an American director and producer best known for his biographical stories related to extraordinary and often lesser-known individuals. He has garnered 15 Emmy awards in recognition of his work. In the last few years he has partnered with his wife, co-producer Beverly Jacobson-Schler to create inspiring stories of women who were less known and often overshadowed by the men in their fields. A prime example is the PBS documentary The “Eye is the First Circle”, featuring the women of Abstract Expressionism, inspired by a best selling novel by Mary Gabriel and an international blockbuster art exhibition created by the Denver Art Museum’s curator Gwen Chanzit.
Other recent documentaries include: - “Hacia la Luz/Into the Light” – a Cuban refugee artist who’s work was transformed by the immigrant experience. - “Pursuit of Truth and Beauty” – the guiding force of super-realist painter Daniel Sprick - Emmy award winner – “The Artist and the Muse/Dream Space” – The diverse collaborators behind the creation of a ballet.
Director Statement
At a time when communication and expression is often confused with volume and output, our documentary “Defining Moments” is a powerful reminder that the most lasting influence is deeply human consistency of character.
Frances Hesselbein’s leadership and service legacy reminds us of the power of leading with purpose , courage, and an unwavering belief in respect for all people.
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9:45 Separate, Together
After a couples divorce has been finalized, they share one last memory together. 10m32s
Kristen and Noah Rhodes’ divorce has been finalized. On the courthouse steps, the former couple shares one last memory together, attempting to hold off the looming anxiety of becoming separate people.
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11pm Federico Faggin – The Man Who Saw the Future
Inventor of the microchip, touch screen & touchpad, transforming the way we interact w/technology. Bill Gates said, “If Faggin didn’t exist, Silicon Valley would just be a valley.”
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