FAMILY ON BOARD Short Film – Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Nov. 2015 Film Festival

See the best of the November 2015 Film Festival:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/november_2015_film_festival.html

FAMILY ON BOARD was the winner of Best Music at the November 2015 FEEDBACK Film Festival.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of FAMILY ON BOARD:

FAMILY ON BOARD, 15min, USA, Drama
Poetry by George Pogatsia

On his way to report to prison, Mike Petito reflects on his life and anticipates what lies ahead … that’s when catastrophe strikes.

Read the audience transcript of FAMILY ON BOARD:

Matthew Toffolo, Moderator: Family on Board, the film from United States. It’s about 9/11 but kind of with a twist. It’s 14 years later but that image still really hits me, it still resonates and everyone remembers that day.

Audience Member 1: I found that the film had many layers, you have the angry man, you have the wild American who has guns and shoots at anybody and everybody, and then you have that September 11th thing, which I wasn’t sure if it worked for me or not in the sense that the movie took you to a certain aspect of American life and the you have this disaster in which I’m not sure if he took advantage of it and ran away in the car or not, that’s what’s up to us watching the movie to decide. One thing that I did like about the movie is the music. It was really good.

Moderator: That’s the interesting thing about this film. I saw it, and I just thought he ran to the towers and tried to save people. The person I was watching it with insisted that he took off in the car. I am curious what other people think.

Audience Member 2: I loved this movie. It could be because I have a background in criminology so the prison system itself is fascinating to me, the people who fall through the cracks due to media outrage and things. I also loved the music, but if I had one criticism about it, and it’s made with love, it’s that the piece was so well layered with plot on so many levels, it had excellent character development, it had aspects of western, it has aspects of history, drama, even romance, family drama, it didn’t tie it’s ending together clearly enough. I got that it was maybe trying to be ambiguous and leave it up to you, but I could have believed that he could have disappeared into the car and went on the lamb, I could have believed that he went to the tower and I was left wanting a conclusion for something so well constructed and so tightly compacted. To not give a clear resounding ending really made me frustrated. I was so invested in the character, I really wanted to know what happened. He seemed too family-oriented to leave and not go back to his family.

Moderator: So we are going to do a poll here. Who says that he ran to the towers and tried to save people? About 30 of you. And who thinks he just took off? About 65.

Audience Member 3: I think that we clearly see the bumper, we see “Family on Board” and I think he left and I think it was discussed beforehand.

Audience Member 4: I do agree that he’s very family-oriented and didn’t want to leave his family. While he was going to jail would have kind of been like he was abandoning his family. But making it like he’s dead gives it like an end. So he can go start a new life for himself. So he’s not betraying his family in sense because although it is full of grief, his family won’t believe that he abandoned them. If everyone perceives him as dead, he can take advantage of that symbolic end.

Moderator: That’s kind of a terrible thing to do to your wife!

Audience Member 5: I was one of the people who thought that he drove off in the car. I thought that by him taking that car, it silently let’s his brother know that he did the plan. That car is not there anymore and he’s missing so without saying it or implicating anybody, his family will know that he’s not around. I thought that was the significance of her talking to the screen as if her husband is out there, because technically if he were still alive but had run to the buildings he wouldn’t be watching the news. I thought that was her way of confirming that she knows what happened and nobody’s saying anything and nobody’s implicated but this was his way of taking off without anybody being an accomplice.

Audience Member 6: I think, just to jump on board with that, the only thing I could think of, because I was a little disappointed, is the title of the film and how it says “Family on Board”. So I’m thinking, maybe the family is on board with this whole thing, so the brother knows. That’s what I’m telling myself, anyways. I just don’t understand any other reason for that title because it doesn’t really fit it anywhere else. Maybe that’s why the car has that bumper sticker, to let us know that everything is okay and the family knows and everything will be fine.

Audience Member 7: Can I just say, although I agree with everything you said, I thought the acting was amazing and there were some really heavy hitters in this movie! The one that really struck me the most and I see that the film was dedicated to him was Matthew Cowles. He was a big star for a long time. I was kind of surprised to see how many famous and seasoned actors were involved in this project. I thought it was great and I thought the ending made me want to have a sequel. I don’t know if that’s possible but I hope they do something with it, it’s great, I loved it.

Moderator: Of course, Paulie Walnuts, Tony Cirico from the Sopranos – back row:

Audience Member 8: Actually, I think the title is quite literal, I think that the family is in the car leaving. Given that everyone thinks he’s dead he doesn’t have to hide out or avoid calling his family. He could literally leave and not have a problem.

Moderator: So maybe the film is not as ambiguous as we thought it was. Maybe it all ties together. The only thing that threw me was the wife’s Oscar-worthy performance in front of the (news) camera. But maybe there were little subtle hints that he’s taken off. But it’s 5 years! Come on he can’t do 5 years of prison? 3 years and good behavior and you’re done. I’m kidding, who am I to say that I can’t handle 5 years in prison.

Audience Member 9: The logical thing, or the thing I hoped the character did would have been to not tell the wife. The wife had to give a real performance in order to throw people off the scent. Wait a couple of weeks, in the middle of the night come into the house and say, “shh, we’re leaving” and go.

Moderator: And with so much going on in Manhattan, they’re not going to notice, right? They’ve got bigger things to worry about.

Audience Member 10: You’d risk giving her a heart attack!

Audience Member 9: She’d probably still rather have the heart attack and have him back!