Moonshot Film Challenge alums participate in the Disability Film Challenge

Hear from Moonshot Film Challenge alum Rachel Handler about her experience making connections during the film challenge!

Last year I was honored to work as an actor in Moonshot Initiative's Film Challenge. Since moving to the Hudson Valley a few years ago, I've been fortunate to find an incredible community of filmmakers up here. But by participating in the Film Challenge I was able to exponentially expand my network of female identifying and gender expansive filmmakers. So much care and thought went into writing the script and pre-production for our Moonshot entry, that when the time came to start filming, the atmosphere was buzzing with collaborative creative energy. I knew these were the types of filmmakers I wanted to work with again. So in March when I needed to crew up for the Disability Film Challenge, I was thrilled that an editor from another Moonshot team was available to work with me!

Becca Silbert did a fantastic job editing my film, "Work Trip" for the Disability Film Challenge this year. We connected through Danicah Waldo, Danicah directed and Becca edited their Moonshot film. Danicah had directed a film in Glass Ceiling Breakers Festival that I also had some films screening in last year. I reached out to Danicah because I loved her directing style, we connected, and then Danicah connected me to Becca!

"Work Trip" was my first solo directing credit, and it was a oner! Becca helped me choose a take, solidify music choices, and came up with some creative ideas to heighten the comedy and make sure our film fit into the 5-minute window required by the Disability Film Challenge. I can't thank Moonshot and Danicah and Becca enough for helping bring my Disability Film Challenge entry to life this year!

You can watch the full film here!