'Chosen' by Alumni To Screen at SeriesFest's Virtual Film Festival

By
Felix van Kann
June 11, 2020

Chosen, a pilot directed by alumnus Daniel Fermín Pfeffer '18, written and produced by alumnus Michael Goitanich '18, and produced by alumna Ewing Luo '18, was selected to screen as part of the Independent Pilot Competition at SeriesFest's Virtual Film Festival. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the festival has shifted to a virtual edition taking place from June 18 to June 24 2020.

Chosen tells the story of a young Hasidic woman living in Brooklyn who discovers a dark family secret after the disappearance of her father and the return of her estranged uncle. It has already screened in the Scripted Digital Series Competition at this year’s Austin Film Festival where it was a finalist and recently won the awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography at the Catalyst Content Festival in Minnesota. 

Poster for 'Chosen' a woman lights a lighter and looks down.

In addition, Pfeffer’s short film Hold That Weight has been selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. The film is about the work that goes into trying to re-acclimate to home life and society when released from prison; battling thoughts, trying to navigate a way forward; and battling a prison system that traumatizes those it incarcerates and then gives no thought to what happens after people are released. Hold That Weight is available to stream here

Daniel Fermín Pfeffer is an award winning Mexican-American filmmaker. His short film, While I Was Gone, screened at various festivals and won the Denver Film Festival Domestic Student Award. His first feature, I'll See You Around, premiered in 2019 at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Pfeffer’s latest feature script, Brujería, combines social justice with psychological horror. It is about migrant farm workers who face violence and discrimination in upstate New York. Brujería is an official selection for Columbia University's annual Blue List (2020).

Michael Goitanich is an award-winning writer, producer and graduate of Columbia University’s MFA film program in screenwriting and producing, where he produced six short films, one feature film, and wrote and produced Chosen

Ewing Luo is a producer and actress whose long-term goal is to bridge the gap between Asia and America in business and the arts. She was an International Emmy Award winner for the “Women Peacemaker” category of the year 2017 and was named a "30 Under 30" by Forbes China, recognized as one of the most influential young professionals under the age of 30 in the entertainment category. 

SeriesFest champions and empowers artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling by providing year-round opportunities for creators and industry experts to connect, collaborate, and share stories, which inspire and impact global audiences. SeriesFest builds a bridge between creators, established artists, industry professionals and audience members by changing the way these communities interact, engage and create stories that represent a global worldview.