ABOUT
Arielle Apfel is an award winning director and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. Arielle’s thesis film, A Chick Called Wanda, premiered June 2016 and won BEST COMEDY at NY SHORTS and won AUDIENCE FAVORITE at Iron Mule Comedy Festival in January 2017. Her films have played at Light House International Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival, Hollyshorts, Woodshole Film Festival and have been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, Brooklyn Vegan and Atwood Magazine. She was awarded a 2018 Made In New York Fellowship for her first feature script, A Tiny Perfect World. Arielle holds a BA in Film Studies from the American University of Paris and an MFA from The London Film School. Her films shed light on our obsessions and aspirations with humor and empathy.
Press: A Chick Called Wanda
The London Film School
http://lfs.org.uk/content/new-york-festivals-take-shine-chick-called-wanda
Jon Ronson ( The Men Who Stare at Goats, Frank, The Psychopath Test)
It’s so assured and funny and understated and well observed. I love all that self-regarding small talk throughout. I think you captured the beautiful narcissists of Brooklyn brilliantly. Bravo!
DC Short Film Festival:
I found this work refreshing in it's depiction of life in a city where everything is represented as "back to nature", but in fact nothing is. When the protagonist attempts to change her life to be more connected with nature, she meets with disappointment in a comical way. This film is unique in both its subtle observational styling and thoughtful representation of a woman existing calmly in an unsatisfying life, but yearning for more. The filming is crisp and the acting is satisfying. The subtlety and humor in this work will be welcomed by the DC Shorts audiences. It is a smart, thoughtful and enjoyable work.
--
There is a pathos in this short which is real and well acted by Scrabis. The title is great ! The synopsis was one of the best that we have read. The music is creative linked to the story line. The pacing was also very well done. The dialogue was succinct, and at times entertaining and at other times, rather wrenching in her loneliness. It was very well done, capturing the emptiness in Finn's life that she wanted to fill with a "pet." It is poignant, funny, realistic, heartwarming and sad, and very well done.
Brooklyn Vegan on Darkness
Darkness is an example of the sweet spot where homage meets invention. Indebted to Argento’s unique vision of horror (specifically his rich, detailed use of color) but managing to create a unique cinematic world, the video conjures a profound sense of fear and unease. This is coupled also with an almost involuntary wonder at the cleanliness and precision of the compositions. It all works beautifully with the music as well, which is legitimately eerie and haunting, aided immensely by Dani Mari’s ethereal vocal work. Simply put, it’s a rare, cool thing to see something executed this carefully, especially if you’re a horror fan.
Atwood Magazine on Emily
“Directed by Arielle Apfel, the “Emily” music video perfectly captures the lyrics’ multiple threads whilst telling a new, provocative story of its own. “[Apfel] brought her own unique angle to the song,” Anderson explains. “In this interpretation, the passenger identifies with the strangers she sees outside, and in doing so, she turns into them, viewing life through their eyes. And in the end, it seems that Emily and the passenger have become the same person.” The video is the perfect illustration of Anderson’s music, offering a powerful message of human empathy and understanding.
You might be the person in the car, watching the world from your insulated booth. Perhaps you’re the one out there walking down the street, making ends meet however you can. Maybe that’s you lazing in the grass; maybe that’s you on the bench. We, the viewer, watch all these folks from the comfort of our screens; we could be all of them and none of them. The fact remains that, in spite of our differences, we are one and the same: Human and strong, emotional and complex, fascinating and full of depth. Each of us has a story to tell, and indeed we will find ourselves on different sides of the window at different parts of our lives.”