Fable Forest Films: I Was A Greenhouse and Bickerman’s Grove

If you’re into movie podcasts or independent films, you may have already heard of Fable Forest Films (thefableforest.com). They’re a group of indie film makers from Waterloo in ON, Canada, and they also host a really interesting podcast about film making called First Frames First.

I wanted to share some of their work with you, because I feel like there are a lot of wonderful film makers out there, and a lot of awful ones, but these guys really stood out to me when they sent me their films. There’s something about their work that feels a vibrant and original. Genuinely creative, and they have a real sense of story. So even though I don’t often write about many small or Independent films, I wanted to tell you about Fable Forest because I think that they really have something, and may just be the guys to look out for the in future.

Their films are self-distributed, so if you want to find out more, watch a trailer or watch the whole film, just click on the film title to find out how.

First Frames First Podcast

First up, just a note about their podcast. I really like that where a lot of podcasts focus on films and reviews, these guys talk about film making, from the problems, the gear they use to writing and their personal journey. If you click the title above, it will take you to the podcasts homepage, and you can get listening from there. They also have a YouTube channel that ties into the podcast, which is pretty cool too.

I Was A Greenhouse

This is their first feature and deals with themes of broken families, death, relationships and immortality. It follows George Arlington, a homeless man with a kind heart and a guitar who finds himself thrust into the lives of a single parent family in trouble. But there’s more to George than meets the eye.

I really liked the creativity of the story in this film. Some of the acting was a bit clunky, a bit indie, but I think the plot and scripting carries it well. It’s a story about a man who has a special ability (I don’t want to spoil it for you!) but that gift also comes with a curse. And the more he helps others, the further he gets from his own family. It’s a really interesting premise, and I think well executed and entertaining for the limited budget.

 

Bickerman’s Grove

This is one of those holidays movies for the those who hate the holidays.

Tucker Herman has lit the town Christmas tree for as long as anyone can remember, but this year, he’s expected to finally hand the torch to someone else. He decides to pit his son and son-in-law against each other in a fight to win the coveted tree lighting position, and just to sweeten the deal, his entire fortune.

Soon, the two neighboring families are pitted against each other in a fight to the death for the ultimate prize… Old grudges surface and all hell breaks loose. It’s quite a funny, hysterical film about what Christmas is really like, as opposed to what it’s all about.

This film was selected for both the Grand River and Hamilton Film Festivals, and I think a lot of you will get a kick out of it. I think some of the acting here is a bit ham, and a few of the jokes are a bit too far out there, but I do really like a dark comedy, and I love the originality displayed here, so do check it out.

If you like the sound of these, please check out their site Fable Forest Films (thefableforest.com), have a listen to their podcast, or find them on Twitter @thefableforest or on Instagram @fableforestfilms. Also, keep an eye out for their latest film in developement, Five Alarm, a comedy.