FIREFALLS

Ariel Neo is a visionary new voice in filmmaking. Over the past two years, she has broken into the international scene with Flying Through the Water and Rainslide, which have both won multiple awards in festivals and competitions. Her latest short film, Firefalls, promises to be even more influential as Neo hones her style and skill, presenting a dramatic, wordless narrative which uses archetypal imagery and symbolism to make the tragedy of climate change come alive before our eyes.

In addition to her broad conceptual vision, Neo is devoted to detail. She prepares every aspect of filming: scouting her own locations, designing costumes, creating props, and storyboarding the action. Neo began her creative journey as an oil painter, and her paintings, impressive and richly colored images rendered on four to seven-foot round canvases, make appearances in her films, acting as totems that reinforce the significance of her cinematic work. Where words fail, these images shepherd us into new understanding by setting a tone full of reverence and beauty. In turn, her films explore and dramatize the themes that Neo’s artwork has always sought to capture: the beauty and diversity of nature, the joy of creativity, and her grave distress at what is happening to our environment. In fusing together art and film, she strives to make something new, an immersive and active art installation that reaches out and enwraps the viewer, creating an atmosphere that is immediate and suspenseful and yet introspective. This unique vision is what sets Neo apart and promises an exciting future.