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A group of homeless women must learn that a glimmer of hope is worth more than all the money in the world. Based on the play by Doron Braunshtein and shot on the streets of New York City, the women of director Mars Roberge’s Stars are plagued by hardship, but lean on each other for survival, and look to the stars in hope for a better day.
By Matthew Emma
See the feature film Stars on February 17 @9PM at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street) as part of New York City’s 11th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival.
Critically acclaimed filmmaker Mars Roberge recalls always possessing ideas. His vivid imagination inspired him to pursue the movie business as his vocation. “I could always come up with interesting stories,” Roberge said.
As he progressed through film school at Toronto’s York University, he gained further inspiration from legendary award-winning directors such as Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino, crafted his talents as a screenwriter, director, and producer, and created honored works of his own like Scumbag, The Little House That Could, and Mister Sister.
Roberge’s latest work is Stars, which chronicles the lives of five homeless women and the undercover female police officer charged with keeping a watchful eye on them. As the story progresses, the characters struggle with their personal demons and the difficulties living on the New York City streets and in homeless shelters present. However, through the midst of tragedy, they persevere to attain an unexpected but great triumph leading to a world of changes and resulting in a powerful ending.
The story behind Stars was the brainchild of Roberge’s friend and fellow creative Doron Braunstein, who Roberge met and grew close to during his time in New York City. “I was drawn to this story because it truly hit home,” Roberge said. “To a certain extent, I can relate to the struggles the main characters experience.” The production was funded by We Make Movies as the winner of the “Make Your Feature” pitch contest.
Roberge also viewed the story as a means of expanding his creative horizons and demonstrating his versatility as a filmmaker. “Most of my earlier works were comedies,” Roberge said. “This story is serious and touches on some deep and thought-provoking issues.”
When asked to share the notable themes produced by Stars, Roberge stated learning to develop self-love, not living in the past, and avoiding the use of masks to hide one’s pain.
The main characters are all known by pseudonyms of world-renowned celebrities such as Lauren Hutton, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, and Juliette Lewis. Moreover, they use these aliases to pretend they are someone else, fantasize about living in the shoes of said public figures, and offer an excuse to block out the harsh realities they face. However, as the film moves forward, they gradually come to the realization that they cannot run away from themselves and who they really are.
Roberge credits the film’s successful completion on the talent and commitment of the cast and crew. “Everyone clicked in their role,” he said. “The actors were fantastic and nailed their characters perfectly. That said, our technical crew was just as good.”
Roberge said that his biggest challenge was filming during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the specter presented by the virus. “Covid-19 was always in the backdrop,” Roberge admitted. “I knew that if anyone came down with it we would run into significant production delays. Fortunately, it didn’t and we completed the film without dealing with that potential hitch.”
New York City also served as one of the film’s unsung stars. Several of the film’s scenes were shot amidst the breathtaking backdrop of some of the Big Apple’s famed landmarks. “The film truly celebrates New York City,” Roberge said. Additionally, moviegoers familiar with the New York City artistic scene will greatly recognize many of the film’s stars as they are well-known in such creative circles.
The director also pays tribute to the equipment that made the filming in just a nine-day stretch possible. Included in the arsenal were two Red KOMODO cameras, Aputure LED lights, and tripods. Roberge also utilized Final Cut software.
Roberge wants viewers to walk away from Stars thinking about just how important life is, how every minute we are given should be cherished, and embrace everything it has to offer be it grandiose or simple. The film will make its world premiere at the New York City’s Winter Film Awards on Friday, February 17. Roberge is proud to announce that he will also be taking part in a discussion panel on frugal filmmaking in advance of the event.
The New York gathering is merely the beginning; “Two days following the New York event, we will be having the Canadian premiere in Toronto,” Roberge said. “We are also expecting to premiere in Los Angeles in either April or May.”
Matthew Emma
Matthew H Emma is a professional and creative writer holding more than two decades worth of experience. For the first decade of his professional career, he was a freelance writer, print and online journalist for a local weekly newspaper and online publication. The most recent portion of his career has been as a content writer and editor. Additionally, he is an aspiring screenwriter who has written a short and six feature-length scripts. Matthew was fortunate enough to sell his screenplay “Digging Two Graves” in May 2017 to a small Los Angeles-based production company.
About Winter Film Awards
New York City’s 11th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival runs February 16-25 2023. Check out a jam-packed lineup of 73 fantastic films in all genres from 21 countries, including shorts, features, Animation, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Horror, Documentary and Music Video. Hollywood might ignore women and people of color, but Winter Film Awards celebrates everyone!
Winter Film Awards is an all-volunteer, minority and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. Our mission is to promote diversity, bridge the opportunity divide and provide a platform for under-represented artists and a variety of genres, viewpoints and approaches. We believe that only by seeing others’ stories can we understand each other and only via an open door can the underrepresented artist enter the room.
Winter Film Awards programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
For more information about the Festival, please visit winterfilmawards.com
