Rochelle Robinson and the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival

In this Exploring Washington State Podcast episode, Scott sits down with Rochelle Robinson. Rochelle is a board member of the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival in Bellingham. She shares the festival’s story and how it’s making space for women filmmakers worldwide.

Rochelle’s Journey

Rochelle wears many hats. She’s involved with Western Washington University, where she studied psychology and creative writing. In her late twenties, she decided to follow her passions, and it changed her life. Today, she’s all-in on education, creativity, and community.

A Festival Worth Celebrating

Now in its ninth year, the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival features women-directed films. Rochelle is in her second year on the board and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how films are selected and what makes the festival unique.

Over 20 short films. Seven features. Each one tells a story from a woman’s perspective. From all around the globe.

Behind the Curtain

Rochelle reviews short films for the festival. She looks for strong storytelling and visuals that stick with you. Submissions open every August. The festival welcomes all genres—as long as the director is a woman.

She also explains the difference between reviewing shorts and full-length features. Let’s say it’s more than the length that separates them.

More Than Film

This year, the festival is partnering with the Women Rising art exhibit, which features women artists from the Pacific Northwest. The show runs through May 31 at the Dakota Art Store Studio in Bellingham.

Special events, such as the screening of “July Rhapsody” and other gatherings, also lead up to the big weekend.

Mark Your Calendar

The festival kicks off on April 24. Expect four days of film screenings, Q&As with directors, and thoughtful conversations. Don’t miss the Saturday night Director’s Party—a yearly highlight.

Rochelle is incredibly excited about two films this year: They Call Me the Tattoo Witch by Lindsay Nyman and Viva Verde by Yvonne Russo .

Can’t Be There in Person?

Good news—films will be available to watch online from May 1 to 11. You can tune in from home, watch at your own pace, and even rewatch your favorites.

A Love Letter to Bellingham

Before wrapping up, Rochelle shares some Bellingham favorites: great coffee and delicious poke. These are local gems worth checking out if you’re in town.

This episode celebrates storytelling, women behind the camera, and creativity in every form. Listen in—and maybe make plans to attend the festival yourself.

Rochelle Robinson Cascadia International Womens Film Festival Episode Transcript

Rochelle Robinson [00:00:57]:
Oh, that’s fun. I had no idea you knew that.

Scott Cowan [00:01:00]:
Yeah. And so, basically, if I look at your link so we do a little research here. So so, basically, what what it says here, you’re an undergrad major coordinator in psychology at Western Washington University.

Rochelle Robinson [00:01:10]:
Yes.

Scott Cowan [00:01:10]:
And you went to Western?

Rochelle Robinson [00:01:12]:
Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:01:13]:
And I’m gonna let you take it over from there. And what does my audience need to know about you that I just didn’t share?

Rochelle Robinson [00:01:22]:
Wonderful. Thank you so much, Scott, for having me on today. I’m so excited to talk about Cascadia. And you’re right. I I work at Western, which is, I mean, this is a Washington State podcast, so everybody knows what what Western is. Right? Yeah. Liberal Arts University up in the corner of of Washington State, about 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Beautiful, beautiful campus.

Rochelle Robinson [00:01:47]:
I went back to school in my late twenties. Did a little bit of a life restart and got a degree in psychology and creative writing, and I never left. I was doing some research in the department and I in the psychology department, and a job became available. And now it’s been seven years. So Okay. It’s it’s been a a beautiful ride, and I’m a big fan of Western. Was really grateful to go back and get those degrees. But I also did get a degree in creative writing.

Rochelle Robinson [00:02:18]:
And during that time, while I was back at Western, I became really invested in the local writing community. We have a phenomenal bookstore, Village Books, in Fairhaven, that hosts community writing groups for all genres. And back then, it was like ten years ago when I when I got started, I was in the fiction writing group and made some of my lifelong friends in this group. But I also learned a lot about, how difficult it can be to be a fledgling writer, to be stepping out for your very first time submitting to publications. And so in 2019, I co started a literary journal specifically for, Washington state. Initially, it was for, just the counties around here, Bellingham, Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan County. And then a couple years ago, we opened it up to the entire Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and BC. And, yeah, we call ourselves Hamlet Literary Journal, and we’re on our ninth issue.

Rochelle Robinson [00:03:23]:
And, it’s been a wild ride. We’ve had the best time. I have a staff of two editors, friends I met through the writing group, and that’s the whole point is just creating a soft landing place for for Pacific Northwest Writers to get started in their publishing career. And, yeah, that’s definitely where I spend a lot of my my outside of work, outside of Cascadia time is with with Hamlit.

Scott Cowan [00:03:47]:
Alright. I kind of did this out of order, but now I just pulled up your bio on the Cascadia website.

Rochelle Robinson [00:03:53]:
I’m gonna

Scott Cowan [00:03:53]:
share a little bit more here. Because I I thought this was written I I chuckled at this. To me, I found some humor in this.

Rochelle Robinson [00:03:59]:
Good.

Scott Cowan [00:04:00]:
So Rochelle Robinson, she slash her, is a screenwriter, previous co owner of a female lead production company, Talking to Crows. Interesting name, by the way. Mhmm. Rochelle’s been a resident of Bellingham for more than thirty years, graduate of W W U, good old western.

Rochelle Robinson [00:04:14]:
Yep.

Scott Cowan [00:04:15]:
You’ve already talked about your your degrees, but this is the part I really liked. She’s written stuff, filmed stuff, learned stuff, lost stuff, and even optioned stuff. How does one option stuff? Because I’ve got a lot of stuff, and if I can get rid of it by optioning it, I wanna learn.

Rochelle Robinson [00:04:33]:
This was a specific reference to a screenplay that I co wrote that was optioned with a production company. And so it was more in the vein of of screenwriting optioning than broader optioning. But if that is possible, I also too want to learn. I’ll do some research.

Scott Cowan [00:04:51]:
I kinda thought that’s what it was. So that’s very cool. So how did you so you’ve been in Bellingham a while. Yeah. Cascadia Film Festival. I’m just gonna call it Cascadia. I’ll probably call it a bunch of things throughout the whole episode. But the film festival has been going on now for and I don’t have it right in front of me.

Scott Cowan [00:05:06]:
How many years is the film festival going on now?

Rochelle Robinson [00:05:08]:
Twenty twenty five will be our ninth festival.

Scott Cowan [00:05:11]:
Ninth year. And how long have you been on the board?

Rochelle Robinson [00:05:14]:
This is my second year.

Scott Cowan [00:05:15]:
Second year. And what brought you why you have an abundance of time? No. I mean, in all seriousness, what brought you what drew you to being involved with the festival and then ultimately taking another step in being on the board of directors for it?

Rochelle Robinson [00:05:31]:
Absolutely. Yeah. I you said it, when you were reading my bio. I was a part owner of a female led production company here in Bellingham talking to crows. And we, throughout the years, partnered with Cascadia. We did some work for them. We did some events with them. And then one of the other owners decided to join the board.

Rochelle Robinson [00:05:53]:
And during that tenure as while she was on the board, took on a a specific role, specifically the director’s party, which is an event that happens on the Saturday night of our festival. And it’s where we get to celebrate all of our short and feature film directors. And we get to come together. We get to really be all in one place. You know, a festival, a film festival, you’re going a million directions. I mean, yeah, everyone’s gonna be in a theater together, but then you’re moving to the next place. There’s not a ton of time outside of the parties and the the events where you get to chat and where you get to really learn more about each individual director and their vision and their their passion, their next project projects, etcetera. So we started doing the director’s party, and I because I was a part of cask excuse me.

Rochelle Robinson [00:06:34]:
Because I was a part of Talking to Crows, I was able to help with this Cascadia event for a couple years. And then when my, my friend and and former colleague left the left the board, I took that seat.

Scott Cowan [00:06:47]:
Okay. And

Rochelle Robinson [00:06:47]:
so I it was a a really nice transition, and I still do the director’s party to this day.

Scott Cowan [00:06:52]:
Okay. Alright. So this is the ninth year of doing this. And I think last year when I talked to Cheryl, she she kinda gave a lot of backstory. And I’ll I’ll be Cheryl, if you listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t go back and listen to our episode before recording this one.

Rochelle Robinson [00:07:07]:
So I did.

Scott Cowan [00:07:08]:
Okay. Go. Okay. Uh-oh. We’re in trouble. But I still I I probably asked some of these questions last year. I still think they’re relevant questions to a listener now. How many films this year?

Rochelle Robinson [00:07:22]:
So we have seven features k. As well as, film from our featured our featured guest and but just Viva Verde, Yvonne Rousseau’s featured film that we’re gonna be watching. I’m so excited. And and we have more than 20 short films. Okay. I think we’re at 23 or 24. So we’ll have three short film programs, and then eight feature programs during the the festival this year.

Scott Cowan [00:07:54]:
Besides the films have to be women led Mhmm. What other criteria are there to submit and be considered as a film for this film festival?

Rochelle Robinson [00:08:08]:
So, yes, it has to be directed by a woman, and there are no other requirements as far as the composition of the rest of the production team. It just is required that it is directed by a woman. It could even technically be written by a man, but it must be directed by a woman. And there are restrictions as far as, like, when it had to be, completed, like, when the film was was was finished, because we wanna make sure that films that are being submitted are new and that they haven’t been, like, lingering around for many years. So we wanna be continually opening up opportunities for new film. And it’s an international film festival, so we we accept film from the entire world. Right. That sometimes means we get film from Washington state, and especially people from production teams will will show up because they’re in Washington, and the film that they worked on is being featured in in our festival.

Rochelle Robinson [00:09:06]:
But any woman director from anywhere in the world can submit, and our short films are no more than twenty minutes. So that’s gonna be a restriction as well. So you do you have some short films out there that are gonna be longer that are still technically short films, but they are not short enough for for our programming.

Scott Cowan [00:09:22]:
For your critique. Okay. Mhmm. So I am a a woman director. Mhmm. I have completed a film in the last, say, six months. I’m I’m sure that’s probably within the window of time. I submit my window when do you open the window for submissions?

Rochelle Robinson [00:09:39]:
Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:09:39]:
And kind of give us behind the scenes of what that selection process looks like.

Rochelle Robinson [00:09:45]:
Sure. So we begin I believe submissions open in August of each year for our short films, and I am a short film reviewer. We have different teams that manage all these different aspects of the process. So we have someone who corrals all of the short film reviewers, and they send up the emails and get us all set up on Film Freeway so that we can be reviewing these films, and we add our score, based on the criteria available on Film Freeway. If if anyone’s been on Film Freeway for looking over evaluation, you know, it’s like, it would be writing, directing, sound, etcetera. And so you’re giving a a star based score there. And a couple months later, it will open submissions will open for feature films. And that is going to be a very different type of process than the short film process because so often, feature films are not only submitting to one you know, they’re they’re going to have to be very careful about who is going to have their film because there are tons of film festivals.

Rochelle Robinson [00:10:54]:
Right? And so we also have to be really careful in Cascadia. A short film could be in our film festival and, at the Seattle Film Festival, or the Vancouver Film Festival, and it wouldn’t be a huge impact. But you’re not necessarily going to want to have the same feature films at these very close, close in proximity festivals. Even though our festival is about female directors, which is quite different than the focus of these other these other festivals, we have to be very thoughtful about what that looks like, not only for creating diversity, for filmgoers and film viewers, but also to help widen that net of who is moving forward with being showcased at a festival, because we’re we’re very we’re very passionate about sharing untold stories. And so sometimes that means that a film will have been scooped up by SIFF, and that means that we’re gonna move forward with a different film.

Scott Cowan [00:11:51]:
Right.

Rochelle Robinson [00:11:52]:
And so there’s a committee that specifically works on feature films.

Scott Cowan [00:11:56]:
Do you coordinate? I mean, do you does if if let’s just say the film is named ABC. Okay. Just the film’s ABC and you really wanna have it, and Sif is thinking about it as well. Is there or is there dialogue between your both organizations, or is it kind of first come first serve?

Rochelle Robinson [00:12:19]:
SIF happens before us, and so it’s all about timing. Right? So you have to also think, like, just because, yes, dialogue happens, but it’s more about first come, first serve as far as I understand. And I know this is a lot of work that, that Claudia Pugh, our our, kind of like our mainstay when it comes to finding additional films and sending them Cheryl’s way, and then Cheryl is able to share them with the rest of the committee. And and, ultimately, it’s about getting film seen. And so sometimes we’re gonna not show a film because it was at SIFF, and we’re gonna go with a different film.

Scott Cowan [00:12:59]:
Right. So you’re not doing, like, rock, paper, scissors to see if it gets in or anything like that.

Rochelle Robinson [00:13:03]:
Not that I know of.

Scott Cowan [00:13:04]:
Nothing. Kind of fun in the background. Right? Yeah. Alright. So you’re part of the selection committee for for shorts. Alright. How many, approximately, how many films did you screen this year?

Rochelle Robinson [00:13:21]:
I they try and keep the commitment to about two hours. Okay. And it doesn’t necessarily matter that I’m a board member. I was I was on the viewing, in the viewing group for short film long before I was on the board or part of Cascadia. And so I’ve just continued forward with that. And so I only probably viewed 10 short films.

Scott Cowan [00:13:43]:
K.

Rochelle Robinson [00:13:45]:
But we had, I don’t know, 80. We we we get a lot of films that come through, and I actually don’t know how many we, we had submitted this year. But I got to view 10. And a couple of the ones that I got to view are in the film festival.

Scott Cowan [00:13:58]:
Alright. So

Rochelle Robinson [00:13:59]:
I’m pretty excited about it.

Scott Cowan [00:14:00]:
I want you to think about those two specific films. We don’t need to name them yet, but just those two specific films. Sure. So this is how I envision it happening. You you you get access and you’re looking at these basically on a computer screen. Right? You’re not watching them on your TV? Or are you?

Rochelle Robinson [00:14:15]:
Nope. I’m watching them on my computer.

Scott Cowan [00:14:16]:
You’re watching them on your computer. So you’re probably sitting there, comfortable clothes, big big tub of popcorn, you know, the oversized soda that we think, I’m kidding you. But, you know, the point is what what do you do? What’s the process for watching a film with the idea of critiquing it versus just the idea of consuming it?

Rochelle Robinson [00:14:38]:
Such a great question, And I think that this is a practice that I have to exercise even just in my normal viewing life. As a film lover, as a storyteller, I look at most things through an analytical or creator lens. And so I have to really turn that part of my brain off intentionally, just even in my own viewing, in my own digestion of entertainment. So when I’m going specifically in to evaluate a a short film, I just choose not to turn it off is really how it works for me. Okay. And it actually can be pretty quick, because story cohesion is something that we all know. It’s something we all understand. And taking a written story and making it visual pretty immediately, you understand whether it’s coming together, whether it’s come together or not.

Rochelle Robinson [00:15:38]:
And so that’s kinda the first hurdle for me is what I’m seeing visually representing what they had written, but doing so in a visual way. Not giving me the writing, but giving me the visuals of the writing. And that’s how I approach it, initially. And I just I think that everyone’s gonna come at it differently because not everyone is a screenwriter. You know? Not everyone, is is a storyteller. Not everyone has been a part of a film production, you know, you know? So they’re gonna have a different everyone’s gonna have a different level of understanding of the mechanics that go into into the process of creating and filming and producing a short film. And so I I go in with it with fun. I’m like, is this gonna be fun? Also, is it working immediately? Those are the two things that I’m most most interested in.

Rochelle Robinson [00:16:32]:
And in the last few years, you know, we’ve seen a lot of of very serious topics. Women are willing to handle these topics. They’re not shying away from them. They’re seeing them as untilled earth, gold undiscovered, and they’re the discoverer. They are willing to to do that work, to do that unearthing, and that has lent itself to some really heavy and heady topics. And what I’m excited for this year is that we’re seeing deep, important, heady topics handled with a bit of humor are gonna have a little bit of levity to the programming this year. I mean, still the the vivacious and intense commentary and important topics and hidden stories now coming forward, but there’s levity and there’s there’s joy. And that was something I was very excited about, in my viewing this year.

Rochelle Robinson [00:17:37]:
It was it took me by surprise because after, you know, three years of no like, no no comedy. Okay. Having comedy has been has been a real treat.

Scott Cowan [00:17:48]:
Alright. So you’ve reviewed the shorts. You’ve notified the winners. Mhmm. You build out the schedule for the shorts. Mhmm. Okay. In a perfect world, when have you locked down the 20 or so films for the festival?

Rochelle Robinson [00:18:07]:
So it’s gonna take place a few months before the festival. K. But from there, you also still need to get permissions for not only finalizing the film being a part of the festival. You find out if the director is going to be coming to the festival. You finalize that information. You find out if the director and their distributor are willing to allow the film to be a part of our online programming, which follows the in person programming. We wanna have as many films as possible available online, not only for accessibility’s sake. You know, we learned a lot after COVID, and there are a lot of film festivals who have dropped their online programming.

Rochelle Robinson [00:18:48]:
And there’s a lot of distributors out there that don’t necessarily recognize the the value of of the online programming with very little risk because you have to have a ticket. It’s a very small window of time that it can be seen, etcetera. But we’re trying to keep promoting that online programming as well because there are a lot of people who can’t physically make it to a film festival, who financially can’t cross the country. You know, we are sometimes we feel like we’re more popular in New York than we are in Bellingham, and not everyone can journey this, you know, this way. So and and then this year, we’re gonna have a, a new project. We’re partnering with Ravenna Press to release a anthology of short prose and poetry, all in response to the films and the discussions around filmmaking that take place at the festival. And it’s gonna have, national excuse me, a worldwide release in December, and it’s the call has just gone out for any poet. This is any poet, any short prose writer, male, woman, they, them, anyone, non binary humans, anybody can submit.

Rochelle Robinson [00:19:57]:
So much of what we do is all about women. Mhmm. But we really wanted to understand the impact from all peoples

Scott Cowan [00:20:03]:
K.

Rochelle Robinson [00:20:03]:
What it was like to view these films. And so to have the online programming allows more people to participate in this open call for for the anthology stills.

Scott Cowan [00:20:14]:
Very cool. I’m gonna purposely avoid how we select features for this conversation that we’re just gonna you know, we’re we’ll keep that a mystery. We’re not gonna ask. But as I look at the Cascadia website right now, at the time we’re recording this, there’s twenty three days, nine hours, twenty six minutes, and counting seconds until the the festival. But starting on April 4, which will be a few days before we release this episode, so this is already going on. We’re gonna talk about that because it’s like it’s happening. Yeah. So what’s this in person event that this exhibit that you’re doing

Rochelle Robinson [00:20:46]:
this year? What’s going on there? Absolutely. So this is actually going to be our second year of of having an art exhibit featuring women artists from Pacific Northwest. We partner with a local art studio, Dakota Art Store Studio, and it’s an opportunity for women to come together and celebrate, essentially, vision and diversity, through art. And I I’m not sure exactly how Barbara Bittner dreamed this up. She’s one of the board members. She was the previous secretary. I’m filling in her glorious shoes at this at this time.

Scott Cowan [00:21:28]:
Does she have fabulous shoes?

Rochelle Robinson [00:21:30]:
Just double shoes. Yes. Yeah. And I mean, she Okay. She set the tone. Alright. She’s she’s such an incredible person, and she had this, like, brainchild for an art exhibit. And she had contacts in the art world and friends that she connected with, and she just dreamed up a curated art exhibit to run-in tandem with the with the festival so we could continue to explore other ways women are making art and sharing who they are and their stories.

Rochelle Robinson [00:21:58]:
And so the art exhibit is called Women Rising, and it has its opening night, on the fourth. And so the the exhibit will run through from the fifth through May 31. So it’ll be open, through the festival and beyond. And, we’re just we’re just so lucky that all of these organizations, all of these businesses in town, all of these art groups are willing to hear us out and jump on board with these wacky ideas. I think that I heard that our opening last year for women rising was the second largest gallery opening that Dakota Art had ever seen. And Dakota Art is an institution in in Whatcom County in Bellingham, and so they have had countless openings and art exhibits. And so the energy around around women rising is is real, and we’re getting to experience it even more this year. I I know that Dakota Art went in and and created a whole new layout, so we were able to accept, like, twice as many pieces this year as last year.

Rochelle Robinson [00:23:08]:
So I’m I’m I’m very excited for the opening on Friday.

Scott Cowan [00:23:12]:
Alright. And then what is this on April 10? So this is before the festival. There’s a a an in person it says in person event, July Rhapsody.

Rochelle Robinson [00:23:24]:
July Rhapsody? I I don’t know what that is.

Scott Cowan [00:23:30]:
It is, a there’s Chinese lettering there, so I’m not gonna try to interpret that. But basically, it says July Rhapsody’s brimming with unspeakable serene beauty by Hong Kong director, In. And it’s h u I, which I’m gonna say is Hui, but I could be completely wrong. I apologize for that. It looks like it’s a film that you guys are hosting on. It’s at the Pickford Film Center. Not trying to throw you under the bus?

Rochelle Robinson [00:23:53]:
No. No. No. No. That’s completely fine. You know, it’s been so exciting this last year. We have been trying to partner and feature films almost every month

Scott Cowan [00:24:04]:
Okay. But

Rochelle Robinson [00:24:05]:
in anticipation of growing our audience, finding new ways to partner with other organizations in town. We’ve partnered with dance studios. We partner with, like, art exhibits. We we go through and try and find different ways to celebrate all different forms of human. We do a women’s month, feature film every single year. Last year, we worked with Western and did love letters. It was a huge event at Western, and it was just incredible. We partnered with, Western’s, libraries, and we were able to, bring in the director and, and and and the actors, in the in the film.

Rochelle Robinson [00:24:45]:
It’s a documentary, so that’s more of just, like, the humans. So I’m excited that we’re doing so many, new events to get closer with the community and just to continue to hopefully remain more and more relevant.

Scott Cowan [00:25:00]:
Awesome. So on the twenty fourth is when it all happens.

Rochelle Robinson [00:25:05]:
Yes. That’s when it starts. Thursday.

Scott Cowan [00:25:09]:
Which is funny. April 24 for the 2020 for the twenty twenty five festival. So the festival opens on the twenty fourth. Walk me through how calm and laid back these days of the festival are gonna be for you. This is just super simple times. You don’t have a lot going on. No. I’m gonna guess that from the twenty fourth through the twenty seventh year, you’re kind of you and everybody else that’s involved volunteering with the with this, it’s all hands on deck, and it’s chaotic.

Rochelle Robinson [00:25:41]:
You know, it is it’s both. It has its moments of being really relaxed and enjoyable and also chaotic. And I think that’s because Cheryl has created such an incredible team, and we all have different roles to play. We have a board of 12, and we have interns, and we have a couple staff members, and we have so many volunteers from the community. And so everyone is doing their piece. They’re they’re placing their piece of the puzzle to bring it together. So there will be some days that are really hectic and other days that are less hectic, for me specifically. So, like, Thursday is going to probably be less hectic for me.

Rochelle Robinson [00:26:31]:
We’ll have the opening day party, and then we’ll do our our film programming, and then we’ll have our opening evening party. We love parties.

Scott Cowan [00:26:40]:
Is that right?

Rochelle Robinson [00:26:41]:
We have a good amount of them. And then Friday will start will be a very long day. And so it’ll just be a long day of programming, a long day of connecting and support, and then we’ll have our honored guest event that night, which is always quite a big and exciting production with a q and a to follow as well as a dessert reception. And so Friday is a a good long day, but Saturday is the big day for me because I host the director’s party. I’m hosting it this year at Mercado del Bonta, and Julia and, Francisco are the owners, and it’s like an Italian meets New York City deli style space. And they do just, like, mountains of focaccia and charcuterie boards. And so I have been able to partner with some really amazing humans this year for this director’s party, but that’s gonna be a big day for me because I’m hosting that event K. Along with all of the films, that we’ll try and see.

Rochelle Robinson [00:27:40]:
That’s the that’s the thing about being a board member, though. That’s the thing is you don’t get to see all the films, and you just have to accept that.

Scott Cowan [00:27:49]:
Alright.

Rochelle Robinson [00:27:49]:
Because you’ve got other tasks, you’ve got other responsibilities, and but luckily, there are a lot of us, and everyone’s working so hard.

Scott Cowan [00:27:57]:
So I’m gonna put you on the spot with this question. Sure. For you personally Mhmm. What film are you looking forward to seeing this year?

Rochelle Robinson [00:28:05]:
Well, I have a few that I’m extremely excited to see this year.

Scott Cowan [00:28:08]:
This is what I

Rochelle Robinson [00:28:09]:
got to do

Scott Cowan [00:28:09]:
with one. Just one. I’m gonna hold you to this. Normally, I’ll let you slide, but, no, this is gonna be just what’s the one? And it’s just for you. It’s, like, just the one you’re excited. You really wanna

Rochelle Robinson [00:28:20]:
see. May I choose one feature and one short?

Scott Cowan [00:28:23]:
Alright. Send you out to us.

Rochelle Robinson [00:28:25]:
Thank you. Wonderful. So the short I’m so excited to see, is They Call Me the Tattoo Witch, directed by Lindsay Nyman. It’s a short documentary, and it follows a tattoo artist in Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam, who specializes in tattooing over scars, and other uneven aspects of the skin, which is a rare it’s a rare find to to that that you would find any type of tattoo artist willing to place their art over a scar. And it’s the the themes around reclaiming one’s body, reclaiming one’s, autonomy of coming to terms with injury or illness through this art. Oh, I’m so excited. I I can’t wait to see that one.

Scott Cowan [00:29:18]:
K. And what’s the feature?

Rochelle Robinson [00:29:20]:
The feature that I’m I have a few that I’m really excited about. Like I said, we’ve got some heady topics, but handled with with some generosity and with some levity. The one I’m most honest honestly excited to see is Viva Verde, which also happens to be the the featured our honored guests film. And Yvonne Russo is a producer and a director, an actor, writer, has pretty much done it all. This film specifically is a little bit outside of her what I seem what seems to be her wheelhouse. She has worked a lot on indigenous projects. This one specifically is set, in a home, like a retirement community for artists. Humans that are opera singers or sculptors or painters who are still very much actively engaged in their craft, and are taking on young, young, aspiring artists to mentor them.

Rochelle Robinson [00:30:23]:
And just it it looks beautiful. I love watching the the overlap and how young and old come together to continue art. We don’t I don’t think we nearly have enough, represent represented representation of this, right now in in our shows and in our movies, even in our books. And so I’m just really excited to see the energy of all of these retired humans just still getting it and just making this gorgeous art and then bringing in new students. Yeah. I’m I’m really excited for Viva Verde. Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:30:57]:
This is, I mean, this is really kinda cool. I’m just looking at this. I hadn’t looked at it before and, I mean, the guests of the Verde are age 77 to a hundred and seven.

Rochelle Robinson [00:31:09]:
Yep.

Scott Cowan [00:31:09]:
That’s very cool. I I think Oh, can

Rochelle Robinson [00:31:14]:
I just say one more?

Scott Cowan [00:31:17]:
Alright.

Rochelle Robinson [00:31:17]:
Only because it’s about Seattle.

Scott Cowan [00:31:20]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:31:21]:
Okay. So there is I know. Right? I gotcha. So there’s a document, document, excuse me, a documentary, called Dandelion, and it is directed by by Fiona Obertinca, and it’s a true event that happened in the seventies in Seattle. And it was when Youth Advocates, which was an activist group, that worked with, LGBTQ youth, worked in tandem with Seattle’s social services to place LGBTQ youth in queer homes. And so it was looking at it looks at the way that, social groups can come together to create even more safe spaces for our most vulnerable populations. And so I’m really excited to know anything about this, and let alone that it was happening in Seattle in the seventies. And so I’m pretty excited to to see this film as well.

Scott Cowan [00:32:16]:
I’m looking at the, the poster for it on the website. There’s a which really looks like a Ford Pinto station wagon with wood sides and one of the women’s holding a baseball bat. It didn’t, you know, it just kinda when I looked when I was scrolling earlier, that that poster caught my eye. I was like, oh. So I was like, okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:32:38]:
Alright. The, the tagline, it talks about how a a young a young girl was removed from her home. Her parents put her up for foster care after they found her kissing a girl. And so they, like, gave up their child, and then she goes into the foster care system, and she’s placed with a woman. And the the tagline talks it’s like, but she’s not who she thought she’d be. And it kind of sounds ominous, but I think that’s intentional. So the idea of a woman with a bat, I think it plays into this, like, suspense that they’re trying to create around this story, and I like that. That’s a fun that’s a fun way to look at it.

Scott Cowan [00:33:19]:
Alright. So then after after the twenty seventh, the festival switches to online.

Rochelle Robinson [00:33:28]:
Mhmm. Beginning May 1.

Scott Cowan [00:33:30]:
Yeah. May 1 through the eleventh. So it is a short window, but it’s a much bigger window than Mhmm. Okay. And so this is open up, and how can people view the films online?

Rochelle Robinson [00:33:41]:
So we have a pass that allows all access to the festival as well as online access. The pass includes all all aspects of the festival. There is just an online pass as well for anyone who cannot make it to Bellingham, who isn’t going to participate in the parties and be able to view the films live. The online pass is is available then for anyone who just wants to remote in.

Scott Cowan [00:34:07]:
I’m reading the I’m reading the kinda like on the sales page, if you will, the order page. Right? So can you watch a film more than once online? Like or is it is it a single viewing?

Rochelle Robinson [00:34:18]:
You can watch I believe you can watch as many times as you want in eleven days or ten days window.

Scott Cowan [00:34:23]:
In that window. So

Rochelle Robinson [00:34:24]:
In that window.

Scott Cowan [00:34:25]:
I could watch something and go, oh, I really wanna watch this again and, you know, digest it. Okay. That’s very cool. Because that’s one thing about going, you know, going to the theater. It’s like, you know, you’re watching it in the Right.

Rochelle Robinson [00:34:36]:
You

Scott Cowan [00:34:36]:
know, and then you wanna go back and what are you I’m gonna put you on another hard this is a hard question. K? Now I told you, I promise you there wouldn’t be any hard questions. Obviously, I’ve just misled you. What are you worried about for you during this festival this year? Can any any are you nervous about anything? I mean, hosting a party, does that does that make you nervous? Like, that terrifies me. Like, I’m like, I’m not ever gonna be the host of it’s funny to have this podcast where I can sit and talk, but no. In person? Oh, no.

Rochelle Robinson [00:35:12]:
I think that, this is my fourth year participating in the director’s party, and I am feeling really confident about that.

Scott Cowan [00:35:22]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:35:22]:
I’m doing less this year than I did last year. Last year, I created the entire charcuterie board myself, which was like this huge mountain of, like, cheese and bread and meat. And I don’t have to do that this year, so that feels fantastic Okay. To have

Scott Cowan [00:35:33]:
How did that how did last year’s come out?

Rochelle Robinson [00:35:35]:
Oh, it went phenomenal. Okay. We had it at Ponderosa Beer and Books off on Rotor down toward the water. And, Jesse, the owner, is phenomenal, and it was a fantastic space. We had so much suites left over. Our DJ was amazing. We do a dance party during the director’s party, and so it’s just a really great time, to just let loose basically at the end of the festival. We just have Sunday left.

Rochelle Robinson [00:35:58]:
And last year, our our honored guest was, Catherine Hardwick, the director of Twilight, and so everyone was just, like, on cloud nine. Okay. And so I’m feeling really good about this year’s director’s party. I am an introvert, and so I require a lot of recharge time. And four full days of being on is a lot. So am I nervous about that for the festival? I’m nervous about that for life. That’s just that’s just how I enter most days.

Scott Cowan [00:36:34]:
Oh, I understand.

Rochelle Robinson [00:36:36]:
So and, you know, there’s a lot of interacting. There’s a lot of conversations. And, you know, I sneak away and I take naps. So

Scott Cowan [00:36:43]:
Alright. There’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that.

Rochelle Robinson [00:36:45]:
We gotta do what we gotta do.

Scott Cowan [00:36:47]:
Right. Right. Well, this is very cool. I I love the fact you know, this is one thing about me getting to, you know, have conversations with people doing stuff around the state. I’m really always pleasantly surprised by the passion and creativity that people have within their community. So Bellingham’s got a lot of really cool things going on there. Almost every community has really cool things going on if you be if you take the time to look and and then to have a conversation with somebody. So I I really love what you guys are doing.

Scott Cowan [00:37:21]:
I think it’s it’s wonderful that and you’ve found a, you know, a focus that is I don’t wanna say unique, but it’s not it’s a little more niched down. Right?

Rochelle Robinson [00:37:34]:
It absolutely is. There are not very many film festivals that only feature women directors.

Scott Cowan [00:37:39]:
Right. And it seems weird to me, by the way. I mean, I I I guess when I think about film, I I do think it’s probably more heavily male.

Rochelle Robinson [00:37:48]:
Oh oh, it absolutely is. Especially, I mean, we saw a huge dip last year. We went down to 12% of of of films directed by women from 16 and then from 18 the year before. So we are seeing we’re seeing a dip. We got twenty twenty two at 18%, or maybe that was 23. That was such a huge boon.

Scott Cowan [00:38:08]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:38:08]:
But we’re back down to 12 from ’24, and that’s disheartening.

Scott Cowan [00:38:12]:
Yeah. That is a little and is that could that be a a byproduct of the the economy, the times? I don’t know. I mean, it just seems like I’m I’m not a big I’m not a I, like, I I rarely go see movies in the theater. Okay. I really I really that’s just neither here nor there, but I’m not so I’m not a huge film person. Right? Mhmm. But when I was talking to my son and then he laid it out for me, the gaming industry Mhmm. They spend more money on building a game than they do on, you know, a new Bond movie.

Rochelle Robinson [00:38:44]:
Right.

Scott Cowan [00:38:45]:
And I’m not saying Bond movies are great. I’m just saying they’re expensive. Right?

Rochelle Robinson [00:38:48]:
I mean Yes.

Scott Cowan [00:38:49]:
And yet games cost more and make more than a movie does. And I just found that to be very, like, because growing up as a kid, you know, movies were and I’m much older than you. But growing up as a kid, movies were we didn’t have cable TV

Rochelle Robinson [00:39:07]:
Right.

Scott Cowan [00:39:08]:
Because it didn’t exist. It was it’s not like we didn’t have you know, it just didn’t even have the option. So if I wanted to go see a Bond movie, I have to go see it in the theater. Mhmm. And maybe it would come out on one of the broadcast channels with 6,000,000 commercials in it, but didn’t have the opportunity for distribution like we have now with Yeah. Million millions of channels.

Rochelle Robinson [00:39:29]:
And it’s It used to be an event. It used to be an event. Going to the movies was an event.

Scott Cowan [00:39:34]:
And now it’s like, I can just watch it at home and, you know anyway but I guess the thing is I’m a little surprised by that number being as low as it is too. Okay? I think if you would have told me it was 25% women, I’d be like, wow. That’s that’s more than I thought, but 12 seems lower. So I’m like, one out of five sounds like like, 20% would be like, oh, okay. That

Rochelle Robinson [00:39:56]:
Right.

Scott Cowan [00:39:57]:
But it’s interesting that the industry is just in, you know, shifting.

Rochelle Robinson [00:40:02]:
And there’s a trickle down to that too because the less women are directing, the less women are involved in the rest of the mechanism of filmmaking.

Scott Cowan [00:40:11]:
Right.

Rochelle Robinson [00:40:11]:
When a woman is behind the camera, when a woman is directing, there are she’s more likely to hire a woman writer, a woman cinematographer, producers, etcetera, are going to be coming together, much more readily. So we see a lot less women involved in film when women aren’t directing.

Scott Cowan [00:40:29]:
Right. Film film adjacent. Mhmm. Have you, by chance, watched the studio on Apple TV?

Rochelle Robinson [00:40:39]:
I haven’t. I don’t have Apple TV. That’s one of the streaming services I don’t have.

Scott Cowan [00:40:44]:
So I’ve watched a couple of episodes and it’s too the camera’s swinging around a lot. It’s hard it’s visually hard for me to watch. Okay?

Rochelle Robinson [00:40:56]:
Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:40:57]:
And then his character is so just it’s like, just please shut up. I mean, it’s just it’s just too much. But it is interesting the way they’re portraying the film industry in these first couple of episodes. I was just, you know, if you you get a chance, since you like film, you you may hate it. You may find it humorous. It’s designed to be. They’re calling it a love letter to Hollywood, and Oh. I don’t know.

Scott Cowan [00:41:23]:
I don’t think I’d call that a love letter. Anyways, that’s

Rochelle Robinson [00:41:26]:
what’s happening. And that’s yeah. That’s the thing about this idea of, a love letter to Hollywood or how we view Hollywood, you know, and it’s through a male lens. And so that would be quite interesting probably to to watch because it it might just be reaffirming what I already know and what I already believe. You know? I’m so curious what our world would look like will look like when women are at the forefront of storytelling.

Scott Cowan [00:41:55]:
Okay. So, ah, we’re gonna transition. I love that you’re helping me out. Let’s talk about Hamlit for a couple minutes.

Rochelle Robinson [00:42:04]:
Oh, yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:42:06]:
How did you come up with the name Hamlit? And it’s h a m l I t, folks. I’m not saying Hamlet like Shakespeare.

Rochelle Robinson [00:42:14]:
Correct.

Scott Cowan [00:42:15]:
Hamlet.

Rochelle Robinson [00:42:16]:
Yeah. I was I was a manager at Barnes and Noble a million years ago.

Scott Cowan [00:42:21]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:42:22]:
And, some of my friends love to write. I was writing, and I was like, well, what if I what if I start a little journal? And we we call it like Bellingham literature. And then I’m like, oh, wait. What if we call it Hamlit? And so that’s it was born, like, ten years before it actually arrived. And I kept the name. The person that I started the journal with liked the name as well, and this is it’s literally just a take on Bellingham literature. Mhmm. You love Washington.

Rochelle Robinson [00:42:53]:
I love Washington, and I love Bellingham. And I wanted to even back then, I wanted to find a way to help my friends become more confident in their writing and feel more confident in sending their writing out for others to read. And then I learned so much, in the writing community, and I learned so much about workshopping from, like, a community standpoint as well as an education standpoint. And my friends and fellow writers became my mentors and the desire to find a way to get them published more only increased. And so. The, yeah, the origin of Hamlit was always the same, and it’s just so beautiful how time can allow things to flourish and come to fruition even if it’s outside of our timeline. And that was definitely the case with Hamlit. And, yeah, we’re, just open actually, April 1 opened submissions for our ninth issue, monsoon season.

Rochelle Robinson [00:43:50]:
We follow the seasons, in our issues. So we did the the traditional four seasons, and then we did the solstices and the equinoxes, and now we’re moving into more far reaching, seasons like monsoon and hermattan will be next year. So

Scott Cowan [00:44:08]:
K.

Rochelle Robinson [00:44:08]:
We’re having a great time. It’s just the community is just growing. We’ve we’ve published over 50 authors and poets, and I’m working right now with an author who is publishing her first short story collection, and she was published in the very first issue of Hamlet. And so full circle five years later now, she’s publishing her first book, and it’s being a part of people’s stories in this way is literally the dream.

Scott Cowan [00:44:33]:
It’s very cool. And it’s very easy. I mean, starting a project, you know?

Rochelle Robinson [00:44:38]:
It it is actually. Okay. It act no. You know, like, it’s you kinda just have to start. But having the quality that I wanted to have as far as our graphics go and our website and the process for submission as well as just the building of the community, that is where the work is. Right?

Scott Cowan [00:44:57]:
So I have a question, and I’m not trying to be I have a let me just let me ask my question.

Rochelle Robinson [00:45:05]:
Sure.

Scott Cowan [00:45:05]:
And I’m reading here on the guidelines. By submitting, you attest that all work is original and in no way utilizes AI word processing, I e ChatGPT. Does that mean that an author could not use something like Grammarly to clean up their prose?

Rochelle Robinson [00:45:30]:
Editing is different than writing.

Scott Cowan [00:45:33]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:45:33]:
So origination, writing something your yourself is one piece of the process. Right? Mhmm. And the next step is the editing process, and you will anyone’s going to use different types of tools. Mhmm. They might have an editor or a a friend that they that they revere or that they trust to look over their work. They might utilize Grammarly. They might send a paragraph through AI and compare the difference between what they wrote and what AI wrote. And so often, the best is somewhere in the middle.

Rochelle Robinson [00:46:03]:
Because AI is gonna give some suggestions, especially around sentence structure, which is something I think that every writer struggles with, especially varying it and utilizing words in the in the order that’s gonna be the easiest to absorb as a reader.

Scott Cowan [00:46:18]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:46:19]:
So it does not mean that you cannot utilize tools to improve from the editing standpoint. But it would be such a shame if a story were just voiced into a program and then produced via that program because that’s not original. Even if the thoughts original, that’s not an original story because it wasn’t engineered by the human.

Scott Cowan [00:46:46]:
What steps do your reviewers take to check ContentNow for AI?

Rochelle Robinson [00:46:55]:
It’s pretty easy. You can put something in and ask computers if it’s AI generated.

Scott Cowan [00:46:59]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:47:00]:
It’s so it’s pretty strand standard. And we would only need to do that, in certain instances because it would only be if it were flagged. Like, if if I looked at this and I’m like, this is not we have repeat submitters. We have individuals who have been published multiple times, and we get a pretty good sense of how they write. Right. We also know that those writers aren’t going to be using AI. But if one did

Scott Cowan [00:47:22]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:47:23]:
I think, we would probably have a fairly keen eye or we would say, this is odd. This isn’t fitting with the flow. This these are not words that are normally used in standard writing, whatever that might look like, and then we could look it up. We’re not overly concerned about it. Mhmm. But anymore, when you’re a digital publication, you wanna include that clause.

Scott Cowan [00:47:44]:
Right.

Rochelle Robinson [00:47:46]:
You just it’s it’s it’s smart.

Scott Cowan [00:47:48]:
I agree. I was just curious. It it was just I was I was just because I read It’s

Rochelle Robinson [00:47:52]:
a great

Scott Cowan [00:47:52]:
question. Just curious how you how you handle that because we you know, for our for our website, same sort of thing. You know? It’s like, how do we do?

Rochelle Robinson [00:48:03]:
But and it it makes sense. There are also gonna be individuals who might throw an idea into chat GBT to help, create a layout, to help, structure the story. You know, there are planners and there are pantsters. Right? There are people who are gonna fly by the seat of their pants and write and just go, and then there are people who are going to write based on a structure. They’re going to have a plan in place. And sometimes, like, a pantster, someone who would normally just go for it is like, I need to map this out, but they don’t know how. And it can take many years to learn how to format a short story. And so I could see someone utilizing tools in that capacity, but then going through and writing the story themselves.

Rochelle Robinson [00:48:46]:
You know, I I’m not I don’t wanna create any type of shame around utilizing the tools that are now available to us. And I also just wanna keep encouraging people to trust their own voice.

Scott Cowan [00:48:58]:
Mhmm. I I think that’s and actually, I like that and that statement because having confidence to express yourself, whether it be in written word, speech, painting, whatever.

Rochelle Robinson [00:49:14]:
Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:49:15]:
You have to learn how to trust yourself and to have confidence that what you’re putting out is good enough to be put out, even if it’s even if it’s not great.

Rochelle Robinson [00:49:27]:
Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:49:27]:
We all start somewhere. Right? Absolutely. And I think the only way that we we get better is to you can practice in private. I don’t think you necessarily get as I don’t think you develop as quickly as if you practice in public. No.

Rochelle Robinson [00:49:41]:
You you don’t. And you don’t develop a skin either, to learn what feedback to to take

Scott Cowan [00:49:47]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:49:47]:
And what feedback to leave. And this can this applies to writing. This applies to filmmaking. Right. You know, it’s when we don’t have people in our corner to that we can reference, that can support us, when we don’t have people to look to to inspire us, then and and we’re doing it all in a closed circuit, you know, we’re not going to grow. And this can be said for, you know, we can look at the lack of, female directors and how that keeps other female directors from progressing maybe as quickly as they could because they don’t necessarily have the networking group. They don’t necessarily have the mentor. They don’t necessarily have have the support that they could have if they were a male director.

Rochelle Robinson [00:50:29]:
And when you’re talking about writing, the same is is is said for anyone who hasn’t yet found their writing group, who hasn’t found a workshop that they feel safe in, who is only in a workshop of people who think that giving feedback is rewriting someone’s story. Right? And so helping to inspire people to trust and honor their own voice, it’s it’s it it spreads to every single aspect of art, and we just need to keep championing, especially the voices that are less heard, that are less listened to, that are forgotten, that are erased.

Scott Cowan [00:51:04]:
I I well said.

Rochelle Robinson [00:51:08]:
Thanks.

Scott Cowan [00:51:08]:
So we’re gonna wrap this up. But I’m gonna leave in the show notes. I’m gonna leave links to the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival so they can get you know, listeners can go, and I encourage you all to go and take a look at the website Journey to Bellingham because in a couple seconds, we’re gonna give you a couple of other reasons to Journey to Bellingham. But, also, I’m gonna I’m gonna put a link to Hamlit in there as well so that people can check it out. And because I do believe that, you know, journals like yours and other things are incredibly valuable to people to help them get started. You know? Yep. Get just get get that wheel moving, and then it begins to pick up speed. And picking up speed is important, and so I drink a lot of coffee which transitions into the question I ask every guest.

Scott Cowan [00:51:55]:
So in Bellingham, where’s a great place for coffee?

Rochelle Robinson [00:52:02]:
There there are a few answers here, but I’m just gonna choose one because I know that’s your jam.

Scott Cowan [00:52:08]:
No. I might let you it gets coffee. We could we could talk the rest we could talk for hours on coffee, but let let’s just go with one. What’s where’s your go to?

Rochelle Robinson [00:52:15]:
Okay. So I think that the best cup of coffee in Bellingham is at the coffee shop, which serves Hammerhead Coffee. It’s right across the street from our co op down on Holly. And it’s they also do in house biscuits, like biscuit sandwiches, which is like a custom offering that they have that’s just them. And it’s a fully local business. Hammerhead was around for so long, and then the owners sold, moved on. And Mitch and Meredith took over, the coffee shop and have have made it their own while also honoring honoring, Hammerhead’s legacy. And it’s just a freaking good cup of coffee.

Rochelle Robinson [00:52:58]:
Like, pour over. Their drip is phenomenal. They do like a coffee smoothie. But I personally love, like, a split shot caramel latte with, like, coconut milk. That’s my jam.

Scott Cowan [00:53:10]:
That’s that’s for you, Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:53:11]:
That’s for me. But I also would love just a straight Americano from there because it’s just they they pull their shots perfectly.

Scott Cowan [00:53:18]:
Now now you you mentioned biscuits, which is food, but and and there’s nothing wrong with biscuits. There’s nothing wrong with biscuits at all. Anyway but how about lunchtime? Where’s a great place to grab lunch in in Bellingham?

Rochelle Robinson [00:53:33]:
Well, my favorite food in Bellingham is Fairhaven Poke.

Scott Cowan [00:53:37]:
It’s it’s

Rochelle Robinson [00:53:37]:
obviously in Fairhaven, and it’s just this little this little shop that has the most fresh poke. And I have a lot of food allergies, so I have to be really careful about the food I eat, and they are super allergy friendly. K. They even have vegan options for individuals who don’t wanna eat fish.

Scott Cowan [00:53:56]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:53:56]:
But yeah. No. Their ginger shoyu is to die for. And everyone who works there is kind, and it’s a easy space to eat in or just, like, to walk around. Downtown Fair Haven, historic Fairhaven is beautiful, and you get to a certain edge and you can see water, and it’s just the shops down there are amazing, and the businesses are hanging in strong. And so, yeah, Fairhaven Poke is my favorite my favorite food in Bellingham. A close second would be dumpling girls food truck at goods, which is a watering hole in the Fountain District. It’s a food truck, and they have bao buns.

Rochelle Robinson [00:54:34]:
They have, obviously, dumplings. I like the spicy chicken noodle soup because, like like I said, I have allergies. Right. And the family who runs the business, they are so wonderful, so delightful, and it’s, like, the most fresh, most delicious dumpling girls.

Scott Cowan [00:54:50]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:54:51]:
Try it.

Scott Cowan [00:54:52]:
Alright. Now I warned you when we did the pre interview call.

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:00]:
I don’t know what this question is.

Scott Cowan [00:55:02]:
I know. But you agreed you play along. Right?

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:04]:
I will play along. Yes. I agreed. I’m not taking that question.

Scott Cowan [00:55:07]:
Is you have to answer it, Okay. And you have to give your reason why. Okay. Alright? It’s very simple question. You ready? Yes. Cake or pie? Pie.

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:22]:
Pie because of the fruit. K. Because of the the freshness, I think, for me. Cake is very heavy, and I love cake. No. But pie

Scott Cowan [00:55:34]:
cake or pie?

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:35]:
Pie.

Scott Cowan [00:55:35]:
Cake or pie?

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:36]:
It’s pie. Alright. It’s pie.

Scott Cowan [00:55:38]:
What type of pie?

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:41]:
Key lime pie.

Scott Cowan [00:55:42]:
Key lime pie. Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:45]:
I also love a lemon meringue.

Scott Cowan [00:55:47]:
Oh, solid. So

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:49]:
Sort of like a cherry. Cherry is also divine.

Scott Cowan [00:55:52]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:53]:
With the brightness, the freshness. I love that’s what I love about pie.

Scott Cowan [00:55:56]:
Do you do you bake pies?

Rochelle Robinson [00:55:59]:
If I wanna eat pie, I have to bake the pie.

Scott Cowan [00:56:01]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:02]:
Because because I have my allergies.

Scott Cowan [00:56:04]:
Those are allergies.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:05]:
Yes. But absolutely.

Scott Cowan [00:56:06]:
I would like a good pie baker?

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:08]:
I am. Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:56:10]:
I I

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:11]:
haven’t made a pie in quite a long time, actually, but they’re pretty labor intensive.

Scott Cowan [00:56:16]:
Mhmm.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:17]:
Right. It’s easier to make cake.

Scott Cowan [00:56:19]:
Okay.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:20]:
Maybe not like a wedding cake. Right.

Scott Cowan [00:56:22]:
Right. Follow-up question on this. This is this I’ve been proven wrong lately. So, you know, my premise is that your decision is based on your childhood. Okay. So growing up as a kid, did you have more cake or pie at home? Was your family a cake family or a pie family?

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:43]:
It was kinda split down the middle. Okay. My dad is a huge rhubarb pie fan.

Scott Cowan [00:56:49]:
K.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:50]:
My sisters both love cake.

Scott Cowan [00:56:52]:
Interesting.

Rochelle Robinson [00:56:53]:
Alright. And my mom likes chocolate. So whatever the chocolate is, give give the chocolate. She’s Okay. She’s got a chocolate sweet tooth. Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:57:00]:
But

Rochelle Robinson [00:57:00]:
I always asked for for, like, a birthday. I asked for, like, angel food cake, like, spongy with strawberries. It’s like a strawberry angel food cake situation.

Scott Cowan [00:57:10]:
Right.

Rochelle Robinson [00:57:11]:
So even as a child, it didn’t ask for pie. But maybe because it doesn’t you don’t think of birthday and pie very often.

Scott Cowan [00:57:18]:
No. Not really. I it’s just my premise was I think people’s decision, if you will, their answer

Rochelle Robinson [00:57:24]:
Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:57:24]:
Is based on what they grew up with. And I’m being proven that I don’t think that’s actually holding up very well. Now what I get a kick out of in your answer is that you answered very quickly. Some people answer super emphatically with the answer, like, in your case, pie and cake is bronc. I mean, and just, like, boom. You don’t know.

Rochelle Robinson [00:57:48]:
Like, ew, gross.

Scott Cowan [00:57:49]:
Other people, you would have asked, you know, if I said, okay. Which hand do you want me to cut off? You know, like, they can’t answer. It’s just kind of funny to

Rochelle Robinson [00:57:58]:
So serious.

Scott Cowan [00:57:59]:
But it’s always interesting to hear people’s decision on cake or pie and which one. Key lime’s been mentioned before. Cherry, of course, has been mentioned. Lemon meringue has been mentioned. So nothing you but those weren’t I mean, honestly, Apple’s the one that everyone not everyone. A lot of people go,

Rochelle Robinson [00:58:18]:
oh, Apple. Sure. Of course.

Scott Cowan [00:58:19]:
And then and then I just disconnect from people. If they say pumpkin, I just hang up. I just kill the call. I mean, that’s I don’t tell you that. I just but it’s you know, I abruptly I abruptly just disconnect. No. Just kidding.

Rochelle Robinson [00:58:28]:
It’s funny. I no. I don’t even think of pumpkin as a pie unless we’re talking about Thanksgiving.

Scott Cowan [00:58:33]:
Yeah. See that.

Rochelle Robinson [00:58:34]:
It’s funny. It doesn’t even come to mind as a pie. It comes to mind as a dessert for Thanksgiving.

Scott Cowan [00:58:39]:
Yeah.

Rochelle Robinson [00:58:39]:
That’s funny. I’ve never put it in that context of my brain before.

Scott Cowan [00:58:42]:
Okay. Well, thank you for sitting down with me. I really appreciate your involvement with the with the film festival. I think it’s it’s great that the organization’s built a strong team nine years in a row of doing this, probably who knows how many more in the future. Right? I I don’t see you running out of steam as an organization. I just see you, like, actually building more momentum. Mhmm. And so I’m glad that we got a chance this year for second year to to talk to somebody from the festival.

Scott Cowan [00:59:15]:
And, yeah, I would love to, you know, hear your your feedback on on this year’s, festival. You know, just shoot me an email. Let me know how it went. I’m always curious how how things go because I didn’t ask you the the question I I tend to ask, which is what went wrong? You know, what did we learn from? Because I think people learn you know, when things go wrong, I think we learn something. Yeah. But I kinda spun that on you. What what were you not looking forward to? Kind of the same sort of, like Yeah. Thing.

Scott Cowan [00:59:41]:
And I appreciate the fact that you admitted you take naps. I mean, kudos to you. I think that’s awesome. I mean, I well, here’s the thing. In all seriousness, I mean, yes. I’m kinda teasing it. But in all seriousness, if you’re an introvert and the batteries get drained

Rochelle Robinson [00:59:56]:
Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:59:56]:
And you don’t know how to recharge them Mhmm. Life can be really exhausting.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:02]:
Very much so.

Scott Cowan [01:00:03]:
And then people wonder why they’re exhausted all the time.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:07]:
Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [01:00:09]:
It sounds like you’ve figured out that, okay. I’m gonna burn this energy. Mhmm. I need to recharge. Yep. And this is how I can do it.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:17]:
Oh, well, for sure. Thank you, Scott. Thank you. Yeah. Affirmations on being the insured that I am. I appreciate that so much.

Scott Cowan [01:00:24]:
Well, I will let you go because you’ve got a festival to plan.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:27]:
It’s true. We’re it’s coming up quick. And, yeah, I would love to chat about all of the things we learned.

Scott Cowan [01:00:33]:
Yes. I would really we should do a, you know, a, a recap of that. I yeah.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:37]:
Excellent. That sounds great.

Scott Cowan [01:00:39]:
So thank you so much.

Rochelle Robinson [01:00:40]:
Thank you, Scott. Have a good day.