Shannon Meilak
ARTIST // FILMMAKER // JOURNALIST
Beyond The Pointy Hat
'Beyond The Pointy Hat' is as short documentary film directed and produced by Shannon Meilak. The film follows 4 everyday people on a journey to discover not just what witchcraft is, but more importantly, what it is not.
Watch now on Amazon Prime!
The film has received the following awards and recognition:
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
'Bedford International Film Festival'
BRONZE AWARD WINNER
WINNER Best Student Film
NOMINATIONS
FINALIST
'POP International Film Festival'
SEMI-FINALIST
'Small Axe @ Tolpuddle Radical Film Festival'
'LIFFT India Filmostav World Cine Fest'
'Kathmandu World Film Festival'
'Festival Internacional de Cine de Yécora'
'Guiones La Nova Films'
OFFICIAL SELECTION
'Rome Independent Prisma Awards'
'Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival'
'Miami Independent Film Festival'
'CoSM Women's Visionary Film Symposium'
'Newlyn International Film Festival'
'Louisiana LGBT Film Festival'
'Idlewild International Film Festival'
'Under The Stars International FilmFest'
'Melbourne Underground Film Festival'
'Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes'
'The 2020 Mosaic Film Festival'
'Golden Tree International Documentary Festival'
'Twin Tiers International Film Festival'
'Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival'
Synopsis
Witches are often portrayed a wart faced hags, riding around on broomsticks and adding eye of newt to their bubbling cauldron. But, have you ever met a real witch? Join four everyday Australians as they embark on a journey of truth, joining one very friendly witch and her coven, for a night of magick and ritual.
Director's Statement
As a Wiccan I have certainly experienced my fair share of discrimination due to my beliefs and am troubled by the terrified reactions that some still exhibit when I tell them that I am a witch. I have heard more Pagans than I ought to, complain that they are sick and tired of people stereotyping them, often spewing absurdist comments and comparing them to some cliché pop-culture reference. Furthermore, I continue to hear from many Pagans that they feel misunderstood and underrepresented.
This is the reason that I was inspired to make this documentary. Many documentaries on community television stations and online channels have attempted to tell the story of the witch, either through the eyes of this growing community or through the eyes of evangelicals. None have sort to seek the opinion of everyday non-pagans and invite them to a coven ritual.
I think it is imperative that Pagans understand that they can be their own worst enemy, assuming that people are unwilling to accept them and that their continued secrecy, no matter the underlying reason, could be why so many are yet to learn what witchcraft really is. By opening a coven ritual to non-pagan members of the public and documenting their experiences, I hope to help my audience better understand who witches are and accept them in the wider community.
Reviews
Idlewild International Film Festival
Beyond the Pointy Hat is a clever detailed introductory look into the practice of Wicca. In this creative short film by Filmmaker Shannon Meilek, she comically reveals some of the positive benefits of witchcraft and nature in a way that will have audiences laughing and questioning all that they thought they knew about the practice. This is a must see short that appeals to audiences young and old.
- Tinisha Brugnone
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
"Shannon Meilak brings a personal, idiosyncratic style to her documentary - Beyond the Pointy Hat - a look at witchcraft in Australia. Shannon should be applauded for her honesty and openness in telling this very personal story..."
Wandering Reel Traveling Film Festival
"So interesting! Informative and intimate and rooted in love! Super thought -provoking and compassionate!"
Utah Film Festival & Awards
"The short movie is fun and interesting. It takes on the subject of witches and how people visualize what witches are. Through the movie Beyond the Pointy Hat, Shannon Meilak has effectively showed how wickers truly are. The movie’s subject is different but very informative. It is interesting and you would truly want to know more of how good witches are what they really do. Through this movie, more people will be able to understand how wickers are. It will enlighten the minds of the people that witches do exist and they are not really the bad ones being portrayed in many horror films."
Short Focus Film Festival/Frame Light
"... Shedding light on a subject that’s so rarely discussed outside of Pottermore, Shannon Meilak’s film tackles some of the most basic FAQs about modern witchcraft....
What really stands out is how ordinary it all appears - more like a wellbeing retreat than a pagan cult. Imagine getting burnt at the stake for downloading Headspace..."
Please CLICK HERE to read the FULL REVIEW from 'Frame Light' on their website.
"...really well made and entertaining. Especially being a doc filmmaker myself, I really enjoyed it. You have a good style and voice..."
- Chip Hale
Melbourne Women in Film Festival
"We love the focus on Wicca and the strength of the women's voices throughout the doco, and we also appreciated the aim of breaking the stereotypes surrounding Wicca and witches - an important message..."
- Sian
"The film was clever, creative and shot well with good editing... Congratulations on creating a great film..."
- T. Marc Newell
"The participants all leave with a nuanced understanding of witches and their practices, and are able to see how witchcraft relates to their own lives. Just like the participants, I left the documentary viewing with a new perspective and an opened mind..."
Please CLICK HERE to read the FULL REVIEW from 'American Insight' on their website.
"Your film is well made and provides an engaging snapshot and introduction to Wicca. It is very well paced and has a really humorous introduction that draws you in to the discovery of the subject matter."
- Stephen Ryan
"You had fascinating subjects, you had a subject matter that I had a lot of preconceived notions about no actual knowledge of and you presented it in a way that was paced perfectly but it was funny as well."
- Jesse Weeden
Further Information
Technical information for the film can be found on the film's IMDb page. Film Festivals interested in inviting the film to participate and who are registered, can view the film at one of the sites below.
