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  • The Sequestered Film Fest

The Sequestered Film Festival

ORIGIN STORY

In  mid-March of 2020, I was one of thousands of performers in NYC who lost gig after gig to COVID-19 closures. Quarantined in my Queens  apartment, I  was nervous about my acting career, my collaborative  relationships and my ability to keep growing as  an artist.  I watched  my friends getting stir-crazy, especially those who are high risk for  COVID-19, and I wanted to find a way everyone could  keep creating and  growing, no matter their health or mobility  restrictions. 
 

I started The Sequestered: A Micro Short Online Film Festival with a few parameters: submissions must be 1-5 minutes long, be created   in quarantine in a week, and be shot on a phone. No experience or fee  necessary - accessibility was key.
 

Within  seven days, we had our very first screening with 10 original short  films.  By the festival's last round in 2021, 400+ short films have been created from all over the world, and a number have been recognized in competitive  festivals.


My  goal was to give people - myself included- a creative outlet. An excuse  to keep hands and minds busy, if health allows it, and an opportunity  to take control in an overwhelming time. Even if just for 1 to 5  minutes.


Yours in isolation,

Annie-Sage Whitehurst


Check out the festival through Archive.org

Because web hosting is expensive but archiving is beautiful
The Sequestered Film Fest

Other People Talking About The Sequestered

"Actors Leveling Up" Interview

The  Work's "Actors Leveling Up: Actors Doing Creative Things in Crazy Times" Interview Series - Annie-Sage Whitehurst  talks to Ayelet Firstenberg and Timothy Huls about The Sequestered, motivation and creation in  quarantine.

Interview on DHAP Show Podcast with Dennis Holden

Dennis Holden and Annie-Sage Whitehurst talk about watching old movies and making new ones during the COVID-19 Quarantine.

Feature on CityHeadshots Blog and Newsletter

Feature on CityHeadshots Blog and Newsletter

​Martin Bentsen, founder & NJ studio photographer, highlights The Sequestered Film Festival's draw for new filmmakers.

Official Members of The Sequestered

Alex Wesser  @alexwesser

(1) submission 

Brooklyn, NYC

Anasuya Samanta   @anasuya_samanta

(8) submissions

West Bengal, India     

Andy Shartzer @djasharp 

(1) submission

Ankur Roy 

(3) submissions:

West Bengal, India

Anna Cameron  @annacameronart

(2) submissions

New York, NY

Annie-Sage Whitehurst @anniehyphensage 

(13) submissions

Queens, NY

Arkanshu Boral

(2) submissionss

West Burdwan, India

Ashleigh Becker @abexeffects

(1) submission

Okatie, SC

Ashley Kristeen Vega  @ashleykristeenvega

(2) submissions

New York, NY

Azaelia Lewis 

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Benjamin Dunn  @dunnjamin 

(2) submissions

Los Angeles, CA

Billy Gaffney

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Brett Joffe  @bajoffe

(1) submission

Brookly, NY

Caroline Avery Granger @carolineaverygranger

(6) submissions

Atlanta, GA

Charlotte + Christopher + Denise + Alex Ankersen

(16) submissions

New York, NY

Chloe Burns @cebcity

(1) submission

Kansas City, MI

Clara Cole  @clara___cole

(1) submission:

Brooklyn, NY

Coley Campany and Adam Lendermon   @coleycampany @ahimsafit 

(1) submission

Stone Mountain, GA

Corie Miller

(1) submission

Corinne Britti

(1) submission

Dan Burdman

(1) submission

Dana Shulman  + Giancarlo Osaben 

@onedanaatatime | @osabenkenobi

(1) submission

New York, NY

Danielle Tarmey  @TarmeyDanielle 

(1) submission

Darby Puckett

(2) submissions

Queens, NY

Devon Talbott @devontalbott

(1) submission

New York, NY

Donovan Santiago @donovantps

Member of the Ten-Timer's Club

(37) submissions, all of them!

Brooklyn, NY

Emily Carroll

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Ester T. Ferman 

(9) submissions

Asheville, NC

Helen McKenzie Ross @helenmckenzieross

(1) submission

Bristane, Australia

Henry Sobel

(1) submission

Illinois

Irina Varina

(1) submission

Isabella Jane Schiller

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Isabella Shaffer 

(1) submission

Santa Monica, CA

James Schwartz

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Jesse Judy

(1) submission

Jessica Brynn Cohen

(2) submission

Austin, TX

Jianzi Colón-Soto @jiancoso

(3) submissions

Queens, NY

Jinna Kim with Kirk Halliburton and Ella Dorsch  @jinnazkim @kirkhalliburton  @_elladorsch_actor 

(4) submissions

Charlotte, NC

Jocelyn Zadrozny

(8) submissions

Queens, NY

Joey Brock  @joeybrockart

(1) submission

Dallas, TX

Joan Kubicek  @Home_Sweet_Joan

(1) submission

Los Angeles, CA

John Hoffman @johnroberthoffman 

(5) submissions

Queens, NY

Jonathon Saiia 

(2) submissions

Brooklyn, NY

Julian Michael

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Katie McCarty

(1) submission

Kristina Stasi  @stasi.kristina

(1) submission

Camarillo, CA

Laura Kay  @laurakay813

(2) submissions

New York, NY

Laurel Anderson + Joe Raik

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Lisa Whitten  @liliwit

(14) submissions

Maggie Metnick  @magnadoodler

(4) submissions

Brooklyn, NY

Manojit Roy

(1) submission

West Bengal, India

Mara Lee Gilbert

(1) submission

Queens, NY

Marie Wilson  @sugarduk

(1) submission

Toronto, CA

Mark Arce  @mark_arce1

(1) submission

Brooklyn, NY

Mark Shock  @markshocknyc

(2) submissions

New York, NY

Matthais Sundberg

(1) submission

London, England

Maura E. Sateriale

(3) submissions

Queens, NY

Meg Pickarski

(1) submission

Megan Magee   @meganmageenyc

(7) submissions

Queens, NY

Megan Maloney @a.meg.jpeg

(1) submission

Queens, NY

Merry Rose + Kenji Hurlburt

(1) submission

Micah Micais

(4) submissions

Queens, NY

Mike Brown

(1) submission

New York, NY

Mike Dowd  @mikedowdcomedy

(11) submissions

New York, NY

Miranda Roldan

(1) submission

Mitesh Take

(1) submission

India

Nathan Leigh  @nathanleighsays 

(2) submissions

Chatham, MA

Nick Grippi

(1) submission

Medford, NY

Nick Ligotino

(1) submission

Bronx, NY

Nicola Lambo

(1) submission

Nicole Orbana @knuckle_sando

(2) submissions

Chatham, MA

ohkeys

(1) submission

Olga Kuznetsova  @Olga3Kuznetsova 

(3) submissions

Bethesda, MD

Omar Perez

(1) submission

Pablo Velez

(1) Submission

Parker Damm

(1) submission

Paul Wallace (@paul_wallace37) + Annette Alcala (@creativelyannette)

(1) submission

Astoria, Queens

Peter Leake  @banzaipeter

(1) submission

Atlanta, GA

Piper Sobel @piper_sobel

(3) submissions

Illinois

Putul Roy

(1) submission

West Bengal, India

Rabindranth Tagore 

(1) submission

West Bengal, India

Ray Keilman

(1) submission

Reed Sellers  @reedcsellers

(2) submissions

Atlanta, GA

Roetta-Lee Smith

(2) submissions

Queens, NY

RoseMarie Duvall Monan

(1) submission

Carborro, NC

Ryland Sobel

(1) submission

Illinois

Sal Joseph  @sald0gg

(1) submission

Queens, NY

Samantha Merrick  @samanthamerrick18

Member of the Ten-Timer's Club

(12) submissions

Brooklyn, NY

Sarah Lally  @fairlygrimm

(1) submission

Queens, NY

Sarah Leigh @sarahleighactor

(1) submission

London, UK

Sarah Street + Shane Allen  @therealsarahstreet @whatadamnshane

(2) submissions

Brooklyn, NY

Shelby Schill with Brian and Len Skiena

(1) submission

Seattle, WA

Steve Mize  @stevemize_la

(8) submissions

Los Angeles, CA

Sylvia Czubarrow

(2) submissions

Sylvie Sadarnac @Sylvie.Sadarnac

(9) submissions

Chicago, IL

Tali de Assis @tali_deassis

Member of the Ten-Timer's Club

(12) submissions

New York, NY

Taryne Kellogg + Danny Mayer

(2) submissions

Queens, NY

Tucker Johnson

(1) submission

Will Whitehurst  @_whitehurst

(2) submissions

New York, NY

While this project is about a community, it was run by one person. I managed all the submissions,  created all the graphics, launched the marketing  and outreach,  chose each prompt, created laurels for the participants, and gave suggestions on where to look for resources and their next steps. 


The Sequestered made absolutely no money during the time it was running.  and, much to the confusion of those around me, I had no desire to monetize it. 


To everyone who submitted, supported, followed along, celebrated or cringed - 


None of this would have been possible without you. 


Thank you for making it all worth it. 

-AS

Copyright © 2026 Annie-Sage Whitehurst - All Rights Reserved.

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