Finding Out, Letting Know, Realising - IIFF4

Somebody's Mom

"After five years, six IFVs, and 30 pounds, I don’t have to tell a lot of people that we’re infertile. This song is about how infertility makes me feel like an outsider, that what I look like isn’t who I am, and who I am isn’t who I am going to be." There's very little I can add about this music video by Sarah Motes Ashley and Somebody's Band except to say watch it! And thanks to Sarah for sharing with us the experience of not yet being somebody's mum. There's plenty more on the song and video - as well as space to leave a comment - here.

Realizing

JJ's full entry is here. "Over the span of time that Mook and I have known each other, we have come to realize many special things about each other, our relationship, and our hopes & dreams. We realize (without a doubt) that our biggest hope and dream is: to become parents."

Letting Know

This one's from me. A lot of people like to keep their infertility a secret, but if you're feeling strong enough, it's worth letting others know - just in case one of them comes to understand.

Since we had such a small field this time, I don't have a poll. But you can still leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Third International Infertility Film Festival - Halloween Special

Vee and Max have outdone themselves again, displaying some beautiful artwork and a very appropriate story in The Recipe.

Mel and Josh bring us Uterinus's Law - a film about the scariest part of infertility: the feeling that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

And from Amy comes In Memoriam - a tale of hope and loss, telling the story of her first IVF and a miscarriage.

Baby Can You Hear Me? is Jen's story of secondary infertility and the baby who seems so real, yet so far away.

Finally, my entry is The Infertilimonster - a suspenseful film about the most frightening beastie of all...

This was a difficult theme. Don't forget to leave a comment for our participants (either here or on their site) and vote in the Audience Choice Poll below!

Second International Infertility Film Festival - Seasons

Midnight! Welcome to the Second International Infertility Film Festival, based around the theme "Seasons". Our entrants have all put a great effort in, so I hope you enjoy the show. The Awards Ceremony will be held here on the 11th of August - giving you two weeks to vote for the People's Choice Award and otherwise put your two cents' worth in at the bottom of this post. Alchemy Cordial Company has generously donated three bottles of Love for our winners! But first, the entries:

KarenO brings us Season Of Hope - a beautiful film about hope, based on an inspirational poem by Miradied.

Spring Clean is my based-on-a-true-story video about loss, grief, and trying again. And scrubbing the kitchen floor with a toothbrush.

Jen gives us a beautiful insight into the strength of a relationship through the toughest days, in Infertility Journey - When The Rain Comes.

Karaoke Diva has an entry called Seasons of Love, to the song (from "Rent") by the same name. How do you measure a year in the life of an infertility patient?

Vee (and Max) have given us Spring - a beautiful song about pregnancy and loss, with gorgeous artwork to match.

Seasons of Hope and Despair is Pamela's collage of the emotions of infertility - the anticipation of a new treatment and the devastation of a failure.

Stirrup Queen and emerging songstress Melissa has a two-part entry. Mother Earth's Flower Shop is a song which helps explain alternative methods of family-building to young children. The same audience can gain an insight into loss through What The Gardner Knows. Bring tissues.

Seaons of Infertility is Z's entry in which she gives us a glimpse into the oh-so-involved process, before making her triumphant proclamation at the end.

Jenna gives us the R-rated version of a date with Dildocam - for over eighteens only - in Me and DC (check the sidebar). Then, in I Remember, she tells us of the best and worst days of her life.

For snappy music and great scenery, check out Jules' Nothing Will Stop Us. It's great to hear some toe-tapping confidence.

And there's a happy ending to Scott and Michele P's story of infertility, IVF, loss, and later successful pregnancy of identical twins in Seasons.


Like the show? Then Help Promote The Festival - on your websites, message boards, wherever!

And don't forget to vote for your favourite below. (I'd like to remind you that a vote for my film is a vote for environmental preservation and thriftiness, as I won't have to post one of the bottles of Love, but that wouldn't be fair, would it?)

First International Infertility Film Festival - Our Long-Awaited Entries

The entries for the First International Infertility Film Festival, in no particular order...

Mel and Josh will make you laugh with a cartoon character you're sure to recognise. Go on over to watch "My Aunt Jane Knows More Than My RE".

Zinnia brings us "Our Story" - a tale of loss and hope, untold gain, and a journey not yet completed.

Max and Vee (the same ones who came up with our logo) have some fantastic imagery in their entry "If We Scream". It's a snappy piece which packs a lot in about the transition from innocence and excitement into the frightening rollercoaster world of infertility.

Jules brings us "I'm Here Without You Baby" - a sad song, filled with longing - and "There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel" - a more upbeat piece which conveys the spirit of hope. Family and friends will find information and advice mixed in with both of these, too.

For those who need a dash of encouragement, Dramalish shows us her joy at finally becoming a parent. Her film contains heartfelt words of inspiration for those who need something to hang onto.

Serenity introduces us to her ghost child in "The Rocking Chair" - a piece of furniture that sits waiting in the room which will one day be a nursery.

If you think fun should be educational, Watson has the perfect set of entries. Her three videos go through the process of mixing IVF medications. As she says in her film, she's not a professional - but she did make it successfully to embryo transfer.

Some say the worst of infertility treatment comes with "The Horrors Of A Two Week Wait". Miss Chris gives us her video diary from her wait in November.

DI Dad, Eric, has always had many thought-provoking things to say about donor conception. In "My World" he gives us not only his, but many points of view on donor conception. His second entry, "My Fears", is a candid expression of the concerns he faces as a dad to children conceived through donor insemination, and how those concerns have evolved over time.

Over at the Technostork site you can view the trailer for this feature-length documentary which follows several infertile couples through their IVF journey.

Teamwinks gives us her biography of infertility so far in "Finding Hope". It's a brave film about smiling through the heartache and moving forward despite the setbacks.

"Nor Will I Ever Let You Go" is the name of the tribute Karaoke Diva has put together for her little Bean, lost before birth, who will never be forgotten.

No less heartfelt is the entry by Anna who tells us her story of infertility followed by loss, which asks infertility's constant question: "Where do we go from here?"

For my part, I've prepared two entries. The first is "Untitled Accoustic Country Blues Song" - a melancholy music video about how an infertile woman in the depths of her grief relates to the fertile community around her. The second is "Taxi Ride" - a slideshow of photos provided by bloggers around the world - from Europe and America to Australia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. I'm glad you're on my side.

Finally, the entry which kicked it all off. "A Seasonal Reminder" was posted by myself back in mid-December - but is good advice for family and friends at any time of year.