"Moonbound" (Harris-Dore, 2025) - Review (10th Femme Filmmakers Festival)

Written by Andie Kaiser

Eva Harris-Dore’s Moonbound is a sparkling coming-of-age short that knows exactly the kind of film it wants to be. Opening with a really fun, stylized montage that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the film, it introduces us to Lila (Favour Unadike), the newest arrival at a school for teenage witches. In this opening scene, as well as in others, snapshots are seen of the central characters’ bedrooms. Among the decorations on display are posters of Mazzy Star and of several films: The Virgin Suicides, Daisies, and Jennifer’s Body, just to name a few. These little details prove just how dedicated the film is to its signature style—by including such references, Moonbound signals to viewers that it is in conversation with a canon of films that tackle the experience of being a teenage girl.

Other stylistic aspects of the short only add to this theme. It boasts wonderful makeup and overall styling, with the whimsigoth aesthetic becoming immediately apparent through characters’ layered, flowing outfits. And while there is certainly an overall style to the film, each character maintains their own individuality, with unique makeup or hair choices that allow their personalities to shine within the short runtime. The effects and camerawork also complemented this witchy theme, with fade transitions used between scenes. While this might usually take the viewer out of the story, I found that it worked quite well given the context of spells and “awakening” from their effects. Even the scenes of potion-mixing employed colour effects, subtly added to immerse us in the magical world of the school.

Ultimately, the story functions as an upbeat coming-of-age, with a throughline of magic and romance. It keeps things light, offering the viewer a sweet story about girls connecting with each other through their shared passion for witchcraft. I was immediately on board with this film and was really rooting for our central duo. If you like witches, great fashion, or stories about girlhood, Moonbound will certainly make you smile.

"The Femme Filmmakers Festival was conceived out of sheer human nature. Or at least, the kind of passion for a greater awareness of the female filmmakers that also reside on this planet. As Filmotomy has always striven to shine lights on the corners of the film world that simply don’t get the attention like the bigger guns do, setting up an exclusive event to celebrate these women and their movies seemed inevitable."

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Photos: Filmotomy