BLOCK 2 - SHORT NARRATIVE FILMS

IL VESTITO (THE SUIT)

Directed by Maurizio Ravallese

This isn’t a short film based on social denunciation. It is not even a tearful fairy tale about a good-hearted immigrant who finds fortune. It is only a story about feelings: a brief episode aimed at moving the spectator, while transmitting an element of surprise. The objective is to show that interior turmoil goes beyond racial, ethnic and sexual differences. Therefore, since the story has a universal meaning, I deliberately omitted names of cities or made precise references.

The plot is linear. Firstly, the introduction of the character of Amed. He is a young immigrant who barely speaks Italian and works at a laundry. Secondly, the encounter with Massimo. Amed sees a man in a wedding suit who is throwing up near a car full of white bows. The boy follows the stranger, steals his suit, but when the main tracks him down he confesses to the groom that he is going to get married and so he decides not to hurt him. Finally, the punitive mission that Massimo entrusts Amed with. The boy has to go to a coffee shop, slap a man named Mauro and give him a briefcase containing a mes-sage. The contents of this note will reveal Massimo’s story. Once Amed has carried out his mission, he will receive his reward.

The focus of the story is mainly on Amed played by Danilo Arena. The character of Massimo, played by Christian Iansante, on the other hand, is an antagonist who intentionally remains a figure shrouded in mystery. At the beginning we don’t even see his face. When Amed is caught, Massimo looks death-ly ill. Throughout the rest of the film, the impression given is that he is a negative figure: he appears to be a drug addict who spends his days vomiting and living in a squalid house full of needles. The task he has given Amed doesn’t seem to make any sense and the boy is even mistaken for a terrorist and beaten up. Only after the briefcase has been opened do we find out who Massimo really is: a princess who has been seduced and abandoned. A lonely, sick man who was in love with a hypocrite. It’s the story of a defeated man who punishes his beloved. I wanted to play with the element of surprise con-nected to the character’s homosexuality without turning the idea of diversity into something pathetic. Before the end of film, nothing made us suspect that Massimo was a homosexual. The main idea of the short film is based on the preconceived notion that when we see a wedding car we immediately think of a bride. It never crosses our mind that the bride could be a man. The director’s style is realistic but not intrusive. The shoulder-supported camera is not extreme and is used in the service of the film.

Puppy Love

Directed by Darren Heard

Beetle, the typical around the way kid, has a huge crush on his favorite R&B singer "Crystal". While listening to the radio, the DJ announces a contest that will get him up, close and personal with the singer but the only way to win the tickets is to call in. The problem is, his phone does not work. Beetle has to figure out a way to get to the love of his life in this coming of age drama about what is was like when you first experienced love. 

Director Statement

Have you ever been in Love? I'm not talking about the kind of Love that comes with duties and responsibilities. No work, no kids, no, I have to be somewhere in the morning, so we have to go home kind of Love. I'm talking about the type of Love that you go to sleep thinking about and wake up in the morning to pursue. It's your only reason for living. I'm talking about that real, pure, unjaded Love. That time when you had no idea what you were feeling Love. That's the only time when it was genuine, and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get it back again. Everybody experienced it at some point; I don't care who you are, where you come from, what your ethnicity or religious preference is. Those raw feelings inspired Puppy Love.

Wake From Death & Return To Life

Directed by Andrew Ferrer, Javier Gonzalez

Revelation, Alabama

Directed by Glenn Payne

 In the short-film Revelation, Alabama, you will find a Southern-fried recipe for inspiring positive change. It is a film with a powerful, inspirational message that reveals universal truths in how we can overcome personal adversity.

An air of mystery surrounds the town of Revelation when down-and-out banker turned biker Dex Burns stumbles into the incongruous diner. He meets Angeline Harper, the angelic waitress who takes him on a journey of self-discovery. Through their insightful, often contentious and humorous dialog, Dex leaves town with a renewed spirit determined to travel the road to a better life, yet questioning whether the town really exists, or if the events were played out in his own psyche. The film is filled with subtle subliminal messages, both visual and vocal, which add to the surrealism of the place. Can you find them all?

Stories of heartbreak and redemption never go out of style. By submitting to prominent film festivals we hope this story will reach anyone who is at a crossroads in their life. It's a tale of a soul in limbo, something we can all relate to at one point or another. We were fortunate that Sony and BD Music granted us the rights to use the original 1965 version of Bob Dylan's, It’s Alright Ma, (I’m Only Bleeding). Dylan has stated that this is one of his songs that means the most to him. The music provides an inspiring segue from Angeline's parting remarks: "Remember, Dex. If you ain't busy being born, you’re busy dying." Legend has it that Dylan would not let Peter Fonda use this version of the song in the movie Easy Rider. This is a bit of a coup for us to be granted use of the original version in Revelation, Alabama. We hope the story will connect with you as strongly as it has with us.

Aquarium

Directed by  Lorenzo Puntoni

Lucy

Directed by Roberto Gutierrez

Parru pi tia / In your place

Directed by Giuseppe Carleo

A Visit W/ Pearl

Preston visits his wife's grave and makes an unexpected friend.

Obsession

Directed by Gerald J Godbout III

Obsession is a dangerous and destructive emotion and tonight Mandy will find out how deadly it can be.