'One Love' official photo.
The 'Dam Short Film Festival' was a great place to see imaginative, fresh films.
Check the categories and winners here.
The best of the festival (in my opinion) was a gem of a film entitled 'One Love."
In "One Love" we meet four couples at the end of the process of having a baby. People of all different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The day your child is born should be the happiest day of your life. Reality is always different from human expectations.
This 15 minute long film shows life without benefit of cushion, no protection from hard truths.
Lucy (Vanessa Matsui) is a young woman, who is expecting a baby she dosen't want.
Joe (Jon-Paul Khouri) is an innocent bystander who comes to the rescue for Lucy.
Olivia (Polly Shannon) (Polly wanted to do this film so bad, she paid her own flight to the set.) Olivia and her husband are at the hospital having their first child.
Jeff (Josh Kimmel) (producer,) plays Polly's husband, a father to be.
Eric (Russel Yuen) originally at the hospital for an injury, Eric and his pregnant wife, are soon facing something else all together.
Sue-Lin (Linlyn Lue) Eric's wife.
Malcolm (Benz Antoine) (also a producer on this film.) Malcolm and his wife are at the hospital for a baby.
Alicia (Natacha Noel) Malcolm's long suffering wife.
Dr. Gibb (Larry Day) Delivers babies at the hospital.
Head Nurse (Emma Stevens) Assists the doctor.
It's very rare to see a short that is so complete, "One Love" feels like a full length feature film. The story line is tight, no film is wasted, every second is instrumental to the tale.
Made in Montreal, QC, Canada, the cast and crew have years of experience between them. Director Daniel-James Martrundola, has been a producer and director and many projects. Josh Kimmel who produces and also plays Jeff, is not only a veteran of many films and TV shows he is also CEO and president of 'Running Hook Pictures." Actor/producer Benz Antoine has done many films including "Death Race," "Gothica," and "Romeo Must Die." He plays Malcolm in the film.
Other crew members:
John Ashmore director of photography.
Paola Ridolfi production designer
Bruno Rosato and Mike Migliara served as casting directors.
Lastly, and certainly not least are the writers, two women who were chosen for their passion as mothers and talent as writers, Denise and Victoria. Both women are mothers and brought a woman's perspective to the story. Several other writers were attached to this project before these two talented writers were chosen.
"One Love" is set to be a full-length film, with filming starting later this year. These short little tales will be examined in full. However, like the short and like life itself, don't expect a nice tidy little bow around the stories.
The chance to see this film should not be passed up.
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