FIL-AM is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look – here’s my spoiler-free take:
Short-films are hard. Filmmakers usually have the odds stacked against them. From low-budgets, inexperienced actors, and trying to capture the audience’s attention and have them feel some sort of empathy in a limited amount of time is a daunting task. That’s why when a short like FIL-AM effortlessly moves you as an audience in under fifteen minutes, it quickly becomes a film you don’t want to “dip” out on.
That’s all, thanks to writer/director Ralph Torrefranca. He’s able to get the most from A MAN ON THE INSIDE’s Deuce Basco, who turns in a soulful performance as Jonah, the down-on-his-luck teen who’s having to decide on whether he can “offer his mom grace.”
This proof-of-concept might center on a Filipino family, yet the themes of teenage angst and resistance to change are universal. Jonah’s journey is intertwined with his Filipino-American identity, adding a unique layer to the film’s narrative. In Jonah, I saw some of the same struggles my family is going through with a teenager who pushes back on everything we say. Those years aren’t easy, and it’s encouraging to see how Torrenfranca uses those themes in his short film while also exploring what it means to be ‘American.’
Final Thought: Before FIL-AM, I didn’t know who Ralph Torrefranca was. After the film, I can’t wait to see what he makes next.
FIL-AM premieres at SBIFF on Sat 2/7 – 8:40 PM
