The Secret Friend
| The Secret Friend | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Flavio Alves |
| Produced by | |
| Screenplay by | Flavio Alves |
| Story by | João Silvério Trevisan (short story) |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Jack Woodbridge |
| Cinematography | Adam McDaid |
| Editing by |
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| Release date(s) | June 27, 2010 (Palm Springs) |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language |
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The Secret Friend is a 2010 comedy-drama film based on the 1997 short story of the same name by Brazilian writer João Silvério Trevisan.[1] The film, directed by Flavio Alves, features Viola Harris and Siobhan Fallon in the major roles.[2] The film differs substantially from the original short story, which initially created some tension between the writer and the director.[3]Filming took place in early 2009, mainly in Brooklyn, New York, and debuted at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival,[4] where it was chosen as Best of the Fest.[5] The film centers around the character and life of Anna Marshall, a lonely, elderly widow living in a suburb of New York City, who develops a mysterious friendship with a silent caller.[6] Although a screenplay for a feature version of the short film was written, as of 2011, it has not been officially greenlit.[7]
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[edit] Plot
A reclusive, elderly widow, Anna Marshall, lives in quiet desperation following her husband’s death until she begins receiving daily phone calls from a silent stranger. At first Anna finds the calls intrusive, but as the calls continue unabated Anna finds herself waiting for her phone to ring with growing anticipation prompting her to reach out to her silent prankster. An odd and mysterious friendship evolves between the two as Anna shares her life experiences with startling honesty. Empty days are given new hope, but when the calls abruptly end a devastated Anna is compelled to surprising action to fill the unbearable void.
[edit] Cast
- Viola Harris as Anna Marshall
- Siobhan Fallon as Julie
- Richard Scott as Telephone Company Manager
- Beau Hauser as Street Reporter
- Melvin Shrebnick as Older Man
[edit] Reception
The Secret Friend garnered multiple awards and nominations. Since its premiere at Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2010, the film entered more than 80 film festivals and won 21 awards all over the world, including Best of the Fest at Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Storyteller Award at Savannah Film Fetival, the Van Gogh Award at the Amsterdam Film Festival, and Jury Prize for Best Women's Short Film at Cleveland International Film Festival, among others.[8] It has also received an overall positive reception from critics, with most reviews singling out Viola Harris's performance. Phil Hall of Film Threat, who gave the film a positive score for example, argued that Viola Harris "truly deserves to be in the center of the spotlight."[9] Harry Haun of Playbill called the film a "Golden" and Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed called it "a slice of life" and gave the film three and a half stars out of four."[10]
[edit] Awards
- 2011 Jury Prize for Best Drama Short - Costa Rica International Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Short Film - Valley Film Festival
- 2011 Special Jury Award for Best Short Film - Downbeach Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Short Film - Atlanta Underground Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Short Film - Jornada Internacional de Cinema da Bahial
- 2011 Audience Award for Best Trailer - World Music and Independent Film Festival
- 2011 Audience Award for Best Short Film - Hyart Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Short Film - Hardacre Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Actress (Viola Harris) - CineFiesta
- 2011 Audience Award for Best Short Film - Indianapolis International Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Short Film - Las Vegas International Film Festival
- 2011 Van Gogh Award for Best Short Film - Amsterdam Film Festival
- 2011 Special Jury Award for Best Short Film - Canada International Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Prize for Best Women's Short Film - Cleveland International Film Festival
- 2011 Jury Award for Best Drama - Griffon International Film Festival
- 2010 Cine Golden Eagle Award for Best Short Film - CINE
- 2010 Jury Award for Best Fiction Short - Rockport Film Festival
- 2010 Special Jury Award - Savannah Film Festival
- 2010 Best of the Fest - Palm Springs International Film Festival
[edit] References
- ^ Fishman, Michael (2009-10-16). "Interview with Flavio Alves". OurSpace MovieBlog. http://ourspacemovieblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/secret-friend.html. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ IMDB List of Cast and Crew
- ^ Fishman, Michael (2009-10-16). "Interview with Flavio Alves". OurSpace MovieBlog. http://ourspacemovieblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/secret-friend.html. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ Palm Springs International Film Society Official Site, The Secret Friend page at Palm Springs International ShortFest, June 27, 2010
- ^ Palm Springs International Film Society Official Site, BEST OF THE FEST 2010: Audience Live Action Favorites, June 28, 2010
- ^ The Secret Friend official Site, About the Film, June 28, 2010
- ^ Fishman, Michael (2009-10-16). "Interview with Flavio Alves". OurSpace MovieBlog. http://ourspacemovieblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/secret-friend.html. Retrieved 01-13-2012.
- ^ Official site, Screenings & Awards page, June 14, 2011
- ^ Hall, Phil (January 12, 2011). "The Secret Friend". Film Threat. http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/29297//. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
- ^ Vasquez Jr., Felix (November 6, 2010). "The Secret Friend". Cinema Crazed. http://www.cinema-crazed.com/r-z/tsf.htm. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
