"Curtain Call" Short Film

"Curtain Call is a heart-wrenching drama that sheds light on today’s disillusioned youth. It doesn’t glorify gun violence, but rather, analyzes the American public’s tendency to view shootings as nothing more than a show, one they’ll adamantly discuss for a week or two before moving onto another topic…until the next tragedy rolls around that is.

This is why our film’s main character, Michael, uses the illusion of a shooting to bring attention to his music, for he knows that nothing catches the public eye quicker than the promise of violence.

Building upon films that have tackled controversial yet topical issues, our goal is to provide commentary on how modern American children are led astray and why it’s so important that none are left behind."

Director's Statement:

Hey everyone! My name is Ian Welfley, and I wrote this script all the way back in Fall 2019. Ever since it won Best Screenplay at JMU's Media Arts & Design Awards, it's been my dream to adapt it to a film, and now that I've teamed up with old friends from the SMAD program, I finally have the resources to do so. We're currently fundraising so that we can adequately pay our actors, support our crew on set, and, most importantly, bring this vision to life. Filming will go from February 3, 2023-February 19, 2023.

Crew List:

Writer/Director: Ian Welfley

Cinematographer(s): Courtland McQuillan, Trey Jordan, Melissa Hoffheins

Technical Director: Joe Berrettini

Assistant Cinematographer: Alexis Ray

Sound Designer: Liam Booker

Assistant Sound Designer: Jamie Lawall

Lead Editor: Ian Welfley

Assistant Editor: Melissa Hoffheins, Alexis Ray

Executive Producers: Jack Rosenfeld, Sam Cassidy, Trevor Cole

Gaffer(s): Melissa Hoffheins, Alexis Ray

Make up: Melissa Hoffheins, Jazmine Frye

Production Assistant: Jazmine Frye

Script Below:

file:///Users/robb/Downloads/Curtain%20Call%20(Final).pdf