MOB FAMILY TIES, 9min., Canada
Directed by Britt Dallyn
After grandpa Michael begins to unintentionally rat on old associates due to his mental decline, the Leslie's, a mob family, face a moral dilemma whether they need to whack grandpa or not as they host his possible final meal in this send up of traditional TV sitcoms.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I made this at Vancouver Film School for what they call "demo shoots". Meaning after we had filmed our higher budget, 2-3 day shoots throughout the year, we were given an opportunity to film one more project before the year ended to add to our demo reels. Unlike the shoots earlier in the year however, these projects had no budget and had to be filmed within the school for 1 day only. Everybody had to write a 6 page script and pitch it to the teachers as an assignment where the teachers would pick 6 to actually be filmed. So with those parameters I thought about what I had access to for free within the school. Then I thought "hey, that one pre-built set kinda looks like a sitcom set. I've always appreciated a good sitcom, so what if I made one of my own but with a dark kind of humour that you wouldn't typically see in a show like this." I found the contrast of all the cheery dressings of a sitcom mixed with a story about murder to be promising for a comedy. In short, like many solutions in film, it all came together out of necessity.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you

to make this film?

In 2023, I first came up with the sitcom idea in early June. We shot on July 11th. Which meant we took advantage of 7-11 day and got free slurpees for our wrap party. Then after graduation in August the editing process was put on hold as I was working a construction job to recoup from that pesky student debt. Finally got back to it late November and finished in late December. Just in time to show family and friends for New Year's.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Gangster Sitcom

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

It would have to be the editing process. Because after graduation we didn't have access to the fancy computers from school, so I had to figure out how to upgrade my computer enough to handle the high quality footage. This proved to be a little frustrating for me as I am not the biggest technical wizard.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking

about your film in the feedback video?

Really honored to have strangers for the first time say positive things about my film. Because up to this point all my feedback was from family and friends who would of course say it's good. It was very reassuring and helpful to hear it from different people.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Starting at 5 I wanted to be an actor and when I was 12 I started making short films on my iPad using iMovie, mostly as an outlet for the acting. But as I kept doing it, I got more obsessed with the production side of filming and from there that became my true passion.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Either Batman '89 or Billy Madison. I had Batman '89 on repeat as a child and I still watch it from time to time now. Billy Madison was a movie my grandma had on VHS and when me and my cousins found it when I was 8, we thought it was the funniest movie ever made. We couldn't stop watching it and it still remains a movie I can put on anytime to get a chuckle out of.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other

festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking

Career?

I suppose to just keep an open mind to all different types of films and value originality in projects even if it's not your style or "not what the market wants".

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your

experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Great! It makes everything super easy and convenient.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Sausage and Perogies.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Right now I'm pursuing getting a job as a crew member on a film set so I can pay the bills while still being involved with what I love. Once I'm in the off season (as I do live in Alberta where it snows half the year) I hope to go back to Vancouver to film another short with the friends and contacts I made while there last year. I got a script written and ready to go, along with lots of other ideas I want to pursue in the future.