THE BEF, 9min., USA
Directed by Eric Burleson
While being pursued by a police officer, a young boy struggles with his decisions for the baby in his care and how to help his sick mother.

https://instagram.com/burlesoneric

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The motivation for the bef started because I wanted to do one more short film on the east coast before I moved to Los Angeles. Time was definitely not on our side. I had planned to do my cross country road trip at the end of July 2018 and it was May. Once the script was completed we hit the ground running on pre-production. Luckily when writing the script I already had the actors in mind for Sammy and Baby but I knew that if I could not get the families on board, then the film would not have happened. Thankfully, after talking with both sets of parents and children, they all were interested and agreed to be in the film. I had worked with Jacob Shapiro (Sammy) and Michael Harrington (Baby) before this so I knew they were the perfect choices. Jacob was the lead in a narrative music video I directed and Michael was in a commercial I directed earlier that year.

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

The idea began back in May of 2018 with pre-production starting in June and shooting in July. Once we completed filming I moved across the country, so the post took a little longer than expected but it all worked out for the better because I was able to release it to the world on October 20th, 2020 right before Halloween.

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

Slow Burn

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

The biggest obstacle was probably the time we had from completion of script to needing to have filming completed. Our pre-production was really only about a month or so long. In that time we thankfully had the two leads, Sammy and Baby, but we still had to cast the rest of the film, book the crew, find locations, etc etc etc, the list goes on and on but in the end we did it. Sometimes I find myself working the best when I'm put under time restraints, pressure and boundaries that need to be worked around. It isn't until you're backed into a corner that you're able to see a way out/work around that you would have never found in the first place. It allows you to find ways to work with what you have and forces you to think outside the box.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I really loved the audience feedback video. It was awesome that each speaker had something unique and interesting to point out. I could tell that the film really resonated with them and that they will definitely be talking about it later with their friends and family, hopefully leading them to watch the film as well. When I decided to make this film my goal was to make the audience feel something, whether good or bad, and the feedback from the video further proved that I achieved this goal.

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

Watching films in the theater has always been one of my favorite activities and still is. I started to make video projects in high school for our morning announcement class. We did music videos, short films, commercials, today in histories, and skits. Some played on air for the school's announcements and some just played for the class. I realized then that I loved this medium but it wasn't until I heard a speaker in one of my high school classes tell us that you could go to college for arts and film that it clicked. Once I heard that I was all in. I ended up graduating magna cum laude from Temple University in Philadelphia with a BFA in Film and a Concentration in Directing.

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

Most likely Grandma's Boy.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

The audience feedback video was awesome and definitely something I really enjoyed. I wish more festivals did something like that or had surveys that they would hand out to the viewers for post screening. I am hoping to get a chance to watch the bef on the big screen with an audience so I can hear their reactions live. When I started submitting the bef to festivals a lot of them were online due to covid or I was unable to travel to the big screens that it did play on. The only request I have would be to anyone who watched the film and enjoyed it to please share it with your friends and family so the bef can continue to reach further circles than just my own.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Filmfreeway has been a great platform. I have put multiple short films through this site with great success. I have been very happy with the bef's run on filmfreeway. It really has allowed me to get the film in front of many new viewers!

10. What is your favorite meal?

This is a tough one but probably burritos. I love me a good burrito with hot sauce.

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

Currently I am working on an anthology feature and filmed eight out of the ten shorts that make up the film. I'm hoping to finish the last two in 2024 and release the full film in late 2024 or early 2025. During covid I wrote an album that my friend Kyle Rotunno helped me track, produce and record in his bedroom. Each of the songs were based on different script ideas I had in various stages of development. Some were shot but unfortunately lived in hard drive purgatory, others were full scripts that were never filmed and the rest were just notes and/or beats written down waiting to be turned into a script. When I had finished all ten songs I knew I could film full narrative pieces for them since sound was mostly covered by the song. Think of it as a singing narrator. Each song/lyrics showcases a different character at a low point in their life and whether or not they were able to overcome it or allow it consume them. This project has been ongoing since mid 2020 and has taken a bit more time than anticipated but overall I am SUPER happy with what I have been able to accomplish and I am beyond excited to finish the final two pieces of this massive puzzle. If you'd like to see some of the shorts I have released, they are on YouTube under the name: alittle down - https://www.youtube.com/@alittledown