Broken Branches
Story
Keith returns home from an evening out with a male companion to find his 18-year-old son Eric home from college a day early. Eric confronts his father who attempts to explain his lifelong struggle with his true sexual identity. Feeling betrayed, Eric is unable to reconcile his father’s truth and leaves Keith feeling guilted, shamed and searching for a sign of hope to repair his relationship with his son.
From the Director
This short film is an exploration of both sides of the experience of a family encountering one member's struggle with sexual identity. It is simultaneously a deconstruction of black masculinity through the lens of two generations dealing with its implications from different perspectives.
This story is one that resonates deeply with me on a basic human level. Coming to grips with one's truth and then attempting to live that truth fully while hiding it from the ones you love the most is an experience that most people can only imagine. However, some of the people that I care about the most have had exactly that experience and detailed to me the pain, frustration and self-doubt that came along with it.
My hope is that this film opens up a dialog between loved ones and strangers alike that leads to better understanding and deeper compassion. The objective is also to create a compelling proof-of-concept for a feature-length film of the same concept.
-Chris Anthony Hamilton
The Team
Writer/Director
Chris is an award-winning Director and Cinematographer living in Atlanta, GA. With an education in film from Hofstra University, Chris honed his skills in New York City working with giants including Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, Sesame Street and Ralph Lauren. His screenplay for Body and Son was a Finalist in the 2015 Harlem International Film Festival Screenwriting Competition and a Semi-Finalist in the 2016 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition among others. With the help of his tremendous team his short Something Bigger won the Audience Choice Award at the 2017 Atlanta Horror Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival. His most recent film Broken Branches won him the prize for Best Director at the 2018 Black Women Film Network Short Film Festival.
Producer
Nina Marinov has a Masters in business management received while working as a line producer at the largest science and documentary studio in Russia. Her passion for the stories she tells and the people she collaborates with to tell them is the engine behind the success of the projects she chooses. Along with that she exercises a deep commitment to diversity both in front of and behind the camera noting her memories of living in an environment where acceptance is a rare animal. In 2017 she produced Soul Fire, which one the top prize at the inaugural Gentleman Jack Real to Reel Short Film Competition. She then produced Chris’ most recent short film Something Bigger, which is currently screening at film festivals.
Producer
Janlataé “Jan” Mullins is an award winning filmmaker as well as a graduate of the New York Film Academy and the Art Institute of Atlanta. Jan has helmed several critically acclaimed independent short films – one of which where she was named Best Director at the 2014 International Black Women Film Festival. Being a strong believer in the power of collaboration, Jan’s ability to pull together the strongest team possible for a given project sets her apart. She received an Award of Merit from the Southern Shorts Awards for her role as a producer on Chris’ previous short film Something Bigger.
Producer
Carrie Schrader is a Writer/Director whose short films and screenplays have won film festival audience awards internationally. She directed an award-winning short film, called Don’t Mess With Texas, written by Ethan Coen (Coen bros.) and her feature-length documentary The Founders recently won the audience award for “Best Feature Film” at the Atlanta Film Festival. Her short films and screenplays have won film festival audience awards internationally and she was labeled one of the "Top Ten Directors To Watch Out For" by IndieWire.com. She has been a participant at the IFP Market in NYC and was an Outfest Screenwriting Lab fellow. She has an MFA in directing from Columbia University and is co-founder of Mighty Fine pictures.
Director of Photogaphy
After studying Steadicam at the Maine Workshops, Alfeo had the opportunity to work alongside Steve Harris, Kimberly Elise and Tyler Perry, and yet again with Isaiah Washington and Shemar Moore. Alfeo returned to Maine for the completion of the Masters DP course and returned a third time to for 3D studies in stereoscopic cinema. Alfeo has worked with George Clooney, Janet Jackson, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Paula Abdul, Cecily Tyson, Angela Bassett, Sybil Shepard, Blair Underwood Robin Givens and Robert Rodriquez to drop a few more names. He recently received an Award of Merit for his outstanding cinematography on Chris’ latest short film Something Bigger.
The Cast
"Eric"
A Miami native, Patrick first studied drama in high school before continuing the pursuit at Florida Memorial University where he was discovered by Barry Jenkins who cast him in his captivating debut role in Moonlight, which received the Academy Award for Best Picture. He channels his tremendous talent through poetry, music and now acting and is well on his way to making waves in each medium. A rare, raw and beautiful gem, Patrick invokes a deep well of emotion from his life experience to create memorable and meaningful characters that capture and keep your attention.
Keith Douglas
"Keith"
Keith is an LGBTQ actor who has appeared onstage at Kansas City Missouri Repertory Theatre, Main stage and Touring Company of Overland Park Kansas’ Theatre for Young America and the Main stage and Touring Company of The Saint Louis Repertory Theatre. He has performed onstage in California at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, The Magic Theatre, Theatre on the Square, and the Exit Theatre, where he received a Dramalogue Critic’s Award for his performance as boxer Cleveland Valentine. Keith very recently moved to Atlanta, where he is a member of the Murder Mystery Company of Atlanta. He performed in Adele Ulrich and Ray Manlove’s “Becoming Human”; and later in “The MANologues”, where he met writer/director Chris Anthony Hamilton. Keith is more than excited to be working with this talented artist to bring this beautiful story to the screen.
