KILL SHOT, 3min., USA, Thriller
Directed by Joe Petito
A man finds his grandfather's old camera with a bizarre message.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The Russo Brothers' company AGBO started a film contest called No Sleep Til Film Fest. They were going to release a prompt and you had 24 hours to make a film and submit it. The prompt was something along the lines of taking something in reality and changing the way it works which inspired my idea for a camera that kills.

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

It took roughly 24 hours. So I came up with the concept, wrote the film, cast it, shot it, and edited it all within that time frame. I knew the editing was done once the carpal tunnel kicked in.

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

Origin Story.

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

During the filming back in 2021, New York was still dealing with covid-19 and on top of that, I myself was recovering from a debilitating medical issue. This was my first time back in the saddle since then and with the 24 hour window, it took a lot out of me. Beyond that I think the bigger obstacle was finding the prop squirrel. When I wrote the scenes out I knew I wanted a squirrel scene but soon realized, I don't have a prop squirrel. I sent some messages and luckily one of my friends had a boss who kept a stuffed animal squirrel on his desk at all times. So I borrowed it for the film and it worked out at the last second.

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

My initial reaction was honestly "Wow, people actually watched my film."

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

At age 16 is when the bug really bit me. I started making films around that time with my friends using a camcorder and nerf guns. I think it stems back further though to when I was a kid. I have old tapes of my brother and I playing out entire stories with our action figures while my grandfather filmed us. As I got older I started to realize it was a possible career path.

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

The Departed. Hands down. That was my go to movie whenever I was in a good mood or a bad mood. It always had a way of uplifting me or motivating me, and it's just so damn quotable. I must've seen it around 70 times.

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'm sure there are festivals that implement some if not all of these ideas, but here are some of the elements I would like to see:

Networking events, mentorship programs, industry panels with Q&A sessions involving festival winners and other industry professionals, organizing pitch sessions for filmmakers, and some type of filmmaker support programs that are designed to assist filmmakers in their career development.

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

FilmFreeway has been a fantastic experience. Very easy to use platform with lots of accessibility to festivals all around the globe.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal used to be an entire pizza. Since then, I've had to go gluten-free. As an Italian, this was quite daunting. So right now my favorite meal is steak with sweet potato and salad.

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

I'm always writing screenplays. I'm finishing a feature at the moment that I would love to direct as my next film. It's a survival thriller. The feature version of Kill Shot is also floating around in my mind.