The One in Red, 17min., USA
Directed by Nicholas Muzzillo
A Red Ronin, guided by his past to a place of great significance, is hunted by a Gray Ronin, but not for the reasons we think.

https://www.instagram.com/nickmuzzillo/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My love for the art of the Jidaigeki genre and the need to put myself out there. Samurai Jack really shaped my love for Samurai media and is the reason I pursued the arts. Kurosawa and Kobayashi's filmography also really resonated with me, and how every composition and image tells its own story beyond the beautiful writing and character work. Then there is Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue. Reading this story really pushed me to explore stories of the human condition and the idea of what it means to live. Every panel explores an idea of emotion or philosophy, and the compositions really inspired a lot of the framing of this film.

There's also my own life. My life has always been chaotic and at times, lonely. There are people I feel I failed, and in those moments, I tried to understand what it meant to live and if it was worth it to keep going. I had many discussions with myself, and in those moments, there were the darker thoughts which resembled The Cloaked Figure, but then, as I grew and found myself, I started to understand that there is no paradise without suffering, which resembled The Gray Ronin. This script was nothing but a collection of internal discussions I've had with myself, which made this process both so meditative and scary. To be able to dissect my own mind, but to also become so vulnerable.

I felt it was right for my thesis film at Ringling to make not only a piece about myself but also the art that I was very passionate about.

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

It took around 1.5 years to make. I wrote a completely different version of the film in my junior year class, and it went through so many stages that I did on my own time in the summer with little help from the film department, so I could really hone in on it without interference. Later, my department head helped me shape it very well and fine-tune it without taking out any of the secret sauce that made it my film.

We shot it in March of 2025 and finished the final cut in May.

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

"Live on." - Gray Ronin

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

The Clouds. It was a big hurdle working with my Production Designer, Juan, to figure out what was right for them. By the end, we decided to go with a stronger red/pink aesthetic, matching the theme of red, along with painting glitter, giving them a much stronger presence.

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

It was cool. I actually got some really high praise on Letterboxd from people I don't know, and to see this trend of people liking it continue really made me feel good about what I did. Some of my department didn't seem as supportive of its very unique and ominous nature, and that it "made no sense," but it's great to see that audiences both get and love the film. I'm also really appreciative of the amount of attention that the people in the video put into the technicalities and how it uplifted the story. I spent so much time honing in on making sure every shot was both gorgeous and purposeful. Especially seeing that this is a student film and that I've made people cry really showed me how much more there is to explore.

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

Well, I wrote it in the writing class for my thesis, but it was a version that didn't resonate with me. During the next semester, after that class was over, I just saw this image in my head of just a Red Ronin being followed by a Silhouetted Cloaked Figure, and I just realized that the possibilities were endless for how I could approach it.

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

Recently, I've rewatched Hundreds of Beavers A LOT. I've shown it to so many people, and sadly, not everyone gets it, but I genuinely believe it's a movie the industry needs right now.

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

Honestly, I want to be accepted by as many festivals as possible and put into a screening for people to experience my work on the big screen, and then whatever happens happens. Because the right person might see it...

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

Good. It's a good platform that I learn more about everyday to improve my chances of being selected.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Right now, I'm on a calorie deficit, so I LOVE the grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A with a small mac and cheese and extra grilled filets. The macros are incredible. When I started, I was 198 lbs, now I'm 165.

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

I'm in L.A. right now and am planning to move here in December. What I'm doing is getting gigs done for the next couple of years, adding to my experience, and then going to the AFI directing program. My mom has been incredibly supportive of the process, and I thank her so much for it. I recently got to tour the campus, and the curriculum and creative atmosphere really appealed to me. The amount of creative energy I'll be saving for that will be astronomical. I can't wait!

After AFI, I'm planning to have a 10-episode One in Red anime mini series ready to pitch. I've been planning it ever since finishing the script to delve more into the lore and extended history, and the resolution of everything that happens before and after the events of this film. I think once it's done, people are going to be absolutely shocked by the answers that are going to come. I'm even making it far more personal and stylized than the short.

From there, I have other ideas in mind for either one-off movies or mini series. I never want to franchise or stick to something for too long because at some point, the steam will run out. Our creative potential is endless, and I love creatives like Kentaro Miura (Berserk), but I don't want one story to define me.