LOS ANGELES – Sept. 28, 2021 – PRLog — Writer/Director Lorenzo DeStefano based his new narrative short film, “Stairway to the Stars“, on a real incident that he witnessed when he first moved to Hollywood from Honolulu, of an older woman and an overweight young man climbing a set of steep outdoor steps in the Hollywood Hills, bickering at each other the whole way up.
Produced as a One-Act play in 2019, the film version of “Stairway to the Stars” explores the complex relationship between friends who are enemies and enemies who are friends. Lavergne is an aging actress on the verge of mental and physical collapse. Tony is a young gay man of blind ambition and ample proportions who has vowed to save her life. The complex relationship between this oddest of odd couples is humorous, tragic and deeply touching, revealing itself between the bottom of the stairs and the top.
Lorenzo’s film is a tribute to Nathanael West’s “Day of the Locust”, the plays of Samuel Beckett, and to the countless two-reel comedies shot in these very hills over 100 years ago.
Starring Sean Young & Quinton Aaron:
Westshire Films is pleased to announce that the celebrated actress, Sean Young (“Stripes”, “Blade Runner”, “Dune”, “No Way Out”, “Wall Street”, “Fatal Instinct”, “A Kiss Before Dying”, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”) is starring as ‘Lavergne’. Starring as ‘Tony’ is Quinton Aaron, breakout star of “The Blind Side”, “Halfway”, with appearances in “Be Kind Rewind”, “Traded”, “Rock Paper Dead”, and numerous other film & television projects.
“Sean and Quinton are the ideal choices to bring these complex and very human characters to life,” says writer/director DeStefano.
About Lorenzo DeStefano-Filmmaker
Writer/Director Lorenzo DeStefano is a Hawai’i-born playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer and director. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and past member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. He has worked in the U.S. and U.K. Theater, written fiction & non-fiction, original screenplays, and adaptations. He has produced and directed feature documentaries (“Talmage Farlow”, “Los Zafiros-Music From The Edge of Time”, “Hearing is Believing”), narrative films (“Shipment Day”, “The Diarist”), and network television (“Life Goes On”).
PROJECT WEBSITE www.stairwaytothestarsfilm.com
2021 NARRATIVE SHORT FILM AWARD – From The Heart Productions:
From The Heart Productions, the non-profit cinema activist organization, announces that “STAIRWAY TO THE STARS” has been awarded the inaugural Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant for 2021. The grant is awarded to a live action or animated short fiction film that is unique and that makes a contribution to society. Writer/Director Lorenzo was chosen over 400 applicants worldwide to receive this prestigious award, which comes with a generous cash prize and access to significant in-kind and discounted goods and services from film industry donors.
“We are very excited to have this excellent project as our first recipient of the Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant. ” commented Carole Dean, President of From the Heart Productions. “Lorenzo faced tough competition from many wonderful projects from other very talented filmmakers. We look forward to seeing his project completed.”
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