All of the following were written, produced, directed, shot and edited by Christopher Arcella.
Yellow Carnation
2011
12:15
high definition
zero dollar budget
A young man's lingering past is provoked by the discovery of his stolen bicycle chained on the sidewalk.
Yellow Carnation is one of nine shorts that will eventually compose a feature film. The stories follow the progression of a romantic relationship through the eyes of nine different couples. Yellow Carnation is the first to be completed, the remainder to be interpreted and created by other up and coming directors. Christopher has written the script for the entire feature and is currently attempting to organize the production.
Online viewing of this short to come post festivals.
The Surrealist
2011
8:00
low definition on high definition
zero dollar budget
A young man describes a strange experience that he recorded on his mobile phone.
screenings:
Rural Route Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image
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I Don't Blame the Beautiful Game
2010
5:00
high definition
zero dollar budget
Declan Hill, author of The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime: "A chilling and eerie portrait of the effects of match-fixing. Done superbly on a budget of pennies. One wonders and waits for Christopher's next work!"
Possidónio Cachapa, Portuguese author: "What shall we do when little details become tragic questions of life? Football in two different levels. The first one, the unexpected results of a decision in the enemy field. The second, a poetic one, like a repetitive element in a melody which is more elevated than the structure of the piece itself."
A former professional football (soccer) player describes his experience with match fixing.
distribution:
New Europe Film Sales
screenings:
Onda Curta (Portuguese Television)
Indie Lisboa * winner of Onda Curta award *
Rooftop Films
Zero Film Festival (NYC)
Epix Movie Free-For-All (NYC)
circulation:
Wholphin DVD issue #12 (McSweeney's quarterly short film anthology)
Small Chair (McSweeney's iphone app)
watch
view the housing built for this short
buy Wholphin DVD issue #12
Wholphin interview
CRIME SCENE GREENPOINT
2007
3:30
standard definition
zero dollar budget
Jim Jarmusch: "With CRIME SCENE GREENPOINT, Christopher Arcella has crafted a mysteriously dramatic visual poem just from looking out his window (and down from his rooftop). Many have done less with much more!"
On the morning of May 2, 2006 a fire broke out in the Greenpoint Terminal Market. The blaze spread so quickly that the Fire Commissioner immediately suspected arson. After the 10 alarm fire was put out the block was shut down as investigators combed the site for evidence. Fourteen firefighters were reported to have suffered minor injuries and no civilians were reported hurt.
screenings:
Scanners Video Festival by the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Rooftop Films
Brooklyn Arts Council International Film Festival
Video DUMBO Festival
watch
Country Doll
2007
30:00
standard definition
zero dollar budget
A boy meets a girl in Minneapolis who drags him helplessly along a foggy path through the surrounding farmlands in an attempt to fulfill her country boy fantasies.
screenings:
Rural Route Film Festival at the Anthology Film Archives
watch
view dvd cover
buy dvd
Compass
2005
4:40
standard definition
zero dollar budget
This is a music video created in collaboration with the band Okay for their song Compass.
watch
view treatment
Drunken Eggs
2004
3:30
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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Wavering Lines
2004
2:05
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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Jimmy's Dog
2004
2:10
standard definition
zero dollar budget
Christopher Deam, designer and architect: "Christopher's nuanced, economy of means in filmmaking allows his storytelling to shine ... a perfect antidote to a hyper-designed, overly stylized age."
Jimmy's Dog is based on A Boy's Best Friend by Isaac Asimov.
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Frequency Response - Observations
2003
13:00
standard definition
zero dollar budget
Awards Ceremony Presentation, Winner Bay Area Narrative Award, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco International Film Festival, read by jury member Gary Meyer, Co-Director Telluride Film Festival and Co-Founder Landmark Theatres: "A film that draws on the experimental traditions of the pioneers while looking to the future, combining multiple layers of images, sound and narrative in search of a new way to tell stories. The influence of emerging technology, video, and computer interactivity are combined with a playful post modernist sensibility. The film we chose is provocative and original. Guided by a sardonic scientific voice over, some fast forward buttons on the screen, and a miraculous flying cereal box airplane, a young man meditates on the nature of the world he experiences."
screenings:
San Francisco International Film Festival * awarded Best Bay Area Narrative Short *
Oakland International Film Festival
watch
view sound script
Seven Twenty
2004
2:30
standard definition
zero dollar budget
Seven Twenty was created for the Blu Dot Short Film Series. It was accompanied by a downloadable clock that displayed a unique photo for every minute of the day. An agency called mono came up with the idea of a downloadable clock.
watch the director's cut
download the clock
Spelling Blocks
2002
4:00
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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My Favorite Song
2005
3:00
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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The Harvester
2005
1:30
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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The August Minnesphere
2004
1:40
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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A Humming Overhead
2005
:40
standard definition
zero dollar budget
This brief, experimental short was created for a project by DESIGNFILMPOOL entitled Shots on a Brave New World. Invited participants were asked to interpret two assigned pages from Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, as a thirty second video piece. The finished feature length experimental film of 144 individual clips was presented at the 2005 Berlin DESIGNMAI festival. This clip was inspired by pages 303 & 304 which begin with the line, "A humming overhead had become a roar; and suddenly he was in shadow, there was something between the sun and him."
screenings:
Berlin DESIGNMAI festival
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Regularities
2001
3:15
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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The Periodic Table and Chair REMIX
2001
1:45
standard definition
zero dollar budget
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