A still from “Spin the Bottle,” a film by Olivia Upton that will be screened at the LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
EAST LONGMEADOW — Olivia Upton graduated from East Longmeadow High School in 2018 and did not hesitate. She knew that she wanted to make films and moved to California to attend the Academy of Art University San Francisco.
A year later, when the coronavirus pandemic upended her plan, she decided it was as good a time as any and moved to Los Angeles. Since then, Upton has become impressively prolific as a short film producer.
“I make about 10 short films a year,” Upton said. This year, one of those films, “Spin the Bottle,” was accepted into the LA Shorts International Film Festival, the largest festival of its kind in the world.
The LA Shorts International Film Festival screens about 400 films from all genres and budgets. To be considered for the festival, films must be under 40 minutes. The filmmakers range from teens and film school students to big name directors and producers.
“I just love telling stories that are a little bit out of the box. I love stories about women or a new take on religion,” she said, adding that she strives to elevate voices of those who are often unheard in most media.
Upton, who produced the film with Darsh Desai, described “Spin the Bottle” as a faux-true crime/horror movie set in 1974. In the film, a massacre occurs at a birthday party and the investigating detectives review footage from an 8mm movie camera found at the scene. The movie was shot using a mixture of 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film, each of which has a role to play in the storytelling, Upton said. She added that Paolo Cerrino, who directed “Spin the Bottle” and co-wrote the screenplay with Gabe Pinto, pulled inspiration from various folkloric traditions.
“I have gotten lucky in terms of finding screenplays,” Upton said. The 24-year-old explained that she has networked with other young creatives in Los Angeles. She said that she works to remember everyone she meets in the industry because they might be the perfect actor for a future role or have a directing style that will work for an upcoming film.
Working as a movie producer is a different experience from what people assume, Upton said. “It’s a huge sacrifice. It seems like glitz and glamour, but I’m not able to go home a lot to see my family. We’re all struggling artists out here.”
Studios and distributors often learn about movies through film festivals, but being accepted into a festival is its own hurdle. “It’s difficult to have a successful festival circuit because it’s so selective and what they want changes from year to year,” Upton said, referring to various trends in filmmaking. She said it is considered successful to have a film accepted into about 30% of the festivals in which it is entered.
Looking back on her career so far, Upton said, “Growing up in East Longmeadow, it was not very supportive of the path [to filmmaking],” Upton said. “I was very lucky to be in a supportive family.” She urged young people who have an interest in filmmaking to “take that leap. It’s never too late to start.” Making a film does not require expensive cameras or actors that have a lot of experience, Upton said, “If you have the drive and the time, you can do it.”
The 29th annual LA Shorts International Film Festival will take place from July 16 to 28. For more information about the festival, visit lashortsfest.com.
