2025 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – Sunday, March 30th

 

Coda’s ongoing coverage of the 2025 Phoenix Film Festival & International Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival. I'll be using these posts to recap the films I've experienced as part of these festivals.

 

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

THE PROSPECT – Directed by Dana Donnelly & Robert Schultz

 

Jerry Vanetti is a high school senior who has just been rejected by every college he’s applied to. In his desperation to escape his fate, working at his father’s jazz themed smoothie bar, he hatches a plan to fake an elite baseball career to draw in an athletic scholarship, in spite of the fact that he’s never played the sport.

For everything good that I’ll say about this low budget comedic gem, I have to point out that there was an issue with the audio synch. I suspect that a lot of the scenes had to have their dialog recorded in post (ADR). This wasn’t as much of a distraction as it is in other films with the same issue, but it was certainly noticeable.

That being said, I really liked this script. This is one of those ‘joke-a-minute’ quick-witted, dialogue driven high-school comedies with equal parts raunch and absurdism. Kind of “Juno-Style” heightened reality. I was worried that some of their joke wells would run dry from over drawing but the writer seems to have a firm grasp on how to toe that line.

THE PROSPECT, although imperfect showcases talented screenwriting and acting on all parts. I hope to see this group of filmmakers in the future.

 

 THE LOW END THEORY – Directed by Francisco Ordonez

 

 A vet struggling with PTSD works as a money launderer to finance her aspirations of producing hip-hop beats. In desperation to help her girlfriend, she steals from her boss, setting in motion a series of tragic events that she fears will follow her forever.

Although this film has some disjointed pacing issues, I thought the plot overall was well composed and written. I think, especially the first act or so could have used one or two more drafts. It’s difficult to keep the audience engaged for that duration with that amount of meandering and foreshadowing. The concept and complexity of the story ultimately pays off, but I just need a bit more on the front end to feel like it was a complete success.

I appreciated the look of this film quite a bit. The cinematography by Gemma Doll-Grossman made great use of the negative space when it was needed. A lot of the film was shot like a music video, shot on location, with close ups and lens flares. It made me think that we need a Los Angeles Neorealism movement. That city has a lot to offer, and it struck me that some of the location-establishing shots and sequences made me think of De Sica.

This film isn’t entirely successful unfortunately. But I champion its elements and moments that work. Our main character, Raquel is played beautifully by Sofia Yepes and the world-building staged around her was very convincing. But a film of only 100 minutes of runtime shouldn’t feel longer. One more pass and a little trim could have polished this gem.

 

SHEEPDOG – Directed by Steven Grayhm

 

A combat veteran is court ordered into treatment to confront the demons of his trauma when an ex-con shows up on his doorstep. Together they work to pull their lives back together.

First, I did not intend on double-featuring ‘vets with PTSD’ movies at the festival but that’s what happened. This film however, is all about the process and the therapy required by those effected by the savageries of combat. And how this country has severely failed in holding up our end of this agreement. In fact, weaving in and out of this film’s more “tragedy-porn” aspects are essentially an advocation and advertisement for the VA. This is an especially crucial point made amid drastic cuts to those services by the country’s new administration. Specific programs and treatments like ones illustrated in this film are currently being threatened and reprehensibly treated as “waste & fraud.”

I used the term, “tragedy-porn” earlier and I’d like to make it clear that this is not a stark criticism on my part. I like a film that makes the audience well up with emotion. This medium is nothing if it’s not emotionally manipulative. That’s like… the whole thing… I used the phrase because I found it apt for the events portrayed. Be forewarned. It’s a rough watch that should thump you in the throat.

The technical aspects of the film are all on par with this type of drama. Beautiful Eastern Seaboard landscapes, cut by industry and the generational poverty that is inherent in this country. A soft, appropriate and melancholic score by Gary Rugala and Rycky Ruke queues every moment. And the performances, specifically by the experience Vondie Curtis-Hall have flashes of brilliance that you’d like to seal in a bottle.

I think it was a bit too tempting for the screenwriter however to make a sort of ‘kitchen-sink’ trauma bullet list unfortunately. The moral of the story was to show the importance and value of the therapeutic processes. The origins of the suffering were sufficient to show their own effects. But there was one aspect (that I won’t specify) that I felt was a bit pigeon-holed into the script and left underexplored and almost abandoned.

Ultimately, this will likely be a lot of folks’ favorite film of the festival. I certainly appreciate it for what it is how effective it is. I just think a bit more laser focus on what was trying to be conveyed would have improved it.

 

 

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