Private Project

Sunny Side Up

Gregory Samuel’s debilitating social anxiety and self-deprecating inner voice prevent him from leading the “normal life” he desires. The young funeral director’s fears are confronted when he is given a 30-day leave of absence and forced to address his phobia. His solution -- he won’t leave his apartment. His respite is tested by a curious, spirited neighbor looking for a friend.

  • Mike Melo
    Director
  • Mike Melo
    Writer
  • Brenden Hubbard
    Producer
  • Nelson Reis
    Producer
  • Luis Carvalho
    Producer
  • Brenden Hubbard
    Producer
    Curfew, Oh Lucy!, Before I Disappear
  • Hunter Davis
    Key Cast
  • Samantha Creed
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Dark Comedy, Romantic comedy, mental health
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 26 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Black Magic Cinema 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sarasota Film Festival
    Sarasota
    United States
    April 1 & 3, 2017
    World
Director Biography - Mike Melo

Mike Melo is a Massachusetts native who graduated from RIT with a BFA in animation, transitioned from VFX artist to writer/director due to a fascination with story, and founded Old Man Henry Productions. The company has created an award-winning web series and generated various online content. Sunny Side Up will mark his feature directorial debut.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Sunny Side Up" originated from an interesting point in my life that left me feeling somewhat disconnected from society. As a result, I wasn’t quite comfortable in certain social situations that I otherwise had no issue with previously. This fear of interaction was a childhood companion of mine and here it was creeping back into my life.

Around this time, my grandmother passed away and I was there for her last moments on Earth -- something so surreal and unnerving, as I’m sure anyone with this experience can probably attest to. Coming face to face with mortality while dealing with a form of anxiety wasn’t exactly mental paradise.

I began thinking about how social anxiety affected other people. It’s not really talked about and yet I found it to be a fairly common experience when exploring the topic. Hopefully we’ll continue to learn and potentially ease that negative inner voice that keeps many hostage day to day.

The process was therapeutic for me, and in turn, hopefully it will resonate with someone else.

Thanks,
-Mike Melo