Bittersweet Symphony

Bittersweet Symphony is a dark comedy about the clash between two very different people who love the same person. When an overbearing mother-in-law temporarily moves in with her daughter and son-in-law, she makes it clear that she thinks her daughter has settled—after all, a band teacher isn’t exactly the dream match she had in mind. What follows is a battle of passive-aggressive jabs, absurd misunderstandings, and escalating tensions as these two polar opposites fight for dominance, all under the guise of love and concern.

  • Dana Verna
    Director
  • Matt Kaminski
    Director
  • Dana Verna
    Writer
  • Dana Verna
    Producer
  • Kaminski Matt
    Producer
  • Aku Rodriguez
    Producer
  • H.Cherdon Bedford
    Producer
  • Anique Reese
    Key Cast
    "Meme"
  • Eva Harpst
    Key Cast
    "Jessica"
  • Chris Kinzie
    Key Cast
    "Joe"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2026
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Dana Verna, Matt Kaminski

Dana Verna is a self-taught writer who isn’t afraid of making mistakes – just bad films! Drawn to dark comedy, she creates unconventional stories that find humor in the chaos, proving even in the darkest moments we can laugh. Dana has also studied acting for many years. Another unique project Dana has in the works is a dark comedy, Scorned Soup, where a vegetarian gets revenge on his girlfriend because she tricks him to eat meat.

Matt is a local filmmaker, involved with several short film projects around Austin, including Silent Descent (numerous awards including at Austin After Dark Film Festival), Garage Girl, Reticence, Eating Disorder, and now Bittersweet Symphony. Keep up with Matt and his projects at: http://kaminskifilm.com/.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A Statement from Dana Verna - Writer, Director & Producer
Bittersweet Symphony is a dark comedy about the clash between two very different people who love the same person. When an overbearing mother-in-law temporarily moves in with her daughter and son-in-law, she makes it clear that she thinks her daughter has settled—after all, a band teacher isn’t exactly the dream match she had in mind. What follows is a battle of passive-aggressive jabs, absurd misunderstandings, and escalating tensions as these two polar opposites fight for dominance, all under the guise of love and concern.

At its core, this film is about the push and pull of family expectations versus personal happiness. It explores the absurdity of trying to control the future of someone you love and the humor that inevitably arises when two people, both convinced they know best, refuse to back down. The result is a symphony of emotional highs and lows, blending satire with sincerity to remind us that love, whether familial or romantic, is never as simple as we’d like it to be.

As a writer and director, I wanted to create a story that is both sharp and heartfelt, filled with characters who feel real in their flaws and ridiculous in their stubbornness. Bittersweet Symphony is my way of laughing at the chaos of family while acknowledging the deep, messy love that binds us together.

A Statement from Matt Kaminski - Producer & Director
I was instantly intrigued by Bittersweet Symphony when I first read this script—great humor about family dynamics, fun plot twists, and memorable characters. I wanted to make this script into a short film.

A good story had to be made into a film – it’d be such a waste if it weren’t produced. Was it worth it? Oh yes, and we had so much fun bringing it to life.