Briefly Gorgeous
Mistaking attention for love, and deprived of both, Caleb will distort himself to whatever shape will make him worthy. Tonight, he'll become unrecognizable.
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Elijah BarryDirector
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Elijah BarryWriter
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Jake McClainProducer
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Blake LafitaKey Cast"Caleb"
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Erika StoneKey Cast"Mom"
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Gerard SymonetteKey Cast"Creature"
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Colby BlackwillDirector of Photography
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Trevor MooreOriginal Score by
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Zachary GrantProduction Designer
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Thriller, Drama
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Runtime:14 minutes 6 seconds
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Completion Date:July 31, 2021
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:4:3
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts
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Chain Film FestivalNew York, NY
United States
August 4, 2022
New York Premiere
Best Student Short -
Arthouse Film FestivalOnline
United States
December 26, 2022
Best Surrealist Film -
Nitehawk Film FestivalBrooklyn, NY
United States
March 4, 2023
Official Selection - Closing Nite -
YoFi FestYonkers, NY
United States
December 2, 2022
Official Selection -
Sunscreen Film FestivalSt. Petersburg, FL
United States
April 28, 2022
World Premiere
Official Selection
Elijah Barry is an independent filmmaker and MFA graduate of the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts. One of six children, raised by a single mother, he’s compelled to tell stories for and about working-class families—swelling walls, complex emotions, home appliances in poor repair. He currently resides in 400 square feet developing his short, IT WON’T ALWAYS BE LIKE THIS, and writing a seminal feature, MAKING LIGHT (OF BEING).
Briefly Gorgeous is not a romanticization of depression. At large it’s a case study on the consequences of Western/American ideas of success—the idea that our value in life isn’t inherent but demonstrated in what we offer others (sex, money, influence, etc.). At its core, it’s a fictionalized anecdote of time spent wishing we were someone else—someone smart enough, handsome enough, rich enough to find happiness in this world.
It’s about mistaking attention for love, and what happens when we’re deprived of both.