Experiencing Interruptions?

Calabaza

On the Friday before Halloween, Martin, a Mexican-American rocker dude, feels like celebrating. He’s getting ready to finally move out and has plans to carve pumpkins with his new love, Lynn, a Filipina rocker girl.

At the last minute, Lynn asks to change their date to his place, sending Martin into a panic. Martin is embarrassed to be living at home with his depressed alcoholic dad, Lorenzo and the evidence of their deteriorating relationship is all around him.

Martin scrambles to hide the truth about himself and Lorenzo, but when Lynn arrives, things get out of control and Martin realizes he can’t keep it all a secret anymore. He’s forced to confront his dad and his own insecurities, learning that honest, vulnerable conversations are the only way forward.

  • Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez
    Director
  • Gerardo Maravilla
    Writer
  • Evelyn Angelica Martinez
    Producer
  • Mireia Vilanova
    Producer
  • Gustavo Gomez
    Key Cast
    "Martin"
    The Walking Dead, Superstore
  • Manuel Uriza
    Key Cast
    "Lorenzo"
    Better Call Saul, Narcos
  • Alex Felix
    Key Cast
    "Lynn"
    Never Have I Ever
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 51 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez

Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez is a writer/director from Inglewood, CA. She started in digital media as a video producer for We Are Mitu making viral videos for a Latine audience. She then went on to direct content for various Latine small businesses. She has directed branded videos for Popsugar with brands like Amazon, NeoCell, and Clorox. She was the assistant to Marvin Lemus and Linda Y. Chavez for season one of Gentefied and returned as their showrunner’s assistant for season two. She is currently working with Netflix’s Con Todo creating content for their original titles. She is also a directing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve 2021 where she directed her latest short film, Calabaza. Last year, she directed the short film, Dreamer, which was selected for Outfest.

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Director Statement

Calabaza spoke to my heart the moment I read it. It's a story so specific about a Chicano son and his alcoholic immigrant father yet so universal. I loved the nuances in their relationship and I loved digging deep into them, by reflecting inwards, to make this story come to life. There are so many layers to this story and I hope it helps our audience reflect on their own relationship with their parents. Visually I wanted the audience to feel the distance between the son and father but also have the elements of Halloween and the son's punk look come through. Setting it in their home, really allowed me to show and not tell the audience how bad their relationship is. Overall, there is so much of me and the writer in there. We hope you enjoy and reflect.