Dolce Far Niente (Sweet Doing Nothing)

Irish writer, Aidan who, after experiencing a painful breakup, decides to take a break from his life in Dublin and move to Italy. There, he discovers the joy of "dolce far niente" - the art of doing nothing. As he explores the Italian lifestyle or more so, the simple pleasures in life, Aidan begins to heal from his heartbreak and find a new sense of inner peace.

  • Michael Antonio Keane
    Director
  • Cristina Filippone
    Key Cast
    "Sofia"
  • Michael Antonio Antonio Keane
    Key Cast
    "Aidan"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance, Italian
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 29 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    English, Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - National Film School (IADT) Dublin *Project created outside/not affiliated with school*
Director Biography - Michael Antonio Keane

Michael Antonio Keane, studying a BA (Hons) in Film at the National Film School (IADT) is a multilingual Spanish/Irish actor and filmmaker born in Cork, Ireland, in late 2003. At just 19 years of age he has won 3 major awards & received 8 Irish film award nominations. Most notably winning the "Spirit Award" for performance in the Amazon Prime Short Film "Covid Éire" at the Annual IFTA & BAFTA Qualifying IndieCork Film Festival in 2020. Michael Antonio has achieved over 30 selections in both national and international film festivals and is estimated to have accumulated over 6 million views between TikTok and YouTube for his short films with 270,000 streams on Amazon Prime Video receiving platinum status. His work and performances on screen have been featured across national television. In June 2023 Keane's film "Like A Bolt From The Blue" won him a Jury Award at the (SWIFF) Student World Impact Film Festival (US) and was further shortlisted for Best Drama at the 2023 AAHSFF New York Premiere at AMC Theaters in Times Square.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A journey of healing and growth told through a cinematic format while recognizing my strength, creativity and morals as an artist, storyteller, but most importantly, as a high value man, while always reminding myself that there will always be hope, and light at the end of the tunnel. Remember to be you, nobody can take that away from you! As an artist it is my duty to express emotions and tell stories for me to grow further in my learnings of life. Dolce Far Niente is by far my proudest body of work which I have created, resonating with Aidan and everything about it so deeply. I firmly stand by saying that this piece, it's my style, the style of cinema that I have always aspired to make and I am beyond chuffed to call it my own. It is the best and it's me.