La Partenza
As Martina prepares her family to leave their quiet Italian town for a trip to New York, she carries every responsibility alone. As the pressure builds, her mind slips into another reality, echoing through her body and revealing what words never could. Caught between duty and escape, she must confront the cost of carrying everyone and the possibility of finally letting go.
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Laura CalleDirector
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Laura CalleWriter
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Saul AnampaProducer
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Luca FortunatoProducer
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Luisa MadridCinematographer
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Rebecca RobertsonKey Cast"Martina"
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Alessio AraminiKey Cast"Martin"
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Millie FortunatoKey Cast"Lucia"
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Robel TesfamichaelKey Cast"Tobias"
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Ilaria RossidoriaKey Cast"Neighbor"
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Alicia LerdaKey Cast"Gaia"
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Nicole FernandezAssistant Director
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Ramy LeonSpecial Photography and Drome Operator
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Tylor CinoGaffer
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Sean AzzeGrip
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Sam ColonSound
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Eve GinannEditor
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UmamiColor
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Michael MolinaConform Assistant
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Julie HuSound Mixer
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Beltran GarcesComposer
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Arianna PavinMakeup Artist
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Gisela DancourtProsthetics Artist
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Anuja DesaiProductions Assistants
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Emiliano ZanottiProductions Assistants
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Drama, Surrealist
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Runtime:20 minutes
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Completion Date:January 31, 2026
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Production Budget:26,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Italy, United States
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Country of Filming:Italy
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Language:English, Italian
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Shooting Format:Digital Sony FX3
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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Maryland Film Festival 2026Baltimore
United States
April 10, 2026
World Premiere
Official Selection
Laura Calle is a Colombian filmmaker based in New York, constantly reinventing herself across continents. After some studying in architecture, she turned to film as a way to merge structure with emotion, and space with memory. Her work blends personal history and surreal storytelling to explore the ironic, tender, and often absurd truths of being human. With an eye for the poetic and the uncanny, she crafts intimate portraits of what it means to live, feel, and transform. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Video Production and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Directing at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.
La Partenza is a meditation on the invisible weight that some women carry… mothers, daughters, and caregivers who often bear it in silence. In Martina, I see myself, my family, and my friends: strong women who struggle to release control, believing that endurance is their only choice, or proof of not being weak. The film gives voice to these unspoken experiences, affirming that our feelings are shared, worthy of recognition, and that asking for help is not weakness but an essential act of survival.
This story is dedicated to my mother, whose resilience continues to guide me, and to the memory of our friend Giuseppe Lorusso, whose spirit and friendship remain ever present.