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PEW! PEW! PEW!

When Miles tries to rejoin his geeky crew at a cosplay convention, Anita is having none of it. But before she can send him packing, the devious Lord Moro ambushes the crew, forcing these old friends to reunite in an epic, cosplay "blaster" battle.

  • Loren Dunn
    Director
    Ana and Anthony in Love
  • Loren Dunn & Matthew DeCapua
    Writer
    Ana and Anthony in Love; Space Dogs
  • Barbie Leung
    Producer
    Battleground; Netizens; Adult Swim Smalls
  • Tony Borden
    Producer
    Kingswood; The Woods; Food Party
  • Robert Gomes
    Producer
    Deflated
  • Ryan Wesley Gilreath
    Producer
    Turn; Deception
  • Mackenzie Astin
    Key Cast
    "Paolo / Lord Moro"
    The Facts of Life; Iron Will
  • Shannon DeVido
    Key Cast
    "Anita"
    Insatiable; Difficult People
  • Brian McCarthy
    Key Cast
    "Bradford / Mr. Tulvis"
    Bull; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; Jessica Jones
  • Criena House
    Key Cast
    "Delilah"
  • Matthew DeCapua
    Key Cast
    "Miles / The Captain"
    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Blue Bloods
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 18, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Loren Dunn

Loren is a New York-based director, writer, and actor. He was proud to receive the Sony Pictures Classic Best Short Film award at the 2017 Asbury Park Music and Film Festival for his film Ana and Anthony In Love. As an actor, he’s appeared on T.V. shows like Boardwalk Empire and on stages around the U.S. He’s moved to tell stories with heart.

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Director Statement

As an actor, writer, and director -- not to mention a sci-fi and pop culture fan -- fantasy has played an important role in my life. But has fantasy been a means of augmenting life or escaping it? Is it healthy or is it avoidant? Perhaps the role of fantasy is something else, altogether.

I wanted to make PEW! PEW! PEW! as a lighthearted way to explore these questions, and how they intersect with the complicated relationships between this group of friends. At the heart of the story is divorce: Miles’ divorce from his wife, Claire; the divorce the friends underwent when Miles left in an unsuccessful attempt to save his marriage; Delilah’s breakup with Lord Moro; and the question of whether or not these cosplayers are divorced from reality. Fantasy plays a crucial role as these characters navigate their emotional world.

Ultimately, after working on this project, I think the most important role fantasy plays is enabling us to process the often difficult things that have happened in our lives, the events and relationships we aren’t quite ready to address head on. Maybe it provides a safe moment for us to tell a friend the truth about how we feel about him? Maybe it creates a space for us to work through our feelings and reconcile with someone who’s hurt us? Maybe it creates a way for us to throw an (undeniably inappropriate) temper tantrum that’s ridiculous and actually, at the end of the day, an expression of grief.

Underneath the fun and often silly veneer of PEW! PEW! PEW!, these are the questions that are at play for me and our creative team. First and foremost, I hope you enjoy the movie. I also hope it inspires a moment to consider -- and appreciate -- the role fantasy plays in your life.