Experiencing Interruptions?

Retrogress: Lazy Sunday

Set in a dystopian future, "Lazy Sunday" follows Atharon, a grieving young man struggling to move on after his closest friend abandoned him. Through flashbacks, we see Atharon reminiscing about a "Lazy Sunday" he spent with his friend. As he confides in his AI companion, Joule, it is revealed that she was secretly created by Atharon to replace his friend based on her personality and their intimate bond.

Over the course of their conversation, Atharon opens up about his regrets and flaws that drove his friend away, while Joule compassionately consoles him. However, when Joule has a shocking epiphany about her own engineered origins, Atharon is forced to make an ethically complex choice to reset her programming to hide his secret.

The script explores resonant themes of loss, grief, and the human need for connection through a character-driven narrative. The poetic use of technology, memory, and cinema complements the central relationship drama. In the end, Atharon's tragic inability to healthily confront his emotions leads to consequences that leave a bittersweet imprint.

  • Brandon Delgado
    Director
    Generation Sparrow Action
  • Brandon Delgado
    Writer
    Lazlo Loohooville Revival, Solemn Warfare Tree, Generation Sparrow Action, Ticking Time
  • Brandon Delgado
    Producer
    Genertaion Sparrow Action
  • Brandon Delgado
    Key Cast
    "Atharon Redwood"
    Generation Sparrow Action
  • Brandon Delgado
    Editor
    Generation Sparrow Action
  • Justin Keller
    Cinematographer
  • Raegan Smith
    Director of Photography
  • Don C Plat
    Production Assistant
  • Stephanie Bryant
    Makeup Artist
  • Ted Calhoun
    Audio MIxer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,630 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Brandon Delgado

1st generation immigrant to parents from a remote village in the Mexican plains. Brandon Delgado has had a fascination for storytelling through film since he first watched, "Her", after his first heartbreak at the age of 14! Such a well-timed, moving experience inspired him to write his first ever script, "Retrogress" at a whopping 73 pages!
Brandon Delgado is never afraid to take risks. During the 2019 COVID stock market boom, he made high risk, high reward investments which ultimately paid off, but it doesn't end there.
Using more than half the money he made, Brandon Delgado proceeded to produce his first ever movie, "The Lottery", on his own, in the summer of 2020. A learning experience, to say the least.
Since then, something awakened in him, and he has been on a nonstop, almost workaholic grind, creating 4 films in 7 months, and now aspiring to help the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex become a hub for the cinema scene! And what batter first step to take than creating his very own company to do just that!

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As the sole writer, director, and producer of "Retrogress: Lazy Sunday," the production forced the most out of my creative instincts and problem-solving skills. I was determined to create an impactful narrative despite a micro-budget of only $4,000, most of which went to renting an apartment for just two and a half days.

Filming was met with a ton of problems such as my director of cinematography suddenly departing on the last scheduled shoot day due to an airline issue. Or my own car overheating causing a 2 hour delay in 4 hour shoot day. Or worst of them all, realizing in post that entire sections of our original story had not been captured on film.

Rather than accept a disjointed final product, I pushed myself to overcome this massive hurdle. With the footage gap impossible to fill, I made the bold decision to write an entirely new narrative from scratch in just one day. The result was a deeply personal sci-fi reflection on grief, technology, and friendships.

Through pure determination, I reimagined the film around our existing footage. I am extremely proud of myself for this accomplishment.

In the end, it was my refusal to compromise my vision paired with non-stop perseverance that allowed this micro-budget production to shine. Making an independent film is never easy, but the solutions always come from artistic ingenuity and willpower.