Speak Only Good of the Dead

Speak Only Good of the Dead is a science fiction/drama short film in which a lovesick mathematician discovers that EPICAC, the military supercomputer he works with, is actually sentient. After teaching EPICAC about love & poetry, he attempts to use the machine to win the heart of his beautiful co-worker, Pat Kilgallen, by claiming EPICAC's poetry as his own.

  • Samuel Romero
    Producer
    Three Seconds to Midnight, Mama's Waltz
  • Arminio Rivero
    Director
    Masters of War, Groundswell
  • David Cope
    Key Cast
    "The Programmer"
    Scars
  • Magaly Pefig
    Key Cast
    "Pat Kilgallen"
    Rosa del Rio
  • Alexei Afonin
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Kruznetsov"
  • Michael Dean Walker
    Key Cast
    "General G.M. Barnes"
    Groundswell
  • Arminio Rivero
    Writer
    Groundswell, Masters of War
  • Samuel Romero
    Writer
    Three Seconds to Midnight
  • Pedro Gomez
    Writer
    South Beach Shark Club
  • Samuel Romero
    Director of Photography
    Making a Living, Scars, Mama's Waltz
  • Rafael Romero
    Executive Producers
  • Leonardo Weyce
    Executive Producers
  • Trevor Miller
    Executive Producers
  • Maryam Naqqash
    Executive Producers
  • Miguel Romero
    Executive Producers
  • Michelle Ryan
    Associate Producers
  • Nicolas Pantaleon
    Associate Producers
  • Ana Paula Rocha
    Associate Producers
  • Robert Ramos
    Production Designer
  • Victor Portillo
    Line Producer
  • Cristopher Gando
    Production Coordinator
  • Selina Savage
    Casting Director
  • Samuel Romero
    Editors
  • Arminio Rivero
    Editors
  • Mauricio Trabanino
    Composer
  • Adam Lighterman
    Colorist
  • Alexis Mondragón
    Sound Designer
  • Isabella Cano
    1st AD
  • Bryan Suarez
    Script Supervisor
  • Ashley DeGrandy
    Art Director
  • Pablo Velho
    Hair/Wardrobe
  • Kelly Flores
    Makeup Artist
  • Humberto Blanco
    Camera Assistants
  • Tristin Bonachea
    Camera Assistants
  • Octavio Suarez
    Camera Assistants
  • Erick Alamo
    D.I.T.
  • Howard Benitez
    Set Construction
  • Edgar Ruiz
    Set Construction
  • Daniel Rodriguez
    Key Grip
  • Onyx Lopez
    Grip
  • Kufre Eyo
    Gaffer
  • Ethan Perez
    Best Boy Electric
  • Andres Alfonso
    Sound Mixer
  • Janier Diaz
    Sound Mixer
  • Anna Milczewski
    Set Dresser
  • Steven Lee
    Set Dresser
  • Raquel Ramirez
    Set Dresser
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, drama, romance
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED, Anamorphic Cookes
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.76
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Student Academy Awards
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
  • The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Student Production Award
    Miami, Florida
    United States
    Best Long Form - Winner
  • HollyShorts Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Boston SciFi Film Fest
    Boston, MA
    United States
    February 6, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Orlando Film Festival
    Orlando, Florida
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Hobnobben Film Festival
    Fort Wayne, Indiana
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Central Florida Film Festival
    Tavares, Florida
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Tagore International Film Festival
    West Bengal
    India
    Winner - Best Romantic Short
  • Miami Underground Film Festival
    Miami, FL
    United States
    Official Selection
  • The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films
    West Palm Beach, Florida
    United States
    1st Place - Long Form College ($2K Cash Award)
  • Film Gate Festival
    Miami, Florida
    United States
    February 26, 2020
    Best Film - Jury Award
  • Film Gate Festival
    Miami, Florida
    United States
    February 26, 2020
    Best Film - Audience Award
  • The Lift-Off Sessions
    Pinewood Studios, Iver
    United Kingdom
    February 3, 2020
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Arminio Rivero

Arminio S. Rivero is a Venezuelan born filmmaker currently based in Miami, FL. After immigrating to Miami Beach as a child, he quickly fell in love with cinema, music & literature, spending the majority of his adolescence obsessing over Hitchcock films, dystopian novels & the electric guitar. He is a frequent collaborator with Miami based art collective 7th Wind and has worked with a multitude of filmmakers/musicians/artist/non-profits around the city. His debut short film “Masters of War” has been accepted into film festivals around the world including the United States, Europe, Japan, India, & Africa. With all of his projects he hopes to convey a greater moral message by addressing social or political issues within the narrative. In addition to filmmaking, he is also an accomplished musician, having performed at many music festivals and venues across the United States.

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Director Statement

As a diehard Kurt Vonnegut fan it is my whole-hearted belief that if a greater number of people were exposed to his writings, we would have a much more beautiful world to live in. When the opportunity came up to adapt and direct “EPICAC’ for the big screen I was beyond excited to contribute to that possible world. “EPICAC” is a story about discovering humanity and emotion where you don’t expect to find it. The story’s protagonist is a government super-computer built for the sole purpose of warfare, who soon discovers the highs and lows of poetry, love & fate. I believe this is an incredibly important story to tell not only because of the recent advancements in artificial intelligence, but mainly because we are living in a time where some people even fail to see the humanity in their fellow man.