Experiencing Interruptions?

THE GREAT VANISHING: PART IV

Ancient monuments are vanishing, one by one. Individually attempting to uncover the mystery is news reporter Nigel Anderson Cole and a 20-something spiritualist named Abby. “The Great Vanishing: Part IV” is a pandemic-era mystery noir that follows the lives of individuals experiencing strange events, from body takeovers to phone calls from the dead.

  • Emily Claire Schmitt
    Writer
    Raise a Glass to Love, Beverly Hills Wedding (Hallmark Channel)
  • Art Kopsichke
    Writer
    You Don't Deserve to Die (Jean Weidner Theatre as part of World Premiere Wisconsin)
  • Joshua Young
    Writer
    Lime-a-Rita Racist (New American Voices Playwriting Festival Semifinalist)
  • Ria T. DiLullo
    Director
    Kilroys List 2023, Devices of Torture (Fringe 2018 Best Bet), Directing residencies at The Tank, ESPA Primary Stages, MTC, and The Flea
  • Nora De Broder
    Producer
    King, Dates for Coffee, The Great Vanishing IV
  • Barron B. Bass
    Key Cast
    "Nigel Anderson Cole"
    Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), Pokemon (Cartoon Network), Red Dead Redemption II (Rockstar Games)
  • Miranda Noelle Wilson
    Key Cast
    "Marie von Bratten"
    The Eve (Transcendental Pictures), Seven Deadly Sins, As The World Turns (CBS)
  • Daniel Hughes
    Key Cast
    "Jacob Daniels "
    THE GREAT VANISHING Parts I, II, III; Tides
  • Anuj Parikh
    Key Cast
    "Anuj"
    As You Like It (Frog and Peach Theater)
  • Sarah Jack
    Key Cast
    "K"
    Law and Order SVU, Hightown (Starz), The Deuce (HBO)
  • Isabella Jane Schiller
    Key Cast
    "Annaleise"
    The Rushing of the Sea
  • AhDream Smith
    Key Cast
    "Mina"
    Life Coach (Amazon Prime)
  • Ariel Estrada
    Key Cast
    "Claudio"
    Blue Bloods (CBS, The Americans (Dreamworks)
  • Evelyn Carvera
    Key Cast
    "Abby"
    Clowning Around NYC Bound (Bowery Poetry Club)
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Feature, Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    thriller, horror, pandemic-era horror noir
  • Runtime:
    40 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 24, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    9,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED and Leica SL2
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Private screening
    NEW YORK
    United States
    October 25, 2022
Director Biography - Ria T. DiLullo

Ria T. DiLullo is the founder and artistic director of The Skeleton Rep(resents), a new works development and production company with a mission to Explore Modern Myth, started in 2015. Through TSR, they have produced 10 full stage shows (4 at The Tank), including “Devices of Torture” which was a Fringe 2018 Best Bet, three short play festivals (both at The Tank), 59 salons of new plays, countless readings, a 3-part pandemic film project, and this feature-length indie film, The Great Vanishing: Part IV.

In addition to their work captaining TSR, Ria assisted comedian Judy Gold’s solo performance class for many years, as well as provide research, feedback, and writing support on her book “Yes I Can Say That: When They Come For The Comedians, We Are All in Trouble” (Harper Collins 2020). Ria is on the 2023 Kilroys List and has been the recipient of directing residencies at The Tank, ESPA Primary Stages, MTC, and The Flea. They also hold a comprehensive certification in mat & apparatus Pilates and are an apprentice instructor in the Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics.

You can learn more about Ria and their work at www.skeletonrep.org & www.dilulloria.com

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Director Statement

“We are reclaiming.
We are returning.”

“The Great Vanishing: Part IV” is a mystery suspense drama shot in the summer of 2021, built upon the foundation of Nora De Broder and my early pandemic project, TGV Parts I, II, and III - all written, shot, edited, and released on YouTube between mid-March 2020 and June 2020.

I dreamed up the original concept as a way to keep my theater community of writers and actors busy with something creative while we were all locked away in our tiny NYC apartments. At first, anyone who wanted to participate as a writer and/or actor could submit themselves. If they wished to continue on to parts II and III, then we were happy to have them, as long as everyone followed the same parameters - Actors and writers would be paired and all have to respond to the same global event; the world wakes up one day and the Great Pyramids have disappeared - just vanished off the face of the earth. How would all these disparate people respond to this event?

Actors would self-tape from their phone, tablet, or desktop. Based on the material, I would figure out a run order for the scenes, with Nora De Broder acting as editor. “The Great Vanishing: Part I” premiered on May 18, 2020 with over 400 people tuning in. Building on our material while becoming more fine-tuned, we released Part II (with the Parthenon disappearing) on June 8, 2020 and Part III (with Stonehenge vanishing) on June 25, 2020. With each development, a story emerged and we started to follow characters, versus the tableaux-like quality of the first part. Nora and I felt we were really on to something, and began making plans for a Part IV, this time shot with high quality cameras and in person. We were able to shoot our film during the summer of
2021. While “The Great Vanishing: Part IV” certainly builds on the material that came before it, it stands out as a tighter, more focused film with protagonists emerging and the questions of the world becoming clearer. We are excited to share “The Great Vanishing” with you, and we hope you’re intrigued enough for us to embark on Part V!