Experiencing Interruptions?

Tempo Rubato

The night before her 18th birthday recital, an overworked and talentless pianist is abducted by three ghouls and thrust into a world of chaos.

  • Sonny Newman
    Director
  • Sonny Newman
    Writer
  • Sonny Newman
    Producer
  • Chris Sanchez
    Producer
  • Ula Ross
    Producer
  • Isabella Thatcher
    Key Cast
    "The Pianist"
  • Katie Herling
    Key Cast
    "Chico"
  • Joaquin Hosfeld
    Key Cast
    "Harpo"
  • Martha Thatcher
    Key Cast
    "Groucho"
  • Guy Ambrouso
    Key Cast
    "The Shadow"
  • Kiana Moattari
    Key Cast
    "The Ballerina"
  • Maria Newman
    Key Cast
    "The Mother"
  • Scott Hosfeld
    Key Cast
    "The Father"
  • Matthew Newman
    Music
  • Sasha Brustinov
    Music
  • Sonny Newman
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Silent Film, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 29, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Buried Alive Horror Film Festival
    Atlanta, Georgia
    United States
    November 7, 2025
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Broken Film Festival
    Guelph, Ontario
    Canada
    April 17, 2026
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Real Twin Peaks Festival
    North Bend, Washington
    United States
    February 22, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Malibu Coast Music Festival
    Malibu, California
    United States
    March 16, 2026
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sonny Newman

Sonny Newman (they/them) is an American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Their work is distinguished by its formal playfulness, off-kilter humor, and dedication to uniquely filmic experiences.

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Director Statement

In music, "Tempo Rubato" refers to a momentary disregard for tempo, allowing an expressive quickening or slackening without altering the overall pace.

More potently, it can be thought of as stolen time.

TEMPO RUBATO grew out of a desire to embody this concept through image, sound, and story. I was most excited to create two approaches to movie-time: one rigid, edited strictly to the metronome, with hard cuts, minimal movement, and distance; the other fluid, featuring images that transform and disrupt space-time continuities. In this sense, the film is about the organization of time through form, with a protagonist caught between forces of order and chaos.

As a plus to these formal considerations, TEMPO RUBATO gave me the chance to synthesize some of my favorite cinematic obsessions: Maya Deren, silent comedy, Looney Tunes, German Expressionism, and the Marx Brothers.

(It may or may not also pull heavily from my experience as the less-than-musical child of acclaimed musicians)

My hope for TEMPO RUBATO is really very simple: time gobbles things up. I wanted to steal some. I hope you can grab a bit for yourself as well.