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The Carducci Talent Show

Welcome to the 37th Carducci Talent Show.

Every 4 years a group of childhood friends get together to catch up, reminisce and take part in a friendly and very well organized Talent Show; a tradition originating in Rome that's been passed down for generations.

This year, Tony (Johnno Wilson) brings his new fiancee Emma (Saydee Dickinson) to finally meet his friends and "family" and to watch the show. Pay close attention because as the show begins and the night unravels, so might Emma.

  • Anthony Fanelli
    Director
    The Akron Holy War, Juncture, S.W.A.T., Hollywood, NCIS: Los Angeles, This is Us, Party of Five
  • Anthony Fanelli
    Writer
    The Akron Holy War, Juncture, S.W.A.T., Hollywood, NCIS: Los Angeles, This is Us, Party of Five
  • Anthony Fanelli
    Producer
    The Akron Holy War, Juncture, S.W.A.T., Hollywood, NCIS: Los Angeles, This is Us, Party of Five
  • Saydee Dickinson
    Key Cast
    "Emma"
    Half Vanilla, A Kid and His Panda
  • Johnno Wilson
    Key Cast
    "Tony"
    Searching, Raven's Home, First Impressions
  • Sara Fletcher
    Key Cast
    "Lyndsey"
    Days of Our Lives, House of Darkness, Second Chance for Christmas
  • Anthony Fanelli
    Key Cast
    "Dom"
    The Akron Holy War, Juncture, S.W.A.T., Hollywood, NCIS: Los Angeles, Party of Five
  • Maya Nalli
    Key Cast
    "Ana"
    Between the Darkness, BuzzFeed Originals
  • Michael Strassner
    Key Cast
    "Barrett"
    Parks and Recreation, Modern Family
  • Arielle Marie Fanelli
    Key Cast
    "Elyse"
    Agent Carter, Juncture
  • Andrew Searles
    Key Cast
    "Booker"
    Cereal Killer, I Got The Hook Up 2
  • Miranda O'Hare
    Key Cast
    "Lauren"
    Killing the Cure, Coven, Age of the Living Dead
  • Lucy Blehar
    Key Cast
    "Lucy"
    Chicago P.D., Mary Tyler Millenial
  • Jay Ruggieri
    Director of Photography
    Along Came the Devil, Along Came the Devil 2, Juncture
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Anthony Fanelli

Anthony is an actor, writer, director and producer who has had success behind and in front of the camera.

His most recent acting credits include a recurring role on S.W.A.T, Netflix’s mini-series Hollywood, the rebooted “Party of Five, "NCIS: Los Angeles", "Scorpion", "Togtherness", "East Lost High", "Hand of God", the lead in the cult film "Black Water Vampire," over 25 national commercials and more!

Anthony is the producer/director of the cult (and award winning) feature film documentary, "The Akron Holy War" which captures the storied (high school football) rivalry between two Akron, OH parochial schools.

Anthony is the writer/director/editor and star of the award winning “1 take” short film “Juncture”, a 3 1/2 wall breaking, self-aware meta film that shifts seamlessly back and forth between being "on set" with the husband and wife movie making duo of Scott and Eva (played by real life husband and wife Anthony and Arielle Fanelli) to their own underground mob short film.

Anthony is the creator and star of The Next Steps, the short form comedy series that won an "Amazon Video Direct Star" award for 11 straight months for being one of the most viewed independent titles on Amazon, totaling over 20 million watch minutes; as well as the creator of the horror series "Chapters of Horror" that was purchased by Blumhouse and Crypt TV.

His yet-to-produced comedic mystery screenplay “Skokie Stakeout” has won several writing contests over the past year.

Graduating from the Second City Conservatory, Anthony is also a season on-stage vet with over 400 live shows under his belt (improv, sketch, one-man shows and more)!

Beyond his "indie", Anthony also worked for years in the YouTube world producing cinematic viral videos and documentaries that have totaled 500+ million views and streaming minutes in the billions.

Anthony's other content stats are 50+ million minutes streamed of my original content on Amazon Video, 200+ million YouTube views and 20+ million Facebook video views on additional projects!

www.anthony-fanelli.com and www.aphotic-productions.com for more!

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Carducci Talent Show is a lot of things.

It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story about a young woman meeting her fiancé’s childhood friends for the first time. Tony and his group of friends from North Hill have that bond that you can only have with people you’ve known your whole life. When you’re in your 30s and life starts moving fast, it’s those friends that keep you grounded to your roots. So when Emma first meets this mysterious bunch, she’s a bit overwhelmed at their ability to jump right back into their repertoire.

It’s a take on religion, dominance and the evolution of divine worship. In modern times, every family, group, team, congregation etc. has their own special rituals and traditions that outside of their circle, may seem weird to others, but to them it’s what’s always been done... and it's always for the "greater good."

It’s a take on following orders blindly; half out of fear and half out of believing. In this case the Talent Show is completely, albeit blink and you’ll miss it, run by a mysterious group known only as “The Republic.” They make the calls, they are the ones you answer to, and they're the ones pulling all the strings. Although some may not agree with the outcomes, they all willingly accept it.

It's a take on actors. I think we all know that actors and performers can take themselves a bit too serious at times. Whether by a self-righteousness or just an overall vanity, they can easily get detached from the world and snuff their noses at others in their field if they aren’t “up-to-par” with their “talent.” This film definitely takes that into account.

What I like most about the film, outside of the actor’s performances and gusto, are the red herrings sprinkled throughout that upon revisiting would be major red flags, but on first glance/listen, there’s nothing too odd.

This film is told from Emm'a perspective and is a fast 36 minutes. If interested, also attached here is quick backstory about how this specific Talent Show came about thousands of years ago, where it was conceived and how it has evolved; from how Augustus conquered Rome, to using these “secular games” to weed out weak bloodlines, to the worshipping of false gods and muses, and finally how it spread to the U.S.A. (21-19-1.. it’ll make sense soon).

I hope you watch it twice… enjoy!