Private Project

The Only Good Thing

A teenage boy runs away after an explosive confrontation between his parents.

  • Carlos Rivera Fernandez
    Director
    This Way, There's Nobody Here, Lighthouse
  • Carlos Rivera Fernandez
    Writer
    This Way, There's Nobody Here, Lighthouse
  • Carlos Rivera Fernandez
    Producer
  • Yair Roman
    Key Cast
    "Francisco"
  • Iris Perez
    Key Cast
    "Pandora"
  • Jonathan Montes
    Key Cast
    "Eladio"
  • Camila Manrique
    Key Cast
    "Claire"
  • Margery Lowe
    Key Cast
    "Maria"
  • Daniel Powers
    Director of photography
  • Alice Sakwa
    Producer of photography
  • Stacey Garcia
    Production designer
  • Nabil Sealy
    Sound recordist
  • Matt Siperstein
    Stunt coordinator
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 24, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Manchester
  • Shanghai Short Film Festival
    Shanghai
    China
    Golden Dragon Award for Best Indie Short
  • CineMagic Film Fest
    Greenville, South Carolina
    United States
    Award of Excellence for Best Short Film
  • TopShorts Film Festival
    Online
    Best Narrative Film, Best Young Actor (Yair Roman)
  • Art Film Awards
    Skopje
    Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
    Honorable mention for Best Indie Short (low-budget), Honorable mention for Best Director
  • New York International Film Awards
    New York, New York
    United States
    Honorable mention for Best Indie Short, Honorable mention for Best Director
  • Detroit Trinity International Film Festival
    Detroit, Michigan
    United States
    Official selection
  • Buenos Aires International Short Film Festival
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    Official selection
  • Chicago Indie Film Awards
    Chicago, Illinois
    United States
    Official selection
Director Biography - Carlos Rivera Fernandez

Carlos Rivera Fernandez is a Puerto Rican filmmaker and anthropologist, operating in the realms of both fiction and documentary. He is currently based in New York City.

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Director Statement

"The Only Good Thing" was inspired by a feature-length screenplay I began writing in December 2017, titled "Wish You Were Here". I told myself that the latter would be the first feature-length film I made since "The Usuals", and that I would do so upon finishing my undergraduate degree. In order to secure funding for the 100-page screenplay, I decided to start small and write and direct a short film focused on the long-term events leading up to "Wish You Were Here". "The Only Good Thing" represents those efforts.