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The Oval Portrait

In this silent adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s shortest story, an injured nobleman and his servant find shelter in an abandoned castle where a mysterious portrait feeds off the melancholy of the visitors, causing life and art to intersect, and rendering beauty and love immortal.

  • Frank Messely
    Director
  • Frank Messely
    Writer
  • Frank Messely
    Producer
  • Paul van Hest
    Key Cast
  • Alyssia Desmeth
    Key Cast
  • Giyes Herteleer
    Key Cast
  • Adrian Cojocaru
    Key Cast
  • Bente Kielman
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 17, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    16,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Belgium
  • Country of Filming:
    Belgium, Germany
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital HDV
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Romford Horror Festival
    United Kingdom
    February 29, 2024
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Eerie Horror Fest, Erie PA
    United States
    October 5, 2024
    First US screening
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Frank Messely

Frank Messely (*Kortrijk – 1961), is a Belgian screenwriter and filmmaker. He studied visual arts in Kortrijk / Flanders. After years of focusing on the visual arts, his first novel WOODLAND was published (2001 – Houtekiet/Antwerp). As he considers film as the perfect synthesis of all art forms, he started producing his first short film ULALUME in December 2012, a visual trip based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem, which was completed in 2014. After that he adapted Poe’s story THE OVAL PORTRAIT to the screen. The production started in 2019, and the silent film was completed in November 2022. He's currently working on another Poe sound film, the third installment of a cinematic Poe triptych.

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Director Statement

I consider the short film in 7th art as the equivalent of the étude in music; an opportunity for the artist to fine-tune his creative approach and explore the full potential of the artistic medium.