Private Project

Your blue heart

Logline:

A father, waiting for his son to arrive home, faces a hidden truth that emerges as the night unfolds. Starring Don Castro ("Power Book II: Ghost," "Marvel’s Daredevil") and Roy Flores ("Here Lies Love" on Broadway, "Inventing Anna"), “Your blue heart” is a meditation on memory and the mysterious way it lives inside of us.

  • Don Castro
    Director
  • Don Castro
    Writer
  • Sherry Huang
    Producer
  • Don Castro
    Producer
  • Don Castro
    Key Cast
    "Lito"
    Film: The Goldfinch, The Wizard of Lies, The Happening TV: Power Book II: Ghost, Modern Love (s2), Pose, Marvel's Daredevil S3, Blue Bloods, etc.
  • Roy Flores
    Key Cast
    "Rey"
    Here Lies Love on Broadway
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    narrative drama, fiction
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 4, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Tagalog
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, ProRes422
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Katra Film Series
    New York City
    United States
    April 27, 2023
    New York City Premiere
    Official Selection
  • DIWA Filipino Film Festival
    Seattle
    United States
    June 4, 2023
    Seattle Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Micheaux Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    July 15, 2023
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Chain NYC Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    August 6, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    Athens Premiere
    Finalist
  • Binisaya WORLD Film Festival
    Cebu City
    Philippines
    September 13, 2023
    International Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Diego Filipino Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    October 4, 2023
    San Diego Premiere
    Official Selection
  • NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    February 16, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Kerala Short Film Festival
    Munnar, Kerala
    India
    March 23, 2024
    India Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Queens World Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    April 26, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Kaminari Japan Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    June 3, 2024
    Japanese Premiere
    Grand Prix Winner - Best Short Film
  • Cebu International Film Festival
    Cebu
    Philippines
    August 31, 2024
    Best Short Narrative
Distribution Information
  • UKW
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Free TV
  • ABS-CBN/The Filipino Channel
    Distributor
    Country: Philippines
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Don Castro

Don Castro is a Manila-born, American actor based in New York City. His resume includes diverse roles spanning theatre, film, and television. Films featuring his work as an actor have screened at festivals in cities worldwide, such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Soho International Film Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Cannes' Short Film Corner, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Partial Film/TV credits include: "The Goldfinch," "The Wizard of Lies" (starring Robert De Niro), The Happening," "Bohemibot" (Student Academy Award Winner), "Power Book II: Ghost," "Modern Love," "Pose," "Marvel's Daredevil," "Blue Bloods," "NYC 22," and "The Blacklist." "Your blue heart" is Don's writing and directorial debut. (www.doncastro.com/yourblueheartfilm)

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I have been a professional actor in New York City, on film and on stage, for almost 20 years. "Your blue heart" is my first attempt as a writer and director. I was never interested in writing my own stories. However, when my estranged father died suddenly in 2016, I was ill-equipped in grieving for him. I did not know how to mourn, how to feel sorrow, for a man who had been out of my life for nearly 30 years. Then, out of nowhere, came the idea for "Your blue heart." I didn't have to contrive it into existence. It came into being as if it had always been there. It was the purest conception of art that I've ever experienced.

After shooting a teaser, completing a script, raising funds, casting, and assembling a team, I was ready to move forward with the project. However, a few challenges brought the film's progress to a halt, including a cancer diagnosis, personnel changes, and finally, the arrival of Covid-19. During the pandemic, I was inspired to re-imagine the approach and style of "Your blue heart," as influenced by these unprecedented experiences. Following through with this new vision and trajectory, our re-assembled team finally found ourselves on set.

Working on the set of "Your blue heart" has stirred in me a renewed appreciation for filmmakers of all specialties. For example, the stakes for what will define a work, what direction it will go, and its total vision, rests solely on a director's shoulders. This is an immense responsibility. Also, nothing that you watch on TV, streaming services, or the cineplex would exist without the technical competence/mastery, drive, organization, patience, curiosity, sensitivity, artistry, and yes, magic, of those working behind the camera. Filmmaking is a truly collaborative art form that blends everyone's creative and technical expression to fit neatly inside a frame. What an awe-inspiring process.