Stonestreet Studios is set to premiere three short films during the closing night of the Big Apple Film Festival Spring Edition, screening Thursday, May 15th at 5:45pm at Look Dine-In Cinemas (Theater #3) on West 57th Street.
The program features three dynamic short films that reflect Stonestreet’s bold approach to storytelling. Tell Me It’s For Real is a pop-punk musical that follows an outcast Furry who grapples with his identity after falling for a girl harboring a secret. Directed and written by Mariano Flores and produced by Alyssa Rallo Bennett, the film stars Carlos Navas, Abigail Arader, Particio Ovando, Jada Saxton, Kristina Jewett, and Zoe Siegel.
Bosons In The Library, written and directed by Gary O. Bennett, is set during exam season in a college library, where a student struggles to maintain focus amidst escalating distractions—some small, some profound, and some filled with self-doubt. The film stars Clara Spannaus, Toon de Melker, Sarah Kinsman Chute, and Yvonne Harrison, and is produced by Alyssa Rallo Bennett.
Rounding out the trio is The Dishwasher, a high-energy workplace dramedy set in a bustling restaurant thrown into chaos by an untimely phone call—until an unsung hero steps in to steady the ship. Directed and written by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and produced by both Alyssa and Gary O. Bennett, the film stars Mark Vaughn, Rivka Chaim, Dante Briggs, and Vighnesh Dheenahayalan.
“We’re incredibly proud to have three very different stories on screen together,” say Stonestreet co-founders Alyssa Rallo Bennett and Gary O. Bennett. “These films capture the range of voices and visions coming out of our studio—from the fantastical and musical, to the introspective and absurd. It’s a thrill to share them at Big Apple, which continues to champion bold new work!”
As Stonestreet Studios celebrates 34 years of original filmmaking and artistic mentorship, this closing night selection underscores the studio’s continued commitment to championing emerging storytellers and creating work that resonates socially, politically and culturally.
STONESTREET STUDIOS (Production Company) is celebrating 34 years as a New York City based fully operative, multi-purpose, visual motion picture production studio. Their work ranges from award-winning socially speculative feature films like ReRUN (Christopher Lloyd), Rain Without Thunder (Jeff Daniels, Linda Hunt, Steve Zahn) and The Pack (Luci Arnaz, Elizabeth Moss), to pilots, web series and MicroMovies featured in dozens of international festivals like Tribeca Film Festival, Newport Beach, Soho International Film Festival, Sedona, Toronto Independent Film Festival and many more. Stonestreet has become known as an incubator of socially conscious, character driven and culturally provocative content and talent via its residency program for NYU Tisch Drama. It has developed talent including Miles Teller (Whiplash, Divergent), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards), Camila Mendes (Riverdale), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), Francesca Reale (Stranger Things), Ximena Lamadrid (Bardo), Idina Menzel (Frozen), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby, Bottoms), Nik Walker (Hamilton) and more. Their films can be found streaming everywhere and found on www.stonestreet.net
For more information, visit Stonestreet Studios’ website here. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), and YouTube.
