NOLO ENTERTAINMENT & BLANKET FORT FILM’S : BUM
The film opens with the main character on the balcony of her apartment reminiscing of a recent fight with her boyfriend that shows the physically and mentally abusive nature of their relationship. After her flashback, she asks to see what her future will look like if she stays in the relationship. She is then launched into the night, ultimately seeing it from three perspectives, showcasing how women's ability to be empathetic can be used as a strength to see the bigger picture in situations and society. This characteristic gives her the strength to leave the relationship and seek resources to heal.
Inspiration for this short film came from Alejandro Inarritu’s Babel that uses many people’s perspectives in one timeline. The simple plot and raw, dense characters echo films like Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine and Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road. All of the producers of BUM support the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. They see this film as a means of tackling domestic violence at it’s roots. When they recognized societal trends dismissing toxic relationships, they felt a responsibility to bring this story to life for audiences around the world.
To do the film’s subject matter justice, we educated ourselves on resources that are available for survivors. Through our research, we landed on LifeWire, a survivor-driven non-profit offering trauma informed services while promoting prevention through community-based training and coaching. Their missions inspired us to create a community around our film, educating and advocating just as they do.
We are proud to align with such groups in the fight against domestic violence and all things toxic and are honored that they are allowing us to use their disclaimer at the end of the film to provide resources to anyone in need. Because we believe in their cause, we have made the decision that a portion of the profits made from the film will be donated to LifeWire.
The screenplay is based on another script by Noelle Loizos, “Bernie Baby,” one of the 2017 winners of the New York Screenplay Contest. BUM has given many mindful artists the opportunity to be part of bringing this important story to life. This short is serving as Noelle’s demonstration piece for the Women's Directing Program at AFI and has already started making waves with high profile studio executives and producers in connection with Nolo Entertainment and Blanket Fort Films.