What is it?

O Sole Mio is a short romantic comedy, drawing on themes of love, youth and recklessness. Aiming to be in the style of a modern Charlie Chaplin film, and playing to the popular tune "O Sole Mio", this short film is the most ambitious project taken on by the up-and-coming filmmakers behind it.

It tells the story of Italian waiter Marco, who is expected to be at the top of his game when a presidential candidate is coming to the restaurant. Instead, he falls in love with Maria, the powerful man's daughter, and must now dodge him and his bodyguard entourage in order to win her heart. To make matters worse, Marco also faces the opposition of his own boss and uncle Antonio, whose restaurant's reputation is on the line.

Upon completion, O Sole Mio will be submitted to festivals around England, Europe and, why not? The World. Our cast, crew and funders will all be credited for their invaluable contribution, no matter how minor.

We will be filming with a RED One MX, a top choice amongst short films and a reliable piece of equipment.

Who is making it?

Director Emil Alexander Jensen is a young Norwegian filmmaker with a keen eye for style and a refined sense of humour. A natural comedian, Emil is often the funniest guy in the room. O Sole Mio is his final project in his intensive 2-year BA in Filmmaking and Cinematography at the prestigious Met Film School located in historic Ealing Studios.

Producer Diogo Costa, having worked on a number of ambitious and successful film projects, has over the two years in Ealing Studios proven to be an excellent organiser with a great eye for fruitful projects. Diogo has been involved in the production of a number of music videos, short films, a web series and a feature film. O Sole Mio is also his final project at Met Film School, to which he's chosen to devote his full focus.

Director of Photography Jon Keng, a professional of the image for over 9 years, will bring to this film a perfect blend of knowledge and irreverence in regards to cinematography. His credits as a DoP include more than 30 short films, commercials and music videos and also a feature film.

Assistant Director Victoria Naumova is a keen and observant presence on a number of high-budget film sets. Victoria has developed an understanding for the First AD role like no other in her course. She has an incredible sense of focus on the task at hand and never stops until the job is done.

The crew is growing every day and so far this is our team:

Casting Director - Mariana Miragaia
Production Designer - Giulia Servidati
Costume Designer - Doris Bartelt
Food Stylist - Emily Kydd
Steadicam Operator - Matteo Cosorich
Focus Puller - Shane de Almeida
Gaffer - Rachel Hopson
DIT - Joe Lovelock
Sound Recordist - Filipe Pinheiro
Makeup Artist - Sarah Crawford

Why do we need funding?

Though our team does its best to keep the budget to a minimum, O Sole Mio represents a step forward for us in terms of the quality standard we're setting out to achieve. Because of that, we've estimated a sum of £3,950 to make this film shine as bright as it can.

A proper location must be secured, and funds spent in set dressing to make it look as charming as it can.

Music is essential to make this piece work and for that we will need to invest in finding or creating just the right version of O Sole Mio. This involves licensing, which can get expensive.

Camera, sound, grip and lighting equipment will be a healthy part of the investment - O Sole Mio has a unique visual style that requires the right tools, in particular the use of Steadicam.

An army marches on its stomach, and so too does a film set. Providing healthy yet fulfilling catering for cast and crew is a budget item that a filmmaker can never underestimate.

Finally, our team will move around quite a bit throughout London's concrete jungle whilst carrying heavy equipment, which means costs in vehicle hire, petrol and travelcards for the people involved.

Thanks for your support!

We hope you can contribute to our cause, and please spread the word so we can be seen by as many people as possible. Together we can make a great film!