One Small Request

An intimate look inside a couple trying to relight their spark again

Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Development
Co-Writer/Director: Erwin Alejandro Ordóñez
Co-Writer: Neilkanth Dave
Producer: Bobbie Lucas, Julia Schmidt
Talent: Jon Huertas
 
Email: erwinao93@gmail.com
Instagram: @erwin1293
 
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Logline

A married couple’s relationship takes a turn when the notion of inviting a third person into their bedroom sparks a heated dispute between them.

Synopsis

We start with a married couple, Sara and Francisco (Francis) in the middle of an argument. As we follow the couple throughout their home, the story smoothly transitions into flashbacks of different arguments but they all feel like a continuation of the
same one. Eventually, we learn that the reason behind the argument is because Sara has brought up the idea of bringing another man into their bed. Francis is not okay with the idea and the argument continues. Through the flashbacks we learn more about the couple. Insecurities from one another are exposed but most importantly, they both lost their jobs during the pandemic. Sara, however, was able to bounce back by starting a successful baking business, but Francis has struggled since then. Francis feels like a failure and believes he isn’t enough for Sara and believes this is the reason behind the idea. Sara assures Francis that is not true and this is simply about her and her needs. For a moment the argument takes a break and the couple becomes passionate with each other. However, Sara quickly stops, wanting to really get her point across. The argument continues and Francis brings up the fact that they could one day want kids. This abruptly takes us back to a flashback early in their relationship where Sara states that she does not want kids. By now it is clear that this couple has always struggled with communication or lack thereof. Things become even more heated and just as the argument is about to reach its climax a knock on the door interrupts. Sara answers and we end with the other man Sara had called standing at their door.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Erwin Alejandro Ordóñez – Co-Writer/Director
Erwin is a director based in Los Angeles with an enormous passion for filmmaking. Born in Guatemala and raised in Chicago, he has been creating content from a very young age. Starting with homemade videos that range from at home “News show” to guerilla-style narrative shorts. While in Film School, Erwin produced and directed several of his own projects while simultaneously working on professional sets. He continued this path after moving to LA which eventually paved the way to working at ABC entertainment. While working full-time at ABC, Erwin continues to work on several independent projects. His latest short, Memory Swim, screened at several festivals throughout the nation (and one international one) to great feedback and one nomination in the Best Drama Short Film category. He has also earned shadowing credits on shows like The Conners and most recently The Rookie. His goal is to tell as many stories as possible. Stories that anyone and everyone can relate to from the point of view of a diverse filmmaker.

Neilkanth Dave – Co-Writer
Neil is an Indian American award-winning Sundance/SLOAN screenwriter. Dave was a 2016 finalist at the Warner Brothers’ Television Workshop for his spec Master of None. In 2019, his series pilot Delta-V won the Sundance Institute / Alfred P. Sloan episodic storytelling grant. He’s a Teamsters Local 399 member and is currently scouting for a Ryan Murphy produced Netflix show titled Monster(s) Season 2. Recently, his feature script K.O. was a finalist for the Sundance 2022 Screenwriters Lab.

Bobbie Lucas – Producer
Bobbie is an East Coast native whose childhood plan to “grow up and become a rich poet” naturally morphed into writing and producing longform entertainment. She has worked across film and television at both larger studios such as: Disney, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate and independent production companies including: Made Up Stories, Color Force, and Blumhouse. She holds an M.F.A. in Film, Television and Digital Media Producing from UCLA and a B.A. from Vassar College where she double majored in Economics and Film Studies. She now teaches in the Creative Producing Summer Institute at UCLA where she examines power, justice and identity through the lens of women in Hollywood and how changing economics of the entertainment industry have led to disparities for female filmmakers.

Bobbie Lucas and Julia Schmidt – Producers
An East Coast native whose childhood plan to “grow up and become a rich poet” (Bobbie) met a Southern California native whose childhood plan was to be a neurosurgeon (Julia) after their varied life trajectories led them both to LA where they worked in entertainment at ABC Signature (allowing Julia to experience her childhood obsession with Grey’s Anatomy from a new angle–working on the show via ABC Signature’s Series Team). They immediately bonded over their passion for producing female driven content, drive to create their own projects, and abilities to handle timely show issues with wit and a solution oriented focus. Bobbie’s experience across film and television (Disney, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Made Up Stories, Color Force, and Blumhouse) and MFA in Producing from UCLA meshed well with Julia’s experience as a producer on short form productions, vast live event experience, work on the series team at ABC Signature, and current work developing content with an acclaimed independent producer, and ultimately led them to found their own production company, Too Late Productions.

Jon Huertas – Talent
Jon is an actor, director, and producer, who for six seasons, starred as Miguel Rivas on NBC’s critically acclaimed, award winning series, This Is Us. His character’s story spanned decades, from the 1970’s to present day, not just allowing Jon to show exceptional range as an actor but also an impressive physically trans-formative range. Audiences also know Jon from his role as the tough, but affable, Detective Javier Esposito on the hit dramedy Castle which ran for eight seasons on ABC and can now be found on Hulu. Also worth mentioning is his stand-out performance as Sgt. Tony “Poke” Espera in HBO’s limited series Generation Kill, which offered an unheralded streetwise view of the USMC’s 1st Recon invasion of Iraq that Jon, being a veteran himself, calls the most meaningful role of his career. As a filmmaker, Jon’s directed episodic television, including episodes of Tracker, The Irrational, This Is Us, The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds, The Company You Keep, Home for The Holidays and Castle: DVD Bonus Content, as well as award winning short films and music videos. He’s produced narrative and documentary feature films, earning him an appointment to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And his production shingle, WestSide Stories, formed with his fellow Groundlings alum Kenny Stevenson, has several TV, Podcast and Film projects in various stages of production and development. He most recently produced Lena Heady’s feature directorial debut, The Trap, and is currently prepping his own feature debut as a director with the feature films, Rock Bottom Express & Defensas. His company has several series in development with Peter Farrelly/Happy Madison & Village Roadshow, eOne and Alexi Hawley’s Perfect Man Pictures, Campanario, Christina Davis/Amazon and George Tillman’s, State Street.

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