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Logline

Based upon personal experiences, SummerWinterSummer delves into the recurring cycle of trauma and shame faced by a gay Vietnamese American artist in his pursuit of love.

Synopsis

Duy, a sharp and witty creative in his late twenties, wrestles with the weight of parental expectations when he courageously moves to Los Angeles to explore his sexuality and pursue a career in art. His exciting new journey takes an unexpected turn upon meeting Martin, a gifted musician who lures Duy with charm and mystique. Their budding romance abruptly ends when Martin vanishes, leaving Duy with profound emptiness and introspection. Determined to fill the void, Duy desperately searches for love online, putting himself in compromising situations to feel validated.

As Duy navigates the depths of his despair, he grows increasingly distant from his steadfast friends, Nelly and Gia, prompting them to confront his impulsive behavior that strains their bond. Taking their advice to heart, Duy reflects and uncovers parallels between himself and Martin. Much like Martin, who is adrift due to bitterness toward his father, Duy too has been fleeing from his demanding immigrant father. Duy realizes he must take time to reconcile with his father, as burying the afflictions would only sprout misery to himself and those around him. Duy begins his healing journey by initiation a conversation with his father for the first time since moving away.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Thy Tran – Writer/Director/Producer
As a Vietnamese immigrant and filmmaker in the US, Thy is drawn to the politics of social and sexual identity. With film, he wishes to explore and confront the issues therein. He sees film as not just entertainment but a reflection of humanity and society as a whole. Since moving to LA in 2007 to pursue a career in film, Thy has worked in advertising for Big Brother and The James Corden Show while developing his screenplays into feature films.

In 2020, Thy debuted his short film, SummerWinterSummer, as a writer and director. The short has since been an official selection at CAAMFest, Vancouver Queer Film Fest, and Viet Film Fest where it was nominated as Best Short. In early 2023, Thy received the honor of becoming a member of Curatorial Committee of the Viet Film Fest. Thy is currently developing his SWS short into a feature film — about a young graphics designer as he navigates a recent heartbreak, loneliness, and racism against Asian men within the LGBTQ+ community.

Producer – Giovanni Labadessa
Born in Italy in 1984, Giovanni Labadessa is an award winning writer/producer based in Los Angeles. Giovanni started his career as a screenwriter and moved on to film and television development, production and financing between Italy and Los Angeles. In 2010, Giovanni began his producing career with the Los Angeles based production company Mechaniks, playing a critical role in the development of Road To Capri, Seeds in the Wind, and Vivaldi.

In 2015, Giovanni produced the independent comedy The Lonely Italian, which premiered at the 2016 edition of Ferrara Film Festival where it was awarded with the Golden Dragon for Best Feature USA. In 2017, the film won Best Comedy at the San Diego International Film Festival. The Lonely Italian was later acquired by Random Media and The Orchard and sold in Japan, Italy and US on the platforms Hulu and Amazon Prime.

In 2016, Giovanni began collaborating with director Luca Severi, writing and producing the drama Calypso alongside Michele Placido. In the following year they produced the documentary That Click about legendary photographer Douglas Kirkland. As a writer, Giovani’s latest screenplay Child has been selected by Torino Film Lab at the 2022 Off Camera Film Festival (Poland). The script’s accolades include Quarterfinalist at the prestigious ScreenCraft 2022 Horror Competition and ScreenCraft 2022 Screenwriting Fellowship and ranked Top 10 Finalist at 2021 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival. Giovanni is currently producing a slate of films for LSPG, which includes the short films Vuja De with Filippo Scotti, the protagonist of Sorrentino’s Hand of God.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.