"Let's Start Over"
Short Film | 2023
Homeless on the streets, Jackson has a chance encounter with a former acquaintance, who was partially responsible for his current fate. Moments after the encounter a mysterious stranger shows up, pausing to read Jackson’s beat up, cardboard sign. Rather than offering him money, this mysterious man in Shades offers him something far more valuable, the chance to start over. Placing him at a point of limbo between what is so and what is possible. Jackson now has to traverse through a world he doesn’t fully understand to change his fate for the better, or risk repeating his life all over again.
Director/Writer: Kent Bernhard
Producers: Kent Bernhard, Aaron "Stylez" Johnson and Xander Nioclai
Creators: Aaron "Stylez" Johnson and Ian "Flow" Hallowell
Director of Photography: Tony Ontiveros
Editor and Visual FX: Josh Reinhard @ OPUS FRAME Post-Productions
Sound: Adrian Schiavi
Composer and Sound Designer: Richard “Prodigy” Johnney
Co-Producers: Aquarius Taylor and Tonya Bowman
Casting Director: Aquarius Taylor
Crew
First Assistant Director - Lorenzo T. Hughes | First Assistant Camera - Esai Saenz | Gaffer - Vic Dominguez | Key Grip - Nick Littlejohn and Ellis Wallace | Swing - Carter Wilch and Dylan Groves | Hair and Make-Up - Dream’s Events & Entertainment - Julain Mitchell and Jerrine “Dream” Evans | Special FX Make-Up - Cieaira Moore | Catering - Ian Hallowell
Cast
Jackson - Aaron “Stylez” Johnson | Topher - Mevin Gibson Jr. | Destiny - Tasia Alexandria | Riley - Nicole Hall | Shades - Lorenzo T. Hughes | Bartender - Dave Dean | Party Hostess - Tiger Connole | Bouncer - Damien Belgeri | Police Officers - Ben Husmann , Patrick Sellers and Brad Vincent
Background Players
I'munique Moody-McBride, Feddy Reggie, Aquarius Taylor, Tiffany Sanders, Jearon D. Tucker,
Charles Herndon, Audrey Richardson, Lloyd Fontenot, Marvin I. Brantley, Daren Walker, Emaj Taylor
Michael “Lune” Styles, Alexa Dixson, Jasmine Oakman, Stephen Nelson, Janisha Smith, Nijel Butler
Elmer S. Smith, Sam Etayem, Sherita Howard, Isabella Brauner, Adrian Haliburton Jr., Whitman Stanfield-Myers,
Trynnel Templeton, Summer Love, Patricia Doe, Rahman Ree
Special Thanks to
Verna Bernhard
Dave Dean
Matt Jones
Carisa “Cola” Lynch
and Everyone at The Phoenix
Travis Cal
Charity Blanchard
Awards:
2023 | Short Film (Quarter Finalist) - Portuguese Lemur International Film Fest
2023 | Sci-Fi Film (Quarter Finalist) - Portuguese Lemur International Film Fest
2023 | US Experimental Short (Semi-Finalist) - Santa Cruz Independent Film Fest
2023 | Best Fantasy - French International Modern Film and Script Fest
2023 | Narrative Short (Honorable Mention) - Milan Gold Awards
2023 | Best Fantasy - King Film Awards
2023 | Best Fantasy - New Wave International Script & Film Festival, Berlin
2023 | Best Indie Narrative Short - Sweet Democracy Film Awards, Cannes
2023 | Best Fantasy - Purple Sky International Film Festival, Hamburg
2023 | Best US Narrative Short - Austin International Art Festival
2023 | Best Fantasy Film - Munich New Wave Short Film Fest
2023 | Best Fantasy - Liber Films International Festival
2023 | Best Indie Narrative Short - 8 & Halfilm Awards, Rome
2023 | Short Film (Honorable Mention) - Snow Leopard International Film Festival, Madrid
2023 | Best Short Film - Japan International Film Festival
2023 | Best Indie Short Film - Rome Movie Awards
2023 | Short Narrative (Semi-Finalist) - Dumbo Film Festival, New York
Awards:
2023 | Short Film (Official Selection) - Golden Giraffe International Film Festival, Nice
2023 | Best Short Film - International Gold Awards,
New York
2023 | Best Short Film - TopShot International Film Festival
2023 | Narrative Short (Official Selection) - Kansas City Film Fest International
2023 | Best Indie Short Film - Frida Film Festival, Paris
2023 | Best Indie Narrative Short - Sweet Democracy Film Awards, Cannes
2023 | Best Editing - Hollywood on the Tiber Film Awards, Rome
2023 | Best Fantasy Short Film - New York Movie Awards
2023 | Short Film (Silver Award) - Florence Film Awards
2023 | Best Drama - London Movie Awards
2023 | Best Short Film - Hollywood Gold Awards
2023 | Fantasy (Official Selection) - Paris Film Awards
2022 | Best Indie Narrative Short - 8 & HalFilm Awards
2022 | Best Fantasy Short - Indie Short Fest,
Los Angeles
2022 | Best Original Screenplay - Indie Short Fest,
Los Angeles
2022 | Best Special Makeup - Indie Short Fest,
Los Angeles
Full Review Here
"Let’s Start Over by Kent Bernhard is a short but intricate story about regret, ambitions, and life decisions. The film gives a feeling of ordinary life moments that can change life’s perception rapidly, and it is great."
- OFFICIAL REVIEW from FIFF Jury
"A very well-produced film, touching, that makes us wonder what would happen if each of us had the chance to rewrite our future."
- OFFICIAL REVIEW from Florence Film Awards
Official Reviews
