Life on a Leash- Feature Film (80 minutes)

Stella's life is going nowhere fast until a giant stray dog adopts her by the side of the road.   He pulls her out of her shell, connects her with her neighbors, introduces her to the community of dog people, and gives her a daily dose of reality in a pooper-scooper bag.  Suddenly, she's getting exercise, giving up cigarettes and bad sex, and making friends who have learned about loyalty from their four-legged companions.  Even so, she keeps thinking it's all a mistake, and it takes a few reverses before she understands how to keep open to life despite its losses and risk loving for its own sake.

A real dog movie for all dog lovers.

The American Dream- a film by Susan diRende from Susan diRende on Vimeo.

Western Civilization

Conceived as a series of art films to be shot around the world, they are meditations on the capture and marginalization of the feminine principle in Western Civilization. The American Dream, is a four-minute film without dialogue about the seduction and the cost of American car culture.

 

 

Tavola di Valmozzola-rustic recipes from Reggio Emilia

 

Reggio Emilia is the breadbasket of Italy. Parmesan cheese. Balsamic vinegar. Prosciutto, known in Framce as "Parma ham." Parma, the home of Napoleon's second wife, developed a cuisine unlike any other in Italy. Lots of butter. Rice. Broth.. The rustic recipes of the region combine the aesthetic refinements brought by the French with simple, common sense uses of the local produce. Here is a recipe for a potato torta or pie made with leeks and cheese that is to die for.

 

 

Three Dead Husbands - Web Series


Three-time widow and wannabe romance writer Janet McCoy lives in a desert trailer park with the urns of her dearly-departeds, Walter, Nathan, and Billy. Okay, so Nathan was not so dear at the end. Actually, he was sent to his reward by Janet herself. But the jury ruled justifiable homicide and life goes on. Janet has moved out to the desert to start over sharing her knack for romance with the world by becoming a romance writer, if only her nosy neighbors, deadbeat sister, and no-longer-gay boyfriend will giver her the space to write.

 

The Geometry of Pie from Susan diRende on Vimeo.

Festival Shorts

 

No Cents Films has had short films shown in festivals here in the US and abroad.  The Geometry of Pie mixes cooking and philosophy for a bit of sweet indulgence.  Little Miss Malice focuses on that nice lady serial killer next door.  And Chocolate suggests a whole tale of illicit affairs and clueless spouses from a script built on the one title word - chocolate.

 

 

Web-umentary

 

Low-tech animation or live action reaches audiences with innovative ideas and multilingual skills.  This stop animation is an example of a simple and quick solution to a request with a short turnaround. 

 

Web doc and educational videos here...

Valkyrie and Star Girl Are Superbroads! - Web Series

This lo-tech spoof of superheroines features a couple of normal-sized adult women in skimpy costumes ignoring the sirens screaming for super-help with the air of a mother-of-five tuning out the squabbling of her offspring.  After all, there are aphids in the garden, grocery shopping that needs doing which means coupons to clip... if you think these broads have time to stop and save the planet, you have another thing coming.

Watch more episodes here...