FILM TYPE:

Short

SYNOPSIS

A father comes up with three steps to stop his daughter from getting married as he learns the beauty of letting go.

DIRECTOR BIO

Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, Darien has always believed his purpose was to serve his communities through storytelling. He became interested in film when he saw the movie “Freedom Writers” and realized that filmmaking had impacted my life in unexplainable ways. He hopes to do the same for others. He hopes to become a showrunner for TV.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

It was clear that adulthood was approaching faster than I could fathom. It wasn’t just the graduation that was catching my eye, it was how fast everything and everyone was moving around me. Some of my friends were getting married, some were leaving the country, some had found jobs miles away, and some were starting their own families. It was clear to me that I was struggling with the new beginnings and was simply not ready to grow up yet. Because I attended a Christian university, marriage right after college was more normal. My crew and I pondered how parents actually deal with the uncertainty of marriage for their children and how they would possibly react if they do not agree. We wanted to go with a lighthearted direction for the film, but dramatic as the decisions that were made represent the fear that comes with letting go of someone you love. What’s a better way to display that than through the eyes of a protective parent?

As an African American man, I grew up always influenced and amazed by black stories in cinema, but a lot of those stories follow the trauma of black individuals. I thought it was important to create a film that represents black stories in a new light so my decision was to cast people of color. For as long as I can remember, black families have been stereotyped for having single-parent households and absent fathers. My goal was to capture the essence of a black father and the everlasting love he carries for his children. This film represents the importance of fatherhood and the perspective of wanting to protect even when it is time to let go. I really wanted to give viewers the opportunity to embrace the beauty of fatherhood, family, and intercultural relationships.

In the making of “How to Stop a Wedding,” I wanted my vision for the film to show the transition of tone in character through the father of the film, Tony. The film starts with a cool grade that transitions into a warm grade, capturing the shift of tone from cold-hearted to embrace. Cinematically, I wanted to emphasize Tony as the main character which influenced my vision to include several fourth wall breaks while using a lot of dolly shots to push in and push out. This allowed the audience to really understand his perspective. In addition, the concept of the three steps really adds to the extremes the father will go to protect his daughter while adding comedic relief from the other family members.

If you are ever struggling with letting go of someone or something you love, remember “every new beginning comes from some other new beginning’s end.” We hope you enjoy the film!