GRAB MY HAND: A Letter To My Dad
Directors: Camrus Johnson and Pedro Piccinini
United States, 2019, 6 min
Shooting Format:After Effects, Cell Animation
Festival Year:2020
Category:Animation
Genre:Drama
Cast:Camrus Johnson, Eric Williams, Maaliyah Papillion
Crew:Writer: Camrus Johnson. Producer: Camrus Johnson. Composer: Frazier Smith; Editor: Pedro Piccinini; Sound Recordist: Michael Gaffney
Email:cam@moonjellypictures.com
Synopsis
In this retelling of his dad's relationship with his best friend, GRAB MY HAND is Camrus Johnson's gift to his grieving father and a message to all to cherish every second you have with the ones you love while you still can.
About the directors
Camrus Johnson - 2017 Rising Star Award Winner Camrus Johnson's acting career has recently taken off with leading male role of "Luke Fox" in The CW's newest series BATWOMAN and Warner Brothers' summer hit THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, playing the role of Omar. He's now partnered with Pedro Piccinini to create his first animated short, with his own separate live-action short film and comic book series coming soon!
Pedro Piccinini - Pedro Piccinini is a designer originally from Brazil, currently living in Brooklyn. His path has led him from editorial design to illustration to tactile design and interactive installations and finally...to animation. He enjoys telling engaging stories and the exciting challenge of finding new ways to do so.
Filmmakers' note
My dad lost his best friend a few months ago - more than his best friend, really. He lost his little brother. He's never been one to cry or really show any form of sadness in public, but I could see and feel how much my uncle's sudden death really got to him. I wasn't very good at comforting him with my words, so I did what I knew best - I created art. The point of this short is to help him heal and, in the process, help others heal by saying that life is unexpected and sudden and at times confusing; but as long as you cherish every memory and moment like the last, you'll make the best of what life has to offer and you will bring joy to the lives of others. I hope this short makes you feel something the way that it made my dad stop holding back his tears and let them flow healthily and therapeutically. I hope it makes you call your best friend to tell them you love them and thank them for loving you. I hope you know that this letter to my dad is a message to us all: surrounding ourselves with good only begets more goodness, and... don't we all just want a tiny bit more goodness in our lives? "Gate Check" everyone, and thank you again.