Heartbreak on Murray Hill
Dir. Malcolm Quinn Silver-Van Meter
MURRAY HILL, MANHATTAN, 1956. A CATHOLIC IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
11-YEAR-OLD IRISH GIRL BOBBY IS DUMBFOUNDED WHEN HER 12-YEAR-OLD CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART GIANNI DECIDES HE DOESN’T WANT TO GO STEADY WITH HER ANYMORE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, HER PARENTS’ MARRIAGE HEADS TOWARD DISASTER, AND THE ONLY PERSON IN IT WITH HER IS HER YOUNGER SISTER, KATHLEEN.
IN HER SEARCH FOR ANSWERS, GIANNI’S LITTLE SISTER LUCIA POINTS OUT THAT GIANNI’S NEW GIRL, MIA, IS ALREADY DEVELOPING BREASTS, MAKING BOBBY WONDER IF HER BODY IS ADEQUATE.
ULTIMATELY, BOBBY FINDS COMFORT AND SUPPORT FROM THE WOMEN IN HER FAMILY—HER SISTER AND MOM. THE ROAD AHEAD IS UNCERTAIN, BUT THEY’LL MAKE IT THROUGH TOGETHER
This Story’s signature O&O Multiculturalism is found in its nuanced exploration of a community at the intersection of three different cultures finding their foothold in a new country, as seen through the inquisitive eyes of young Bobby.
Director’s Statement
-
DIRECTORMalcolm Quinn Silver-Van Meter is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor based in New York City and Vermont. In recent years, he’s worked on projects with filmmakers including Christine Choy, Matthew Heineman, and Bill Oliver.
In 2021, he received a Screenwriting Grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for his feature-length script Vemork, now in development as a miniseries. In July 2022, he was one of six nominated as a finalist for the Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize. He was the only undergraduate nominee.
As an actor, he recently finished shooting the pilot episode of Gabe Guimares’ Humanized, in which he plays the lead, Robbie.
While his family is originally from the city, he grew up the son of schoolteachers in rural Vermont—where he enjoyed running, skiing, and farming. Malcolm’s grandparents, Bobby and Don, have always been a great source of inspiration to him both as a person and as a storyteller. “Heartbreak on Murray Hill” is very close to his heart.
“Heartbreak on Murray Hill” is based on stories my grandmother, Bobby, has told me about her experiences growing up on East 33rd St in the fifties.
The A-plot focuses around her first breakup, at age eleven. In some ways, it’s a classic coming-of-age story—we witness Bobby facing a type of self-doubt she hasn’t been forced to yet, and feeling bodily insecurity for the first time in a profound way. All this is compounded, though, by the uncertainty of her family’s future as her parents’ marriage heads toward disaster. Ultimately, Bobby finds the love and support she needs from the women in her family, her tough-love Catholic mother and her little sister, Kathleen.
It’s important that the world of the film feels real and lived-in, and that the movie captures the essence of this tight-knit Catholic community at a time when it was still a working class neighborhood made up primarily of Irish, Italian, and Puerto Rican immigrants.”
-
PRODUCER
Izzie Nadah is an Arab-American producer and actor. As Co-Founder & Co-Director at One & Other Productions she uses collaboration and storytelling to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for social equity. She graduated Cum Laude from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama and minors in both producing and philosophy.
Izzie has produced films that have premiered around the world including at the Cannes Film Festival in the Short Film Corner, and La Backroom in Paris, and have been official selections at HollyShorts, the New York Indie Shorts Awards, The Indie Shorts Awards Cannes, and more.
-
PRODUCER
Maya Moravec is a Latina SAG AFTRA actress and producer from Chicago. Co-founder and Co-director of One & Other Productions, she is committed to creating opportunities and reflections for those who like her, still see an insufficient amount of representation in the entertainment industry with which they can identify with. Notable acting work includes Chicago PD, Succession and Fresh Kills. Recent notable producing work includes Mirage, The Satchel and the Pink Wig, Pearl Extraction and Hide & Seek which have been seen at Cannes Film Festival SFC, HollyShorts Film Festival, New York Indie Shorts Awards, and The Indie Shorts Awards Cannes.
MEET THE TEAM
-
Director of Photography
Sam Smith is a cinematographer and visual artist based in NYC. Smith’s interest in imaging followed him from early childhood and has blossomed into a love for storytelling. He is most passionate about projects that are distinct in style and universal in message. Earlier this year, he shot Malcolm’s short film, “December 1964.” Smith is also an experimental multimedia animator, a lover of nature, and the author of photo-commentary book “Abandoned Cincinnati,” published by America Through Time. He holds a BFA in Film & TV from NYU. Films he’s shot have screened at the likes of Nashville Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, and most recently Tribeca with Francesca Scorsese’s “Crimson Ties.”
https://www.samwsmith.net
-
Denyvi “Evie” Rose is a Filipino-American producer and filmmaker raised in Hong Kong, Singapore, and NYC. She started making movies with her sisters using her laptop camera, and has since branched out to working in development, production and talent management. This year, she produced a project selected for Panavision's New Filmmaker Program Grant, and had two films enter the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. Now, she's excited to be working on her first film using a virtual production LED Wall, and is in the process of developing a radio show. She most loves films that are narrative yet experimental.
-
Production Designer/ Lead Wardrobe
Lola Verhulst is a Belgian Brooklyn-raised and based production designer. She studied Film & Television Production at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Recently, she won Best Set Design for “Red Skies” at FFI London and her works are showcased at film festivals all over. At NYU, Lola designed many short films as well as created her own. Earlier this year, she was Production and Costume Designer for “December 1964,” Malcolm’s previous short film. She worked alongside DP Samuel Wright Smith on that project and on Francesca Scorsese’s “Crimson Ties,” which debuted at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
https://www.lolaverhulst.com
-
Fundraising & Publicity Consultant
Patty McIlvaine is an experienced development and communications professional with a history of leadership. She has strengths in communications, digital marketing, creative direction, content development, project management, writing, and editing. She has been Director of Development and Communications at Thetford Academy in Vermont since 2015. Before that, she worked at Vermont Law School for five years, as Grants Manager, then as Director of Development, and finally Director Foundation Relations.
-
Sound Mixer
Ashley Lai is a sound mixer and editor from Southern California. Her start in sound mixing was purely accidental; however, she managed to hone this skill throughout her college career. She recently graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film & TV and hopes to use her abilities to bring more stories to the screen and show the importance of sound in cinema. She currently works as a Production Sound Mixer and Editor for L.A.-based Love Project Films. Other recent work experience includes Vizio and a number of independent film productions.
-
Hair & Makeup Designer
Eunice is a filmmaker in her senior semester at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. On set, she specializes in sound mixing and hair & makeup. Earlier this year, she designed the hair & makeup looks for the character Maria LaVoie in “December 1964.” In her own stories, she seeks to dig deep to unearth the stories that lay within our subconscious. Other recent credits in various capacities include Sushma Khadepaun’s web series Problematic, Gabe Guimares’ sci-fi pilot Humanized, and short films including Joe Camara’s “Bender” and Zahri Jackson’s “In My Garden.”
Production Timeline
Want Join Us on the Journey?
Heartbreak on Murray Hill is proud to present our partnership with New York-based nonprofit organization Fractured Atlas. We can now receive tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) in addition to other types of in-kind donations.