What do forbidden love, a whirlwind adventure and Playdough have in common? They are all a part of Playdate, an independent student film written and directed by second-year College student Rom Alejandro.
The film is about two friends, Mark and Kate, and a crazy night they experience together. Their adventure takes them from a bowling alley to some bizarre encounters with a sketchy mechanic and an angry waitress, and then back to Kate's house. Throughout the film we see the intensity of their relationship and learn that Mark has very strong feelings for Kate. We also learn that Kate already has a boyfriend. This conflict builds tension throughout the film until the exciting and surprising ending (which will only be revealed to you when you see the film, of course).
Alejandro said he hopes the film will hit home with his audience because everything in the film has happened in his own life.
"We've all been in situations where you like somebody, but you can't have them," he said.
He added that he hopes the universality of the film will leave a positive mark on viewers.
"I want the audience to go away with a feeling of hope," he said. "There will always be some situations where you may not be able to get what you want, but there will always be moments. It's those moments that you have to live for."
Playdate is the most recent production from FilmMakers Studio, a CIO on Grounds that makes student films.
"We shot the film over two months with a twenty person crew," Alejandro said. "For an independent student film, this was big."
The scale of the film wasn't the only new experience for Alejandro.
"Before Playdate, I had never worked with actors," he said. All of the actors in the film are U.Va students.
Alejandro explained that this new experience helped bring more collaboration to his filmmaking.
"A lot of times we went off the page and made something that was better than the way I had originally envisioned it," he said.
Alejandro said he hopes the film will show other student filmmakers the possibilities the University has to offer through groups like FilmMakers Studio.
"It's amazing what resources are available to student filmmakers here," Alejandro said. "We hope that Playdate will show other student filmmakers what avenues they can take so that we can perpetuate this renaissance that student filmmaking is going through."
Playdate will be screened in Newcomb Theater on March 21 and 29 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $3, and all proceeds go to FilmMakers Studio.
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