Writing runs in the blood for The Nolan Clan! I just discovered that Bruised Sky, which my nephew Michael Nolan co-wrote with writer/director Gary Kent, won the Gold Audience Award for Best International Short Film at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.
Fantasia concluded its 30th annual event this summer. Since its inception, the increasingly popular festival has grown to garner “the attention of the international film industry alongside a legion of attendees from across the world. Every facet of the film-making chain is increasingly represented with in-person delegates at the festival: directors, actors, producers, studio representatives, distributors and festival programmers.”
Set in the United Kingdom in the 1970’s, Bruised Sky was described by the festival as “a gut-wrenching youth oblivion thriller” that audiences would find “devastating.” (And audiences apparently agreed; having voted for the short being best in its award category.) The film was produced by David Dunnage, and stars Che Bell, Geoff Bell, Nathan Mack and Nathan Smith — with editing by Flaura Atkinson.
To all the really cool people who reached out to me yesterday, thank you so much for the birthday wishes!! You really made the day special — and I am lucky to have such fine friends. 🙂
Long Island, New York. Here’s a set of incriminating photos from someone who really should be named our class archivist — Carrie Schor (formerly Carrie Harbach). I believe most of these come from our junior and senior years (1988 – 1990). But I’m not sure. That snow-colored, skinny little gnome Nolan in the red Adidas t-shirt looks considerably younger than a high school student.
That shot at the beach is of a couple of members of the International Student Organization.
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 