Colors of Love – Short Film

Colors of Love follows the remarkable journey of a spirited 10-year-old boy whose world is turned upside down by an unforeseen tragedy. In the blink of an eye, his vivacious and carefree existence takes a somber turn as his beloved mother is diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. Struggling to come to terms with the harsh realities of life, he embarks on a transformative odyssey that will tug at your heartstrings like never before. As the young protagonist navigates the labyrinth of emotions, the absence of dialogue only intensifies the depth of his experiences. Through heartrending moments and heartwarming interactions, he discovers profound truths about love, family, and the unbreakable human spirit.

This film held deep personal significance for us. Michelle received a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in March 2023, just a couple of weeks after completing her first leading role in a feature film. In the span of a single day, ALL altered the course of our lives, stripping away Michelle’s primary creative outlet.

Around two months into her chemotherapy treatment, we began discussing the profound loss of the creative outlets that had been central to our lives. It was during this time that we started to envision crafting a short film. This project would not only provide us with a modest creative endeavor but also offer a heartfelt expression of gratitude to all those who had supported us.

However, it grew into something much more significant. It became a welcome distraction from the weight of the ongoing chemotherapy treatments, a conduit for our creative energies, a brief respite amidst the relentless cycle of hospital visits, a means of fostering meaningful connections, and a lifeline in the face of the harsh realities of battling cancer.

Due to the constraints imposed by Michelle’s ongoing chemotherapy treatment and her hospitalization, we had to adapt our usual approach to filming such a project. We made the decision to limit the cast and crew to just our family of three. Given the limitations within the hospital environment, it was not feasible to bring in a substantial amount of equipment. Therefore, we chose to shoot this film using an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Our primary lighting source was natural light, supplemented by the overhead lights in the room. To achieve some additional lighting, we used a compact pocket-sized LED light. For audio capture, we utilized a small shotgun microphone (MKE 600) in conjunction with a TASCAM DR-70D field recorder, allowing us to capture the natural ambient sounds of the hospital environment.

Cast

The Son               Davis Lindros

The Mother         Michelle Procopio

The Father           Jason True

Crew

Director/Cinematographer          Jason True

Story By                                          Michelle Procopio & Jason True

Editors/Sound                                Zaren Chavez & Jason True

Original Score by                           Nathan Raught

Color by                                           Rafael Avila

The film premiered at the Orlando Independent Filmmakers AURA Challenge Film Festival on September 2nd, 2023. The film received 10 award nominations including Best Picture.

Nominations: 

Best Picture – Colors of Love, Best Director – Jason True, Best Cinematography – Jason True

Best Story – Michelle Procopio & Jason True

Best Music – Nathan Raught, Best Sound – Zaren Chavez

Best Lead Actor – Davis Lindros, Best Lead Actress – Michelle Procopio

Best Production Design – Jason True, Best Editor – Zaren Chavez

The film went on to win in three categories.

Wins:

Best Picture – Colors of Love

Best Lead Actress – Michelle Procopio

Best Sound – Zaren Chavez