Jonathan Hammond’s time-travelling comedy romance FIREFLIES IN THE DUSK premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival which took place from March 27 to April 5, 2025. However, it is streaming from April 6 to 13, 2025. This short, quirky film caught my attention.
The Cleveland International Film Festival is an annual film festival based in Cleveland, Ohio. CIFF is the largest film festival in Ohio and among the longest-running in the United States. The festival is held at Playhouse Square, the largest performing arts center in the United States outside of New York City
FIREFLIES IN THE DUSK is a strange love story that crosses time and space and is Jonathan Hammond’s humorous and intriguing romantic comedy. The plot follows Charlotte (Emily Goss), a late Victorian maiden, as she falls through a wormhole as she searches for and finds love when she meets Zachary (Nick Ballard), a modern-day dashing bro. The unusual short had its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying, Cleveland International Film Festival 2025.
Jonathan Hammond is a three-time Emmy-nominated writer/director. He is the co-recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Justice and Peace, and two KPBS Explorer Grants. He has also won the Best Writing Award at the 2016 San Diego International Fringe Festival, and his work was selected for the prestigious New Playwrights Festival at The Old Globe Theater in San Diego. His most recent short film, We All Die Alone, has played in over 50 film festivals, winning 12, and is currently streaming on Omeleto. He has two documentaries now streaming at PBS.org, and his short film, Kathy, is currently streaming on Alter. He has won dozens of awards for his filmmaking. He attended the University of Illinois and NYU Tisch School of the Arts and currently splits his time between San Diego and Los Angeles with his dog, Dashiell Hammond.
Martin Spanjers (Producer) got his start as an actor in television, film and theater at the age of seven. His credits include over 120 episodes of television for MAX, Disney and all the major networks. Notably, he played John Ritter’s son for 3 seasons on the hit sitcom 8 Simple Rules (ABC). Recently, he’s embraced the other side of the camera. As a producer, his work has been selected by and won awards at the biggest film festivals in the world, including Tribeca and TIFF. Martin is currently developing multiple projects including a feature-length documentary and true crime dark comedy.
After seeing this film, I was curious about what inspired this film and who were the intended target audience. Jonathan Hammond generously answered these questions.
Inspiration – “The thing that inspired me is a love of time travel movies and my love for the film, A Room With a View. I also love movies that break from the anticipated path.“
Target Audience: “The target audience is basically for people like me – people who have seen it all and want something a little different. People who like their films slightly edgier and slightly more bonkers.”
The actors were convincing and each held their character. The costumes and filming were effective and absorbing. The story was unusual and watch out for the final scenes. The film will carry you away.
Photos were provided by Simbelle Productions.
Splash Magazines
Be the first to comment