Written by and starring actress Stephanie Arezzi, and directed by Kyle Nozza, the Wollongong-produced short film was shot entirely on an iPhone at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. Premiering at Sydney’s Smartphone Film Festival (SF3) back in 2022, Stephanie Arezzi was presented with the Best Actress Award at the event for her compelling performance.
The film subsequently made waves across the international film festival circuit, earning accolades including Best Actress and Best Director at the Paris International Film Awards, as well as the Best Director award at the Vesuvius International Film Awards.
Year of May centres on May, the main character portrayed by Arezzi, who embarks on a year-long video blog documenting her daily struggles with grief, the subsequent search for healing, and finding meaning in her life again.
Stephanie Arezzi is captivating as she delves into a spectrum of emotions, delivering a nuanced and deeply moving performance.
On working with Arezzi, director Kyle Nozza said “…having someone so passionate, talented and driven to bring this project to life has been a blessing.”
“We told this story using the same equipment available to our protagonist, so that her story could be received in the same manner in which she created it.”
The film’s tagline, “Grief isn’t a singularity,” encapsulates its core theme of resilience and the human capacity to navigate loss.
“Year of May came from wanting to show that healing from grief doesn’t have an end, you just learn to keep going. I wanted a story that showed that path. The good days followed by the bad. The story that sits inside us so permanently and totally, never leaving, and still, there is a part of us that survives and continues onward, searching for understanding and intention.”
“Grief and the pursuit of happiness is such a universal matter and as with most cases, the more universal, the more personal. In learning to heal myself, I hope this speaks to others also on that path.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to watch Year of May free on Vimeo throughout the month of May.
