RETURN TO SENDER
Hopeless romantics go to extreme lengths for love. One, a Psych major denying her toxic relationship, the other, a lovestruck stalker-turned mailman.
The first short film from writer/director, Nkosi Roma, Return To Sender is a suspenseful drama that explores the struggles of communication in relationships.
PICTURE'S UP FILM FESTIVAL 2021 GALLERY
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a filmmaker and tell unique and engaging stories. To be a filmmaker, you need to make films. For me, Return to Sender is the first step in seeing that dream realized.
Return To Sender explores the struggles of communication in relationships. The film is riddled with symbols but doesn’t go too deep. In the end, it’s just a fun picture.
I hope the audience enjoys the film, and interprets it in ways I haven’t considered yet. I also hope that Return To Sender qualifies my voice as a filmmaker and can serve as a calling card for future projects.
OUR STORY
Return to Sender came about one day as I saw a mailman delivering packages. I thought, “how sketchy would it be if a mailman decided to stalk someone?” He’d know your name, address, and anything else he wanted to and nothing would seem to be out of the ordinary.
Encouraged to pursue the idea, I cranked out a rough draft of the script on a two-hour plane ride to St. Louis. It was 20-something pages of undeveloped characters, plot holes, and improperly formatted madness, but it was a finished draft, and that was a start.
I showed the first draft to Andrew Yang, our DP, and we later reached out to Rose Wong, our producer, to get the project moving. While she and our co-producer, Nick Vallejo, worked out logistics such as scene breakdowns and budgeting, Yang and I continued to develop the script.
We spent about two and a half months in pre-production, which included casting, table reads, location scouting, crewing up, shot-listing, and scheduling. There is a wealth of talent in Colorado when it comes to actors and crew, and I'm blown away by the number of people that were willing to work with a first-time filmmaker.
TEAM BIOS
WRITER/DIRECTOR
Nkosi Roma
Nkosi Roma makes his festival debut as a writer and director with Return To Sender, his first short film. In addition to being a filmmaker, Nkosi is a husband, a father, and a follower of Christ.
While working as a roofing technician in 2018, Nkosi was invited onto a film set as a PA by a client’s friend in the industry. Nkosi took the opportunity to network and connect with others who would be instrumental in the production of Return To Sender.
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Andrew Yang
A self-proclaimed camera nerd, Andrew’s love for storytelling has always had a foundation in visuals and observation. With an ever-growing list of hobbies and interests, filmmaking has become a catalyst for channeling his creativity into the different avenues of life that he enjoys the most.
PRODUCER
Rosalyn Wong
Rosalyn Wong is a producer with many years of experience as a line producer and production coordinator. She’s worked on international and national productions. With her current project being picked up by a studio in China. When she’s not producing, Rosalyn enjoys spending time with her dogs at the park and trying new recipes.
CAST
Ashley Deuell as LAURA
Ashley Deuell is an LA-based actor who has worked on feature films such as Unfollower (2020) and The Spectacular Mind of Mackenzie Banks (2021). She received a nomination from the Los Angeles International Film Festival for her role in the short film Staccato (2020).
Brad Redford as MELVIN
After college, Brad pursued acting for film, completing a number of film projects and commercials. Brad currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys playing piano, violin, songwriting, and tennis in his spare time.
Austin Collazo as DEREK
Shortly after moving to Denver, CO in 2017, Austin joined an acting class and immediately fell in love with it. Over the past 3 years, He has had supporting and lead roles in both feature and short films across the U.S.
Dorothy Marie as JODI
Dorothy Marie is an actor, singer-songwriter, and lover of Chipotle. She began acting in high school and later moved to LA to further pursue a career in entertainment. Dorothy is represented by Rage Models and Talent.
Written and Directed by: Nkosi Roma
Produced by: Rose Wong & Nick Vallejo
Director of Photography: Andrew Yang
Production Designer: Waylon Kane
Editor: Nkosi Roma
Art Director: Julie Castaneda
Hair & Make-up Designer: Julie Castaneda
Music by: Nikolas Close
Sound Recordist: Sergy Olkowski
Executive Producers: Rob & Rohanna Roma
First Assistant Director: Sophia Schelle
A Camera Operator: Chris Roe
B Camera Operator: Jacob Filmore
1st Assistant Camera: Aabriti Shrestha
2nd Assistant Camera: Cole Pates
Still Photographer: Stacey Roma
Gaffer: Gokul Rajan & Phil Abrams
Best Boy: Nick Shandalow
Key Grip: JP Montoulieu
Swing Grip/Audio: AJ Curtin
Digital Colorist: Will Stone
Promotional Stills Gallery
Behind The Scenes Gallery
Film Stills Gallery
World Premiere Gallery