A provincial American city. The sort of place that everyone wants to get away from as quickly as possible, though not everyone can find a way to do so. And if they do, they may not have the courage to go through with it. Ever-present boredom and a feeling of helplessness are interspersed with a series of bad decisions by the young protagonists. They try not to give up, seeking refuge in casual relationships or, more often, drugs and alcohol. The motto "Live fast, die young" seems to be the only principle they try to follow. Every party has to come to an end, however, and the next day’s hangover signals a return to an everyday reality in which not everything is as it seems at first glance. Serious problems may be hiding under the guise of banal conversations. Shawn Telford’s feature-length debut leaves a bitter taste. The nonlinear narration creates tension right up to the final scenes, with only the hypnotic music providing a slight respite.
US in Progress, Paris, part of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival 2013 - Special Mention; Sarasota Film Festival 2014 - Special Jury Prize Best Ensemble; Rome International Film Festival 2014 - Gladiator Award (for leading the way in innovative and creative filmmaking); Portland Film Festival 2014 - Director Award
Shawn Telford is an actor, screenwriter, director, and lecturer. After completing his acting studies at University of Washington, he performed on stage in a number of Seattle theaters, as well as in short films and television series. He made his directorial debut in 2004 with the short film Gimme Music, Gimme Shelter. He used his great passion for music as the background to the story. In the late 1990s, he reviewed music for The Rocket and Seattle Sound Magazine. B.F.E. is his feature-length debut.
2007 Gimme Music, Gimme Shelter (short, video)
2008 A Night in the Sunlight (short)
2009 Safe Passage (short)
2012 The Last Virgin (short)
2014 Zadupie / B.F.E.