A would-be Hollywood mover and shaker meets up with an actress at a cafe to spur a collaboration. “Star of Silverlake,” directed by and starring Gabriel Bernini, is an awkward comedy filled with cringe behavior from a man who’s at best, a bullshitter, and at worst, a psychopath. That’s the name of the game with “Woman in Trouble” as well, another lo-fi exercise in capturing toxic L.A. industry men in advanced modes of manipulation, this time at a bar. Bernini is the fool in both films, playing a character who demonstrates an extraordinary disinterest in listening to the women is with or pursuing, and a remarkably inflated sense of himself. It’s quite the change of pace from his 2020 short, “Week in Paradise,” an experimental oddity shot on Super 8mm about two professional executioners who find love in a small town factory. But not that far off from his most recent project, “Jellyfish,” made by his comedy troupe, No That's Okay, which will be releasing a NoBudge Original short soon. -KA. Star of Silverlake // Written, directed and starring Gabriel Bernini. Co-directed and produced by Clara McHale-Ribot. Cast: Andrea Bambina, Alexandra Jade, and Lena Redford. Filmed by Andrew Gibson and Jeremiah Durian-Williams. Sound by Evan Carson. Woman in Trouble // Written, directed and starring Gabriel Bernini. Cast: Andrea Bambina, Chloe Cherry, Dillon Moore, Jaime Gerin, Will Duncan. Cinematography by Jeremiah Durian-Williams. Co-produced by Alexandra Jade. Music by Chico Hamilton.

Week in Paradise (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fb_PYOLdtY
Jellyfish (2022): https://www.nobudge.com/videos/jellyfish