Valentine's Day
Reality, Short Films, 26-Apr-2023
On a double date in 2013, Wade wants to vlog on the beach and make some memories with his friends. Sam Dinerstein directs “Valentine’s Day,” a snapshot of a group of high school seniors looking vaguely ahead to adult life — perhaps college, or better yet, to fame and fortune. Wade’s big dream is to get big on YouTube making funny videos, but his overeager energy creates separation from the group. Presented as a flashback from an opening scene occurring in 2021, which captured similar dynamics with another group of friends on the beach, the film operates on a fine line between authentic and staged, hyper natural and slightly awkward. As it reflects on youth and nostalgia and the passage of time, it stays fresh with its vivid personalities and truthful naivety. -KA. Director: Sam Dinerstein. Cast: Chandler Stephenson, Jackson Ross, Schuylar Johns, Laine Philipps and Matty Bickman. Director of Photography: Jeremy Herron. Editor: Trevor Scholl. Producers: Sam Dinerstein and Ali Badain. Assistant Director: Marlena Lerner. Sound Mixer: Ethan Cohen.