D.B. Sweeney's Comedic Short Sweeps International Film Festival Circuit

3 March, 2020 - 22:10

Two Dum Micks, an offbeat comedic short film, written, directed, and produced by D.B Sweeney and edited by Keith Kristinat at The Colonie is sweeping the festival circuit with over two dozen first-place awards to date. It tells the story of Mikey and Mick, played by Sean Astin and Sweeney, two down-and-out guys who come up with an implausible jailhouse scheme to get the money they need to solve their legal problems.

Two Dum Micks is a homage to the classic one and two-reel comedies that were Hollywood staples during the silent era, says Sweeney. I wanted to capture the fun, the unpredictability, and the universality of the characters. Everyone relates to a guy down on his luck, puckishly trying to get back on his feet.

Cutting a film with a concept that takes its cues from this classic comedic genre was a unique experience, says Kristinat. D.B. wrote a nuanced, wacky, engaging script with a specific vision. It relied on editing to create the right pace and unique feel needed to achieve the off-kilter comedic style that he had in mind.

There was an abundance of great footage with tightly written dialogue, driven home by great performances by Astin and Sweeney. Kristinat honed it down to find just the right moments to create an engaging, humorous story that unfolds during a short window of time.The editor cut and finished the film on Adobe Premiere, working with The Colonies Assistant Editor, Lexi Midkiff.

While working as a creative consultant on another D.B. Sweeney project Kristinat showed the prolific actor some of his editorial work. Impressed by his reel, Sweeney mentioned that he was sitting on a short film that had lost steam and asked him if he wanted to take a crack at it. Kristinat, an experienced editor at The Colonie, jumped at the opportunity.

I had initially engaged another editor who did a good job getting the film to a certain place, but I wanted a different approach, says Sweeney. Keith came into the picture and did a beautiful job. He brought a lot of energy and the kind of comedic sensibilities to the editing process that helped put Two Dum Micks over the top. He had a big hand in the films success and deserves the praise and acclaim he is getting for his contribution to this project.

As the writer, D.B.s expertise and insights, along with his openness to all of my suggestions, helped me find the right rhythm for the film. His collaborative spirit made editing this project a dream experience, adds Kristinat.

The accolades garnered by the film include Awards for Excellence at this Januarys Southern Shorts Festival in 10 categories: Editing (Keith Kristinat,) Acting (Sean Astin,) Acting, (D.B. Sweeney,) Directing (Sweeney,) Producing, Script, Cinematography, Sound Design, Production Design, Music, as well as a finalist for Best Comedy.

The LA Live Film Festival recognized the film with Best Comedy Short, Best Director (D.B. Sweeney,) Best Actor (Sean Astin,) and Best Supporting Actor (D.B. Sweeney.) Chicagos Blow-Up Arthouse Film Fest selected Two Dum Micks as Best Windy City Production, and it also won Best Super Short Film at the NY Movie Awards; Best Comedy Short, Care Awards; Best Short Film, Accolade Global Film Competition; Best Short Comedy, Varese Film Festival; Best Actor (Sean Astin,) Salt House Creative Film Festival; Best Comedy Short, Best Actor in a Comedy (D.B. Sweeney,) and Best Supporting Actor (Sean Astin,) Vidi Space Film Festival; Best Short Film, Crown Wood International Film Festival; Best Comedy/Experimental, The Great Lakes International Shorts Festival. Two Dum Micks was an Official Selection at the Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival.

The long list of top awards for Sweeneys quirky comedy continues to grow. Currently, the film is a finalist in the Best Short Film category at the upcoming Florence Film Festival, Kino London Film Festival, NY Cinematography Awards, and Under the Stars Awards. Its also on Rome Prism Film Festivals short-list in the Best Leading Actor category and is up for Couch Film Festivals Best Film of The Festival award.

D.B. has more in store for our two neer-do-wells. He is currently developing additional episodes for the series.

CREDITS:

CLIENT: D.B. Sweeney

TITLE: Two Dum Micks

TYPE: Short Film/Comedic

CO-STARS:

D.B. Sweeney

Sean Astin

PRODUCTION:

Director, Producer, Writer: D.B. Sweeney

Cinematographer: Tom Lembke

EDITORIAL COMPANY: The Colonie / Chicago

Creative Editor: Keith Kristinat

Assistant Editor: Lexi Midkiff

Executive Producer: Mary Caddy

AUDIO + SOUND DESIGN COMPANY: BAM Studios / Chicago

Postproduction Sound Supervisor: Matt Sauro

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