The Online Premiere Is Here for Chicago-Made Festival Fave ‘After (A Love Story)’

On the heels of a wildly successful festival run, including a dozen award nominations, nine wins, playing at Academy-Award qualifiers, local screenings, and more than twenty fests all over the country, Chicago-made short film After (A Love Story) makes its online premiere on popular YouTube short film channel Omeleto on Monday, January 30th.

“Chicago continues to be my favorite place to make movies,” director Clare Cooney shared with SCREEN. “Our Chicago cast and crew loved making this tender, intimate film and it’s been gratifying to see how much film festival audiences loved watching it. We’re thrilled to be able to reach a worldwide audience on Omeleto.”

Please enjoy the short film After (A Love Story) here…

A Foray of Festivals Across the Country

The film enjoyed a prolific run through prestigious film festivals from coast to coast, earning hardware and laurels along the way. After most recently won Grand Jury Awards at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival for Best Actor, Ensemble, Screenplay, and Short Film. The gripping drama’s festival tally included Oscar Qualifying festivals Cleveland International and L.A. Shorts, as well as the Key West, Chicago Critics, Twin Cities, Charlotte, and Sidewalk Film Festivals.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better reception on the festival circuit and it meant so much to connect with those audiences through this story. We are really excited to finally get to share it with the rest of the world,” Alyssa Thordarson, writer, producer, and co-star of the film, shared with SCREEN.

After (A Love Story) is directed by Clare Cooney, produced by Cooney and Thordarson, co-produced by Jill Oliver, and executive produced by Juan Francisco Villa and Raymond Esposito. It stars Glenn Stanton, the aforementioned Alyssa Thordarson, and Susaan Jamshidi. Associate Producers include Stanton, Mike McNamara, and Jerry Sun. It was shot by Jason Chiu.

After (A Love Story) marks Cooney’s third short film to be released on Omeleto, following successful releases with Runner and Pick Up.

Looking Ahead

Cooney is currently in post on her feature film directorial debut, Departing Seniors, which she filmed in Chicago this past summer. Click here for SCREEN’s exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the shoot.

Just this past weekend, Thordarson wrapped production on her directorial debut, a short film called Paper Planes, co-directed by Michael Glover Smith (Relative, Mercury in Retrograde). It stars Shaina Schrooten as a woman with agoraphobia who strikes up a correspondence with the Airbnb guest across the hall that becomes something more for the holidays. Glover Smith and Thordarson hope for a 2023 festival premiere.

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