Moody Obituaries

Short films are an unappreciated art-form. These little gems make us laugh, cry, and even think in a fraction of the time of a feature length film. It is the stepping stone for some starting filmmakers and the go-to medium for others. It is a chance for a filmmaker to get his or her story in a less costly manner while still making a statement.

The short film "Obituaries' is one of those short films that make a statement, by making you think. It centers around the aftermath of a school shooting. James Franco plays Felix Mitchum. Moody was a former student of Franco's when he taught at UCLA. "James was a teacher of mine while I was in film school at UCLA. After I took his class, I told him about the idea for the film, and asked him to play the narrator." Moody explains. "He agreed, and has been a big supporter of the film ever since." Moody would go on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film

"This isn't just a political problem, but a human one." He explains. "Rather than be divided by politics, we need to unify, and mourn as a nation. We need to feel sad, angry, and ashamed. We need to feel like something needs done. We need to feel each others' pain, and support each other, and work together positively to prevent these events in the future.

Moody received funding to create and produce the film through a successful Kickstarter campaign. "Kickstarter is a remarkable resource for artists of any kind to not only fund raise, but also to build an audience." Moody states. However, he does clarify that in order achieve a successful Kickstarter campaign, it does require a lot of work."

'Obituaries' would go on to appear in 9 film festivals and win several awards. The best part of it was seeing the film played for audiences in a movie theater. There's nothing like sitting in a theater full of strangers and having that shared experience." Moody