A short film by Anna Frankl-Duval
Trailer for If Only, edited by Sarah E. Taylor.
If Only is the story of three adult siblings each coming to grips with their mother's imminent death, as they spend their last day together as a family.
Written, produced and starred in by Anna Frankl-Duval, If Only is inspired by her own experiences and is an exploration of grief, catharsis, and what could have been.
If Only has been making its rounds of the festival circuit, screening in festivals across the world, including:
Festival of Cinema NYC -USA
Move Me Productions - Belgium
Art Slope - Brooklyn USA
International Online Web Fest - London UK
PopUp Anthology - New Jersey USA
3 award nominations at Festival of Cinema NYC:
Best Acting (Lead) - Anna Frankl-Duval
Best Cinematography - Paul Lewis Anderson
Best Acting (Supporting) - Christine Verleny
Award Winner at DMOFF:
Best Female Director -Sarah Wharton
Finalist for Changing Faces International Film Festival - Sydney Australia
If Only Cast and Crew
Anna Frankl-Duval
Writer, Executive Producer, Actor (Zoë)
Anna Frankl-Duval is a London-born actor, singer, and filmmaker, based in Brooklyn. If Only is Anna's first film as a writer and producer and was inspired by her own experiences. Since moving to the US a decade ago to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Anna has continued to work on both sides of the Atlantic. Credits as an actor include Good Fit - WOW Café (New York), Untold Stories of Jewish Women - Museum of Jewish Heritage (New York), The Curse Of Love - Bread and Roses Theatre (London), Definitely - Edinburgh Festival, American Deportation - Alphadu Productions. Anna's voice can be heard narrating the Augmented Reality children's series Meet the Animals and playing various characters in This Is Not a Theatre Company's Subway Plays. Anna stars as Chloe in Lenore Mark's The Resistance, which is currently in the final stages of post-production.
Sarah Wharton
Director, Producer
Sarah Wharton is an award-winning producer, actor, and writer based in New York City. If Only is her directorial debut. Her feature That’s Not Us played at over 35 festivals around the world and was released as a Netflix exclusive through Strand Releasing. She previously collaborated as an actor and producer on Percival’s Big Night and Jane Wants A Boyfriend, currently playing on Showtime. She has produced work in Oslo, London, New Orleans and served as associate producer for the Harare International Festival of The Arts in Zimbabwe. She currently works in development with The Spangler Group, developing Happy Trails, a Broadway-bound musical written by Marshall Brickman and composed by T Bone Burnett. Her feature, The Ring Thing, a documentary-narrative hybrid about same-sex marriage, has recently been released by Gravitas Ventures and she is producing Bite Me (currently in post-production) a subversive romantic comedy about a real-life vampire and the IRS agent who audits her, starring Christian Coulson (Harry Potter), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story) and Annie Golden (Orange is the New Black).
Paul Lewis Anderson
Director of Photography
Paul Lewis Anderson is an award winning filmmaker. He drinks a pot of coffee everyday. When he grows up he’d like to work with animals. He loves elephants but wants a dog. Not too small, but something sensible for NYC. A beagle would be great. He’s currently working on a short documentary about the residents of Queensbridge housing. One day he’d like to visit Seattle. LinkedIn says a professional bio should be 250 words. Paul isn’t on LinkedIn anymore because they send too many emails. Paul is very proud to have worked on If Only. It’s a beautiful written and acted film.
You can see Paul’s work at http://paullewisanderson.com and skullthunderfilms.com
Russell Erik Kohlmann
Actor (Greg), Producer
Russell is thrilled to have acted and produced the hauntingly gorgeous tribute that is "If Only." It’s been a complete thrill to work with Anna, Sarah et al on this exciting short film. Also a writer-director, keep an eye out for his new romantic gay short film "Window Shopping" set to debut this fall.
Follow @RussellKohlmann on social media. http://www.russellkohlmann.com
Christine Verleny
Actor (Vera)
Christine thanks the serendipity gods for placing Russell and Anna together with her one night in early 2017. That night launched her involvement in this beautiful, bittersweet film. With no children in real life, she found it fun to have 3 for a few days, but not be held responsible for them in the end. Shooting wasn’t work, it was easy, relaxed, and oh so fun. (At least for Christine!) Her theater credits (including her debut as a cow) are too long to list. Recently she has added film producing to her resume with her husband, Walter Brandes. Their film Kill Al is having a fabulous run on the film festival circuit. Christine loves the male species (even more than a great margarita!) but is especially proud to be involved in this wonderful, female-centric film.
Shannon Hamm
Actor (Katie)
Shannon is an actress, producer and meditation teacher in NYC. Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Shannon spent her entire childhood performing in any way she could. Her first moment on stage was at age 3 for a dance recital and from that moment forward she knew she wanted to be an artist. After high school she moved to New York City to study in the Integrated program at The American Musical And Dramatic Academy.
Stephanie Iscovitz
Assistant Director
Stephanie Iscovitz - Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, many of her personal projects have screened at film festivals internationally and have been distributed through various platforms. As a filmmaker, Stephanie is dedicated to advocating for a stronger female presence in all aspects of film and driving social change through storytelling. She is especially passionate about telling stories with underrepresented female characters, emphasizing triumph over adversity. Most recently, she was a part of the producing team for the new Broadway musical, A Taste of Things to Come which opened on Broadway in Chicago in March 2018 and has multiple projects in various stages of production. Stephanie also has extensive casting experience as a member of the Donna Grossman Casting Agency team and currently works at Don Buchwald & Associates.
Sean Brogan
Editor
Sean Brogan is a freelance editor who specializes in documentaries and short narrative films. Born & raised on Long Island, he is a graduate of CW Post, with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts. When he is not editing he enjoys traveling, photography and writing.
Zachary Travis
Location Sound
Zach discovered sound while studying film at Pratt Institute where he received his Film BFA last Spring; since graduating he's done bag work on short films, web series, interviews, and more. His work has taken him up and down the East Coast from mixing a short film in the Florida Keys to miking inmates at Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania. For him, no effort is too great or small when it comes to delivering pristine, clear audio.
Thomas Zaccheo
Sound Editor and Mixer
Thomas Zaccheo is a graduate of Brooklyn College. He's been an on location Sound Mixer for 6 years, and 4 years of training as a Post Production Mixer. His work can be heard in several feature films, which are available now on Amazon Prime and Netflix, over 50 short films and countless national commercials. He has a portfolio of clients ranging from CNN to WWE.
To hear more of Toms work, to get a full list of equipment, contact info, testimonials or resume, please visit: