“The Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy,” a short film directed and produced by Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film alumnus Alexander Jeffery received $50,000 as the grand prize winner of the Louisiana Film Prize.
Twenty filmmaker finalists competed for the cash prize for a 15-minute film. According to founder Gregory Kallenberg, it’s the largest award for a short film in the world.
In addition, former Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film faculty member Stan Brown won Best Actor honors for the film. The film was also produced by Barry Jeffery and produced and written by Paul Petersen.
“The Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy” is set in Louisiana in 1964 during the integration of the job market. After Mister Bellamy sees a post for a janitorial position at a local law firm, he decides to make a suit for the interview, which ignites his passion for tailoring. He struggles with learning the craft as well as dealing with discrimination.
Film reviewer Kristy Puchko wrote on Pajiba.com, “Simply put, I was astonished by ‘The Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy.’ It was a short so good I could feel the audience experiencing it with me. We chuckled and gasped together, connected by a common thread of radiant emotion. And once its slate concluded, we grinned communally as we whispered ‘Bespoke’ back and forth.” (http://go.unl.edu/8k74).
Jeffery and Petersen are collaborating again this December on a holiday romantic comedy titled “The Long Haul.”
Born in Canada, raised in Arkansas and schooled all over the world, Jeffery graduated from UNL with a BFA in film and new media and a BA in theatre performance in 2011. Having worked professionally in Los Angeles, New York, Nebraska and Sweden, he says he is always looking for the next project that will push the limits of his experience and force him to learn new techniques and improve upon his craft.
To view a trailer of the film, visit http://go.unl.edu/78jy.