July Spotlight

Eulogies

Directed by Steve Parys | Drama | 11 min

July’s Spotlight short is a shining example of local Pittsburgh filmmaking! In the gentle, bittersweet film Eulogies, three young adults try to help their friend write a eulogy for his beloved brother minutes before the service. In the end, what’s left to say?

Eulogies (the screenplay) won first place at the Pittsburgh Shorts Script Competition in 2022. There, it was noticed by native Pittsburgh filmmakers Caroline Collins and Steve Parys. Their resulting short film—this month’s Spotlight—screened at Three Rivers Film Festival the following year, where it was celebrated as the runner-up for Best Live Action Short.

Parys said he wanted to “direct something kind and empathetic, qualities severely lacking these days. My friend and producer [Collins] gave me a batch of contest-winning scripts to look at and one jumped out at me. … I knew Eulogies had to be my next project. A little something to make you sad, happy, wince, and chuckle.”