We caught up with the masterminds and talent behind Happy Endings Funeral Parlor, the short film that is taking the festival circuit by storm.
Directed by Kevin Boston, the film stars actor and producer Zachary Roozen, who has appeared in over 70 film festivals and is known for Romeo and Juliet Killers (2022), Into the Dark (2018) and Kyle Ricchetti, a multi-hyphenate actor, writer, and producer known for his work on Amazon and Hulu. Together, they present the theme of death from a unique childhood perspective, slipping into humor as a coping mechanism—a perspective that Ricchetti draws from his own personal experiences. Happy Endings Funeral Parlor also stars lead actor Trevor Larcom best known for True Detective (2014), Fresh Off the Boat (2015) and Thunder Force (2021). The cast also features Corbin Bernsen, Eric Nelsen, Cassandra Scerbo, Spencer Breslin, Katie Sarife, Katie Sarife, Lily Rains, and Brian Sutherland.
Happy Endings Funeral Parlor follows Johnny and Marcell Remo, two brothers who are managing a failing funeral parlor for their oddball Uncle Nicky. Set against the backdrop of rural Iowa and tasked with transporting the body of notorious mobster Frankie Bananas to his funeral service, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Due to their hasty negligence and erratic driving, the casket springs loose and flies out of the hearse onto a busy city street! After hitting a pothole the body of Frankie Bananas goes airborne and crashes into an innocent family’s car windshield. The family, in panic, believes they have hit a man walking innocently down the street.
As tensions rise back at the cemetery between Uncle Nicky and Frankie’s son Tony, the brothers must think on their feet and deliver the body promptly and in one piece. Tony, near breaking point, becomes more hostile with poor old Uncle Nicky, threatening him with physical force.
Following the chaos of the car accident, the brothers finally arrive at the cemetery. The two groups wind up in a scuffle over the incident. After cooling down, the service is finally able to commence, or is it? Will the Remo family business go down in flames? Will the mafia seek revenge for the incident?
Check out our interview with Kyle, Zach, and Trevor:
Film Statement:
Film is a powerful medium. It explores deep, personal issues that speak to our collective senses. The magic ingredients are tremendous tools for change, capable of eliciting an emotional catharsis audiences need. At its best, the filmmaker and the audience become one- an active part of the emotional experience. But on the surface, film is entertainment meant to be enjoyed. Unapologetically, Happy Endings Funeral Parlor is focused on taking audiences for a joy ride. It will have succeeded by how much you laugh, are shocked, and are dumbfounded by its situational irony. It tackles a complex reality we all face – death, and suggests that sometimes it’s okay to laugh at a funeral. People say humor is the best medicine and we think they’re right. After all, you only get one chance at the whole thing.
We are proud to have an exceptionally diverse above and below-the-line crew. Our crew represents all genders, orientations, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses. We pride ourselves in staffing over 50% female crew and our Executive Producing team is majority female. The film was shot and produced in Iowa, an underserved film market often overlooked in global cinema. We hope that this film opens up more opportunities for other young and ambitious filmmakers across the Midwest.
We’re putting the “fun” back in funerals! See you in the movies.
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