LOGLINE
Jamie and Lina need to write the greatest song ever… no seriously, a big time manager wants to sign their band but he wants to hear a hit single, how hard can it be?
STILLS
FESTIVALS + SCREENINGS
TBA
director BIO
Ralph Torrefranca is a Filipino American award-winning writer, director and musician based in Los Angeles.
With roots in the Bay Area, Santa Barbara, The Netherlands and even Germany; Filipino-American filmmaker Ralph Torrefranca has a unique upbringing under his belt when it comes to storytelling.
Most recently his short film "Fil-Am" was selected to premiere at SBIFF. His past short Champagne Social premiered at The 2019 IFS Film Festival in LA where Ralph was named “Best Director” at the fest. His feature screenplay “RIFF” made the Top 20% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in 2021. Most recently his feature "Fil-Am" was selected by Goldhouse for their Goldpitch program at Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. "Fil-Am" is currently under consideration for the 2nd round of the Sundance Development Track.
Ralph is also an accomplished musician, most known as the lead singer/guitarist of the national touring post-punk band Cuffed Up (KEXP, KCRW) who were SXSW Official Artists in 2022 and 2024. He has directed numerous music videos for the band including lead singles “Finer Things”, “Bonnie” and “Mock Dance”.
With much of his childhood summers watching films at his local, Ralph was eventually given a Mini DV Sony Handycam and spent much of his early years filming DIY music videos and short films. Over the summer of his Sophomore year of High School, an intro to film class taught by Santa Barbara International Film Festival founder Roger Durling left a long lasting impression on 15 year old Ralph and subsequently his ongoing love for cinema.
With more than 19 years in the entertainment industry, Ralph has worked in Film, TV Production and Music.
director’s statement
I’ve spent almost 20 years in the Music Industry, both as a struggling musician in a band and as an A&R/manager making executive decisions.
The one thing that would always come up in conversation with my artist friends (including a coffee hang with Sam Morelos, where the idea for this film originally came from) is the brutality of what failure is to us. How our creative identities are in constant battle VS the business of it all.
How does that tug of war manifest itself in the actual people we know? How does that weight compound onto us every time we sit down to write a song when we can't even afford to survive?
The title might be straightforward, but the short navigates this complex love/hate relationship of our "artist career" and holding onto the personal friendships at the center.
"Jamie & Lina Write The Greatest Song Ever" has also become the proof of concept for an episodic project of the same name that is currently in development.
The actual song "The Greatest" in the film was co-written by me, Bailey Bryan (Shaboozey, Kiana Lede, Jay Sean), Eliza Petrosyan (Chappell Roan, Conan Grey) and accomplished producer Drea Rose.
FULL CREDITS & SPECS
Written & Directed by - Ralph Torrefranca
Produced by - Marta Roncada, Tina Carbone, Ralph Torrefranca
Principal Cast - Sam Morelos, Ella Jay Basco
Supporting - Nat Lee, Ichi Tanabe, Valeri Ortiz
Director of Photography - Andrea A. Walter
Production Designer - Mikki Mamaril
Art PA - Precious Prado
Costume Designer - Thea Calaguio
HMU - Jude Andam
1st Assistant Director - Madeline Abiera
Sound Mixer - Dale Chung
Gaffer - Kevin Chiu
Script Supervisor - Marta Roncada
PA’s - Alana Vague, Sarah Nguyen, Skyler Bible & Maddie Smiley
Composer - Valeri Ortiz
Score Mixed by Ralph Torrefranca
Score Drums - Ichi Tanabe
Score Guitars - Ralph Torrefranca
Sound Editor - Andrea Idioma
Supervising Sound Editor - Andrea Idioma
Re-Recording Mixer - Andrea Trinidad Idioma
Dialogue Editor - Andrea Idioma
Sound Effects Editor - Chris Stucker
Foley Services by Narra Post-Production Studios
Foley Mixer - Jose Elian Idioma
Foley Artist - Harold Elviña
Foley Artist - Nicole Rosacay
Colorist - Jacob Butler
Editor: Kevin Henthorn
Production Company: Whole Pictures, UNDRDG
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Live Action Short, Narrative Short
Format: BRAW
TTT: 14min | Color | Digital | 1.85: 1 | Dolby Atmos 5.1 Stereo | 23.98fps | English