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