Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Neo Dome is a tight, stylish neo-Western that delivers more in fifteen pages than most features do in ninety.
- Independent filmmaking allows for specificity, letting creators like Discepolo craft unique, personal visions.
- Being selected for HollyShorts feels like being part of the early days of Sundance, where voices break through.
Filmmaker Bonnie Discepolo is set to make waves at this year's HollyShorts Film Festival with her film Neo Dome, starring Anna Camp, Michael Mosely, Nicholas Logan, and Anthony Discepolo. Written by Matt and Mark Pfeffer, this neo-Western short is a testament to the power of concise storytelling and immersive world-building. Discepolo's collaboration with a talented team, including producers like Steve Cundari and Valerie Steinberg, has brought this vivid project to life. As the director, Bonnie brings a unique voice to the screen, blending action, humor, and a touch of absurdity.
Statement about the film's origin and inspiration
The script—and Anna Camp—drew me to this film. I read this tight, stylish, action-packed neo-Western that did more in fifteen pages than most features do in ninety. It built a cinematic world: desert heat, classic cars, sharp standoffs, visceral momentum. It's the kind of material any director would dream of tackling. Anna Camp is attached. I've directed her before, and she's electric—funny, layered, precise. I knew what she could bring to this, and I knew I wanted in.
Surprises during the filmmaking process
What always surprises—and moves—me is how quickly a real sense of family forms, even on a short film. Each project brings a different constellation of artists. As a director, you're stepping into a world that’s already been imagined on the page, but once you're on set—with these actors, this crew—it starts to breathe in unexpected ways.
A moment in the film that feels uniquely yours
Yeah. The gas can is enormous—almost cartoonishly so—and I leaned into that for visual humor. There’s a moment when Monica meets Larry and Gary and she lifts it straight into the window. It’s awkward, theatrical, almost ceremonial. That beat becomes a kind of punchline. Very me.
"I think of the camera as a co-writer, or another performer. It’s not there to observe—it participates."
Hardest creative decision on the film
Limiting my actors to one or two takes was tough. They’re brilliant, and walking away from a performance knowing they could give you five more equally great but completely different versions—it was a gut punch every time.
Hopes for audience takeaways
I hope they want to get their ticket to the Neo Dome. I want them to want more—and then I hope I get to give it to them. I also hope they see a hero in Monica and recognize women as the protagonists of big genre films—and as the directors of them too.
Future aspirations and HollyShorts impact.
Being selected for HollyShorts is incredibly special. It's the short film festival of note in Hollywood. Screening at HollyShorts feels like being part of the early days of Sundance. My hope is that our stop at HollyShorts becomes part of the origin story of how that world caught fire.
"At the core of all my work is a desire to reveal the story."
Cast and Crew
- Director: Bonnie Discepolo
- Writers/Co-Creators: Matt Pfeffer, Mark Pfeffer
- Producers: Steve Cundari, Marcus Grimaldi, Roman Grimaldi, Michael Johnson, Mark Pfeffer, Matt Pfeffer, Valerie Steinberg, Trey Terpeluk
Learn more about Neo Dome here.
