HollyShorts Film Festival — Festivals

Matt Campanella’s "Sunday Sauce" Shines at This Year’s HollyShorts Film Festival

A surreal, heartfelt, and hilariously chaotic portrait of family, identity, and love, "Sunday Sauce" takes audiences on an unforgettable ride through an Italian American household.

, and Seren Calloway

August 1, 2025 . 8:40 AM

4 min read

Three Key Takeaways

Italian American roots inspire filmmaking: Matt Campanella draws on his own experiences to craft stories that explore identity, humor, and heart within a big, chaotic family setting.
Blending genres in short films is challenging but rewarding: The creation of Sunday Sauce pushed Matt to mix humor and surreal elements in a short format, proving that bold tonal shifts can work, even in a limited runtime.
Independent filmmaking is about wearing many hats: For Matt, being an indie filmmaker meant writing, directing, producing, and acting, which pushed him beyond his comfort zone and made him a more confident storyteller.

Matt Campanella is an acclaimed filmmaker known for his distinct style that blends emotional truth with bold visual storytelling. His latest short film, Sunday Sauce, is set to premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles. Matt, who is not only the writer and director but also plays the character Marco, brings his personal experiences as an Italian American to life in this film.

Alongside him, the film features talents such as producer Anthony Campanella, Academy Award-nominated actress Cathy Moriarty, and cinematographer Stefan Nachmann.

Interview with Matt Campanella

What drew you to make "Sunday Sauce"? Why this story, and why now?

I grew up in a big Italian American family: loud, opinionated, full of love and tension. One minute you’re screaming about the fork placement, the next you’re hugging like nothing happened. That invisible volatility, that deep-rooted pressure, especially around identity, was something I wanted to capture. This story is inspired by my own experiences. I also wanted to explore the quiet repression of being queer in a world that doesn’t always make space for that. I love comedy. I wanted to take audiences on a crazy rollercoaster of humor, horror, and heart.

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time?

This film challenged me in ways that helped me grow as a director. It was always my vision to blend humor and heart, which is tough to pull off in a short format—especially with so many moving parts: animation, special effects, food styling, a big art team. But the most surprising and beautiful moment was working with my real grandmother, who had never acted before. Watching her bring truth to the screen alongside veteran actors was unforgettable.

"It reminded me that sometimes the most powerful performances come from real life."

Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you?

Definitely the lobster sequence in the second act. It’s chaotic, surreal, and a little uncomfortable—with whip pans, wide lenses, and, well... a lot of lobster sucking. I’m proud of how the shots, the score, and the pacing came together to create a very specific feeling. That’s what I’m always chasing as a filmmaker—a feeling that pushes me, maybe even scares me a little.

What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?

The hardest decision was choosing to go big. Since this short is a proof of concept for the feature, we could’ve kept it simple—but I wanted to show the full world, tone, and range of what the feature could be. It was a risk, especially for a short film, but I wanted to prove we could pull off something ambitious.

What do you hope audiences take away from your film?

I hope they laugh, cringe, and feel something real by the end. My goal is always to take people on a ride—start in one place, end in another—with a little more heart and a little more perspective. I hope it sparks curiosity, empathy, and maybe even a deeper understanding of someone else’s experience.

"At the core of all my work is a desire to create bold, unapologetic stories that challenge convention, and make you feel something, even if it’s uncomfortable."