Better To Have Loved – S1
Better To Have Loved – S1 explores the ever-changing landscape of human emotions through romance, love, and heartbreak. Each short, by diverse writers, delves into the complexities of the heart.
Episode 1: Gifts Given
“Better to Have Loved” is an anthology series that explores the nuances and complexities of human relationships, while navigating through romantic, familial, and platonic love across a diverse set of characters and environments.
Credits
Starring
Jacqueline Goce as Athena
Sam Loveys as Dean
Molly Greenblatt as Mia
Campbell Kaye as Barista
Director – Sabrina Wennekers
Director – Jordan Danner
Writer/ Producer – Kaden Nanji
Cinematography/ Editor – James Bottomley
Sound Operator/ Lighting – Pascal Hum
Lighting – Campbell Kaye
Special Effects – Robert Della Rosa
Composer – Mersum Khokhar
Episode 2: Red String
In a world where soulmates are connected by a red thread, two university students feel the tug of their strings. They roam around campus searching for each other.
Credits
Starring
Jainna Fernandez
RJ Mendoza
Emalita Natividad
Ivan Duong
Katherine Maybaum
Viva Niamnamtham
Zackary Fehrman
Shayel Penuela
Sophie Ava Chua
Jean Mendoza
Izzabelle Bantog
Danemarc Agajona
RV Mendoza (voice)
Gary Gould (voice)
Director/ Producer – E.J. Fernandez
Writers – Jainna Fernandez & E.J. Fernandez
Cinematography/ Composer – Josh Day
Assistant Director – Zackary Fehrman
Sound Operator – Tony Ho
Key Grip/ Editor – George Gamas
Episode 3: Power Of Love
“Power of Love” explores the complexities of heartbreak, following a man who is reminiscent of the love he once had.
Credits
Starring
Gabriel Enriquez
Sydney Waters
Directors – E.J. Fernandez & Gareth Chamberlain
Writers – E.J. Fernandez, Gabriel Enriquez, & Callum Kettles
Cinematography – E.J. Fernandez & Gareth Chamberlain
Production Assistant – Tony Ho
Production Assistant – Sydney Waters
Episode 4: Liminal Echoes
“Liminal Echoes” captures the transitional moments between adolescence and adulthood, symbolized by the term “liminal,” meaning on the threshold, and “echoes,” evoking reverberations of experience and emotion. This film encapsulates the introspective journey of self-discovery, uncertainty, and growth inherent in the coming-of-age experience, representing both the echoes of the past and the exploration of what lies ahead.
Credits
Starring
Olivia Flint
Callum Kettles
Hobbes
Director – E.J. Fernandez
Writer – Olivia Flint
Cinematography – E.J. Fernandez
Sound Operator – Tony Ho
Assistant Camera – Nicholas Morgan Breveglieri
Special Effects Manager – Thomas Flint
“Sweetness”
Written and Performed by Olivia Flint
Episode 5: Anamnesis
“Anamnesis,” set in an all-boys boarding school in the 1940s, follows two boys who fall in love, lose each other, and reunite again against all odds.
Credits
Starring
Logan Kendel as Emmett
Cole Pinsky as Cody
Supporting Cast
Paul Beniaminov
Ryan Mesbahi
Director/ Writer – Evie Bhasin
Producer – E.J. Fernandez
Cinematography – Morgan Eastwood
Assistant Director – Jolina Mangilaya
Editors – Evie Bhasin, Logan Kendel & Jolina Mangilaya
Colorist – Logan Kendel
Sound Designer/ Sound Editor/ Foley Recordist – Morgan Eastwood
Music Composition by Duncan Hall
Production Design – Jolina Mangilaya
Wardrobe – Evie Bhasin, Logan Kendel & Jolina Mangilaya
Hair and Makeup – Evie Bhasin, Morgan Eastwood & Logan Kendel
Special Thanks to
Pale Blue Dot, Hamilton, ON
Episode 6: Image Of Us
In “Image of Us,” memories come alive as a man is transported back in time by the enchanting melodies of a pianist. Through the captivating notes of the piano, he revisits cherished moments, each chord unlocking a hidden treasure of emotions and nostalgia.
Credits
Starring
Zackary Fehrman
Rich Shao
Katherine Maybaum
Director/ Writer/ Producer – E.J. Fernandez
Cinematography – Alex Mousavi
Assistant Camera – Josh Day
Key Grip – Tony Ho
Sound Operator – Emen Trussart
Editor – George Gamas
Special Thanks
Connor Stratton
Daniel Badmis
Olivia Flint
Callum Kettles
Gabriel Enriquez
Nicole Van der Kley
Adhya Arora
Jerico Cura
Anya Vinnick
Kya Weiman
Jainna Fernandez
Denes Kiss
EDC
Avant Toronto
“Clair de Lune”
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Rich Shao
Episode 7: CandleLight
A distraught couple tries to scrape together what’s left of their romantic spark for one last candlelit dinner. This film, by Vincent LeCompte, was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2023 TARA Awards.
Credits
Starring
Dev Sharma
Hilla Yaniv
Man in Hallway: Yousif Hassan
Kimberly Voicemail: Layla Ferreira
Writer & Director – Vincent Lecompte
Camera Operator: Josh Grundy
Assistant Director: Grace Lee
Lighting: Hailey Fauchere
Sound Recordist: Cayla Ness
Drone Operator: Owen Nabuurs
Production Assistant: Adam Tefik
Man in Hallway: Yousif Hassan
Kimberly Voicemail: Layla Ferreira
Editing/VFX: Vincent Lecompte
Episode 8: Outgoing
After being left heartbroken, Will discovers an old voicemail from his ex that mysteriously transports her to his door for one last evening together.
Credits
Starring
Nicholas Morgan-Breveglieri
Jainna Fernandez
Directed, Written, and Edited by Wyatt Mcneil
Produced by E.J. Fernandez
Camera Operators
Zackary Fehrman
E.J. Fernandez
Sound Operators
Aidan Attali
RJ Mendoza
Color Grade by E.J. Fernandez