In this short comedy/drama, a man wants to date again only to discover that he needs a résumé and cover letter in order to do so.
CREDITS
Written & Directed by: Chris Esper
Produced by: Kristina Stone Kaiser & Mikel J. Wisler
Cast: Trevor C. Duke, J.D. Achille, Randy Veraguas, and Shandy Monte
Director of Photography & Editor: Mikel J. Wisler
Production Designer: Melissa Talarico
Sound Mixer: Dominic Kaiser
Music by: Paper Citizen, Paper Hearts, and Steven Lanning-Cafaro
AWARDS & HONORS
Official Selection, Silicon Beach Film Festival (Malibu, CA) (2017)
Winner of Best Comedy Short, TEXAS Ultimate Shorts (Houston, TX) (2017)
Winner of Best Romantic Comedy and Nominee for Best Short Film & Best Original Idea, Top Indie Film Awards (Los Angeles, CA) (2017)
Finalist, Los Angeles CineFest (Los Angeles, CA) (2017)
Official Selection, Action on Film International Film Festival (Las Vegas, NV) (2017)
Official Selection, Meraki Film Festival (India) (2017)
Winner of Best Comedy Short and Best Director (Chris Esper), West Coast Film Awards (Malibu, CA) (2017)
Top 5 Movies of the Year So Far by Sonic-Cinema.com
Official Selection, Lake View International Film Festival (India) (2017)
Official Selection, Macoproject Online Shorts Festival (2017)
Nominated for Best Comedy Short Film and Best Filmmaker of 2017 on Screen Critix
Official Selection, 401 Film Fest (Warwick, RI) (2017)
Nominated for Best Ensemble Cast, Maverick Movie Awards (Los Angeles, CA) (2017)
Winner of the Platinum Award for Best Comedy, L.A. Shorts Awards (Los Angeles, CA) (2017)
Winner of the Silver Award for Best Short Film, NYC Indie Film Awards (New York, NY) (2017)
Official Selection, Berlin Flash Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) (2017)
Winner of Best Romantic Comedy, Hollywood International Media Festival (Hollywood, CA) (2017)
Nominated for Best Comedy and Best Director Comedy (Chris Esper), Flagler Film Festival (Flagler Beach, FL) (2017)
Winner of the Silver Award for Best Short Film, Mindfield Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA) (2017)
Rated Number 5 out of 15 on A Word of Dreams Top 15 Short Films of 2017
Named One of Top Short Films of 2017 by Sonic-Cinema.com
Official Selection, Cabin Fever Film Festival (Sharon, PA) (2018)
Finalist, MystiCon Independent Film Festival (Roanoke, VA) (2018)
Official Selection, SENE Film, Arts & Music Festival (Providence, RI) (2018)
Official Selection, MayDay Film Festival (Evansville, IN) (2018)
LINKS
REVIEWS
"The result is side-splitting and deeply transcendent; an endlessly entertaining, quietly emotive must-see! Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars." - Andrew Buckner, A Word of Dreams
"Undatement Center could quite easily have become a cringeworthy crude comedy, but as it is, this one relies much more on understatement than on obvious jokes, helped of course by a subtle directorial effort and a very competent lead actor who manages to remain at least somewhat likable even when he's acting like a total asshole. Really nice, actually! - Michael Haberfelner, (re)Search my Trash
"I’d go as far as to say, I enjoyed Undatement Center so much, I’d love to see a full 90-minute feature based around the same premise, with the character of Jack fleshed out more. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars." - Carl Burgess, ScreenCritix
"The system can be soul-destroying and, the longer this goes on, the more we see Jack’s heart grow cold and calculating like everyone else’s. Will the charming Lindsey (winningly played by J.D. Achille) be different? Perhaps genuine human connections are not completely extinct after all?" - Scott Larson, Scott's Movies
"What I really like about his film is its subtlety both in direction and in performance." - Amos Lassen, Reviews by Amos Lassen
"A well done short that actually 'is' pretty funny.", ReelRomp
"With a clear start, well done middle and excellent ending, 'Undatement Center' really is a film to bet on. Quick, funny and entertaining. The three words that every short film crew want to hear. Well done. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars." - Billy Conrad, IndyRed
"Writer/director Chris Esper is becoming an increasingly familiar name on the indie fest circuit and Undatement Center should continue that growth with its quick, funny story playing out just perfectly and ending at just the right time. Rating: 3 out 4 stars." - Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
"There’s a lot of truth in 9 minutes here from Esper, and it hits you both in the funnybone, with its observational humor, and the heart. Rating: A+" - Brian Skutle, Sonic-Cinema
"...a finely-tuned, creative, satirically relevant, and waggish independent short film offering. Well worth the time to invest in watching, it once again epitomizes the heart, passion, and drive towards originality these filmmakers strive towards and accomplish successfully." - Kirk Fernwood, One Film Fan
"A great, complete, fun story. Those who have been in the dating scene will find a number of situations humorous and also bring back some memories as well." - Mark Krawczyk, The Final Cut
"I have had the pleasure of reviewing most of Esper's films and one thing I continue to notice is how much his writing improves with each film. He has hit top form with 'Undatement Center,' a funny, smart and original film that grabs your attention right from the start. You instantly care about Jack and you root for him." - Patrick Ricketts, VideoViews
"Undatement Center is a 5 star effort that entertains and makes a valid and pertinent social comment on the state of looking for love in this day and age of dating apps and swiping to the left or right." - Michael Smith, Mike's Film Talk
"A well produced short film with an intriguing premise." - BOOM! Film Reviews
"The more I think about it, the more the film illustrates just how cold and sterile such interactions can be when made through dating sites. Maybe it’s time we all put down the devices for a while and actually interact face to face. Of course, you shouldn’t do that until you’ve seen the superb Undatement Center!" - Leah Gage, Leah's Movie Lowdown
"Esper has again done a great job of creating a fun, entertaining film, that you can simply enjoy. There’s no attempt to be pretentious, over-the-top or excessively dramatic, it’s just genuine entertainment. A satisfying follow up to The Deja Vuers, a show of creativity, comedy and courting. 8/10." - Rebecca Cherry, Film Carnage
"The comedy here is subtle with Duke conveying so many thoughts without uttering a word at times. Whilst drastic, his experiences at the center aren’t that far from the awkward dates we’ve all experienced at one time or another." - Annie Vincent, UK Film Review
