Geoffrey Gunn’s short film, Last Night at the Ellington, has been making its rounds on the award circuit. Wrapping in late 2013, the film was filmed in downtown Charleston and features spots like the Faculty Lounge, Charleston Music Hall, and the American Theater. 

The short is narrated by an employee at a retro glam movie theater, The Ellington, in its final days before a big movie house takes over. The film and its soundtrack are sexy and just a little bit dark, leaving the viewer to question the cultural significance of movie-going for himself. There’s a plot twist, a robbery, and a death. For a film just shy of ten minutes, that’s a whole lot of cinematic prowess (if we do say so ourselves).

The film won the Regional Spotlight award at the 2014 Lowcountry Shorts in North Charleston and was nominated for best short, best director, and best actor at the 2015 Beaufort International Film Festival. Gunn has sent the film to international festivals and is waiting to hear back about its screening future abroad. 

Last Night At The Ellington [Director’s Cut] from Geoffrey Gunn on Vimeo.


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