Log line: Sylvan throws a bizarre birthday dinner to honor their late grandmother and reconnect with their parents for the first time since grandma’s passing, but a lost family heirloom throws a wrench in Sylvan’s plans.
Description: One to Grow On is a short, queer dramedy that centers around Sylvan, a non-binary adult who wants to reconnect with their parents after the death of their grandmother. Sylvan throws a birthday dinner to honor their grandmother, but Sylvan has misplaced grandma’s candle, an irreplaceable family heirloom, and decides to lie to their parents rather than admit what happened. When the truth comes out, Sylvan must choose between taking responsibility or saving face, risking their shot at a deeper relationship with their parents.
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Director’s Statement
This story is grounded in personal experience. I spent a month last summer digitizing super 8 home videos from my mother’s childhood, collecting birthday footage for a project of hers, and I became captivated by these images of my American grandmother carrying these candle-lit cakes to the table, year after year. I knew I wanted to make a film that grew out of that image and the concept of the candle “to grow on,” or extra candle for good luck.
When my Italian grandmother passed away in September 2023, I knew that had to be part of the story as well. She valued family so much, giving us all the gift of her unconditional love, and it has been strange to be so far away from my family in Italy while processing the fact that I will never see her again.
This film digs into that strangeness, into what it means to honor people in your own way and how the grieving process can provide an opportunity for reevaluating and rekindling relationships, especially when you’re not used to telling people how you feel. We may want to make it pretty, tie a bow around it, but at the end of the day what matters most is meeting each other where we are and accepting what comes.
Emilia Figliomeni 