'Mr. Marvelous' Is an Intriguing Short About Power and the Past

Like public servants and other figures in society, we often see mall Santas as larger than life figures. In some ways, we strip them of their humanity and see them as accessories present only to bring joy (and sometimes terror) to children worldwide. 

In his short film Mr. Marvelous, filmmaker Evan Falbaum reminds us that everyone has their secrets under the costumes and masks we wear. Mike Marvelous (Mitch Landry) is glad the holiday season has come to an end. Stripping off his Mall Santa costume and taking home his final pay, he’s content to be isolated in his neat bungle, with a beer and a modest Christmas tree, hoping that his daughter invites him over for Christmas Day. 

As Mike moves through his evening, showering and awaiting a call back from his daughter, some introducers come storming into his house, looking for money. However, as the thieves attempt to humiliate Mike, they discover much more than they bargained for. 

Beautifully filmed, Mr. Marvelous is an intriguing film about how to reconcile your past with your present. It’s a movie about loss, second chances, and the will to get back in touch with your inner power — a strength that goes well beyond any costume that you might slip into.

Mr. Marvelous was an official selection at the Omahu, Kansas City, and San Antonio Short Film Festivals is has been released on Vimeo.

How The Searing Short Film 'Haven' Hones In On The Beauty And Horrors of Black Girlhood

Some films remain forever embedded in your psyche and stick with you long after the final credits roll. Writer/director Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s searing short story Haven is exactly this type of film. In a few short minutes, Haven hones in on the beauty and horrors of black girlhood -- tackling a subject that is often buried in the black community. After the film’s premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, I chatted with Fyffe-Marshall and Haven executive producer Tamar Bird about the film, its perfect casting and why it’s so important to tell painful stories. The idea for Haven was sparked by a conversation that Fyffe-Marshall had one day with her director of photography. "My DP Jordan Oram (Drake’s “God’s Plan") had shown me another film, and it was about two people in a room," she remembered. "So he sparked something in me. I thought, ‘What's something that as black women we don't see a lot of on TV?’ For me, it was a black daughter getting her hair done. That's something that nearly all black women went through at least once a week as a child. So, I started with that, and it just became Haven.”

Once the idea was formed, Fyffe-Marshall found the perfect collaborator in Bird, an actress and award-winning Canadian filmmaker. "Kelly and I have known each other for about six years," Bird revealed. "When she presented this to me, I remember saying, 'This is it. Don't do anything to it, don't change anything. This is perfect. This is what we need; this is what the world needs.' From there we just wanted to make it as true to our childhoods as possible — that nostalgic feeling of listening to reggae music in the background and watching TV while you're getting your hair done."

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