'When the Party Ends' accepted to Cannes Film Festival

The party is just getting started for local educational theater and video-production company, SOURCE Productions.

The company's recently completed short film, "When the Party Ends," was accepted yesterday into the Short Films Corner at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival — a non-competition showcase of short films at the international festival held annually in Cannes, France.

The Sarasota-shot film stars co-writer Frankie LaPace and Jimmy DiPaola, and it explores the relationships and struggles of a group of friends amidst an HIV scare.

According to director, producer and co-writer, KT Curran, she and her crew, along with the help of executive producer, Planned Parenthood of Sarasota, and associate producers, the Community AIDS Network and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, created the film to bring awareness to the continuing and ever-changing issue of HIV and AIDS in America.

"This is such a tremendous opportunity for us," says Curran. "Especially as relatively new filmmakers. This film festival is so competitive. They receive thousands of short-film submissions from all over the world, so to have our little story seen by all these people is really rewarding."

According to assistant director, Zara Barrie, the news came at the perfect time.

"KT and I were in the middle of talking about something completely unrelated, and we were both kind of stressed out," she says. "Then she looked down at her computer, back up at me and said, 'We just got into Cannes.' It was so surreal — it took us a good five minutes to really process it."

As Curran and the rest of the crew prepare for their trip to the prestigious international festival, which takes place May 13 to 26, she says she hopes to use the exposure and networking opportunities to continue telling stories that are close to her heart.

"This is great for us," she says. "It's incredible that just a small group of us working together made it into the Cannes Film Festival. We have this core group of young, passionate people, who are committed to their craft, and we continue to dream bigger and bigger. We want to keep telling stories that can change the world and save lives."