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Ciao is a 2008 gay independent film by Yen Tan, starring Adam Neal Smith, Alessandro Calza, Charles W. Blaum and Ethel Lung.
A man, Mark (Charles W. Blaum), living in Dallas, dies very unexpectedly leaving behind his best friend Jeff (Adam Neal Smith). While going through Mark's e-mails to let people in Mark's life know about his passing, Jeff discovers that Mark had been corresponding with an Italian man named Andrea (Allessandro Calza), who has planned a trip to fly to Dallas and visit Mark for the first time. After telling Andrea of Mark's passing, Jeff tells Andrea that he hopes Andrea has time to change his arrangements. Andrea responds saying the flight was very cheap, and instead of refunding his ticket, it will simply go unused. However, Jeff soon writes again and suggests that Andrea fly out anyway and stay with Jeff, getting to know Mark's life in a closer, more personal way. The two men form a rapport that grows, and are soon drawn together both by their connection with the deceased Mark, and by a growing intimacy with each other.
The film was made on a very small budget, and was co-written by Yen Tan and Alessandro Calza.
The film received mixed reviews. Ruthe Stein from the San Francisco Chronicle praised the acting, but like some other reviewers criticised the "snails pace" of the movie's story.
The film won the Jury Prize / Best Feature Film at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Queer Lion Competition at Venice Film Festival, was given honorable mention at the AFI Dallas Awards, and was part of the Official Selection for Outline Framefest Newline.
(extract from Wikipedia 2011)
A man, Mark (Charles W. Blaum), living in Dallas, dies very unexpectedly leaving behind his best friend Jeff (Adam Neal Smith). While going through Mark's e-mails to let people in Mark's life know about his passing, Jeff discovers that Mark had been corresponding with an Italian man named Andrea (Allessandro Calza), who has planned a trip to fly to Dallas and visit Mark for the first time. After telling Andrea of Mark's passing, Jeff tells Andrea that he hopes Andrea has time to change his arrangements. Andrea responds saying the flight was very cheap, and instead of refunding his ticket, it will simply go unused. However, Jeff soon writes again and suggests that Andrea fly out anyway and stay with Jeff, getting to know Mark's life in a closer, more personal way. The two men form a rapport that grows, and are soon drawn together both by their connection with the deceased Mark, and by a growing intimacy with each other.
The film was made on a very small budget, and was co-written by Yen Tan and Alessandro Calza.
The film received mixed reviews. Ruthe Stein from the San Francisco Chronicle praised the acting, but like some other reviewers criticised the "snails pace" of the movie's story.
The film won the Jury Prize / Best Feature Film at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Queer Lion Competition at Venice Film Festival, was given honorable mention at the AFI Dallas Awards, and was part of the Official Selection for Outline Framefest Newline.
(extract from Wikipedia 2011)