Seeking Engagement
Trending of the Month
•
Comedy, Short Films, 09-Jul-2025
On his 35th birthday, a struggling content creator pushes his life to the brink of destruction trying to go viral. Jacob Halpren’s “Seeking Engagement” satirizes influencer stardom culture and a man’s laughable entry point for collecting views. John, a relentless performer, accumulates most of his views via staged engagement proposal videos between himself and women who pretend to reject him. In reality, there isn’t much going on in his life. At a local senior center where he lends his audio equipment, he hangs back free-of-charge to sing. One afternoon, John gets a call from a Barclays Center entertainment director regarding his request to propose to his girlfriend on the jumbotron during a WNBA game. Unaware of who they’re dealing with, they offer John the opportunity but his fictitious methods are soon called into question. Halpren’s film reflects a contemporary reality where ‘rage-bait’ and staged public performances are common, tracking an influencer’s yearning for fame or infamy with an admirable level of commitment and shamelessness. -JM. Director: Jacob Halpren. Cast: Johnny Gaffney, Alina Carson, Hisa Viscovich, Jimmy Peoples, Luke Manley, Erma Camporese. DP: Peter Reinstein. Editor: Jacob Halpren, Alex Riccio. Producer: Johnny Gaffney. Composer: John Albano.
Up Next in Trending of the Month
-
Bitches
After three influencers spend a weekend living off tequila and tainted taco meat, their behavior starts to inexplicably change. Boni Mata directs “Bitches,” a satire weaving absurd drama into an influencer eco-system during the days that follow a comped vacation. On her Instagram story, Kayla giv...
-
Robotica
In the relentless pursuit of productivity, a young woman undergoes a transformation that jeopardizes her humanity. Isabella Ivoš’s “Robotica” is a lowkey sci-fi that grapples with the demands of a highly competitive metropolitan space. Jeanne gets summoned into the office where she’s told over a ...
-
Circumstantial Forgiveness
A man tries to steal from his friends at game night and then things get infinitely worse. Alex Sovoda’s “Circumstantial Forgiveness” follows a frantic friend group as they erupt in outcry when the dirty laundry of two friends is laid out on the table. While the gang engages in a game of dice, Wil...
