About the film
The quirky owner of a refurbished-trash shop, Jessica Dump, serendipitously meets a forlorn dog lawyer, Todd Barkley, and the two fall in love. However, when Jessica's quest to find her missing father forces her to look inward, their love is put to the test in this 'not-quite-Hallmark' romantic comedy.
Love Dump has the absurdist humor and reality of Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar with the romance and mysticism of Serendipity.
Love Dump is an official Narrative Feature selection at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival.
Screening at Slamdance on 1/20 at 1:15pm in the Crescent Room and on 1/23 at 8pm in the Ball Room at Treasure Mountain Inn
2023
Filmmaker’s Statement
Love Dump is a Hallmark-inspired parody created by Chicago comedians, Leila Gorstein and Jesse Kendall. Leila and Jesse met doing improv in Chicago in 2014, and were drawn to the genre of Hallmark romance movies along with the fun tropes they involved. In the current geopolitical climate, they felt like it was time for a straightforward, slapstick, comedy.
Jesse and Leila met in coffee shops every week to brainstorm and write, not knowing what the end goal would be.They continued to crack up at the ridiculous, absurd reality they built together in what would end up becoming Love Dump. Before they knew it, they wrote a full fledged screenplay, and followed through on a project that became near and dear to them.
After several read throughs with their unpaid friends in the comedy community, Jesse and Leila started a GoFundMe to raise money for Love Dump.They reached out to several of their favorite locations in the city to secure for filming, and contacted all of the Chicago talent they knew and loved to be involved in the film. After raising money, Jesse and Leila picked a week during the summer to film. Luckily they chose a week with perfect weather, which is extremely rare in Chicago; it was meant to be.
Building the creative team was a lot like The Avengers, where all of the powers combined at the right moment to make Love Dump. Leila’s cousin Jason Avezzano, a thoughtful, up and coming director in LA, came aboard to direct. Matt Mahaffey, a renowned and beloved cinematographer in Chicago/Los Angeles agreed to join the team as well.The experience of filming and nonstop editing together was a complete joy. Everyone involved consistently laughed through the process, making each step a privilege to be a part of.
Love Dump is meant to bring laughter and light in a time that can often feel dark.This was a film where everyone’s heart was in it from beginning to end. It’s hard to believe the movie actually got made, especially through a pandemic, but everyone’s passion, and constant amusement kept Love Dump alive. Please enjoy this wacky, bizarre comedy full of love and absurdity.
