Two Dum Micks — an offbeat comedic short film, written, directed, and produced by D.B. Sweeney and edited by Keith Kristinat at The Colonie – is sweeping the festival circuit with over two dozen first-place awards to date.
The story follows Mikey and Mick, played by Sean Astin and Sweeney, a pair of down-and-out guys who come up with an implausible jailhouse scheme to get the money they need to solve their legal problems.
“‘Two Dum Micks’ is a homage to the classic one and two-reel comedies that were Hollywood staples during the silent era,” says Sweeney. “I wanted to capture the fun, the unpredictability, and the universality of the characters. Everyone relates to a guy down on his luck, puckishly trying to get back on his feet.”
DB SWEENEY
TWO DUMB MICKS | TRAILER
A unique experience
“Cutting a film with a concept that takes its cues from this classic comedic genre was a unique experience,” says Kristinat. “D.B. wrote a nuanced, wacky, engaging script with a specific vision. It relied on editing to create the right pace and unique feel needed to achieve the kind of off-kilter comedic style that he had in mind.”
There was an abundance of great footage with tightly written dialogue, driven home by great performances by Astin and Sweeney. Kristinat honed it down to find just the right moments needed to create an engaging, humorous story that unfolds during a short window of time.The editor cut and finished the film on Adobe Premiere, working with Assistant Editor, Lexi Midkiff.
While working as a creative consultant on another D.B. Sweeney project, Kristinat showed the prolific actor some of his editorial work. Impressed by his reel, Sweeney mentioned that he was sitting on a short film that had lost steam and asked him if he wanted to take a crack at it. Kristinat, an experienced editor at The Colonie, jumped at the opportunity.
ALSO READ: Colorist Jennifer Gaida makes The Colonie a one-stop shop
A different approach
“I had initially engaged another editor who did a good job getting the film to a certain place, but I wanted a different approach,” says Sweeney. “Keith came into the picture and did a beautiful job. He brought a lot of energy and the kind of comedic sensibilities to the editing process that helped put ‘Two Dum Micks’ over the top. Keith had a big hand in the film’s success and deserves the praise and acclaim he is getting for his contribution to this project.”
“As the writer, D.B.’s expertise and insights, along with his openness to all of my suggestions, helped me find the right rhythm. His collaborative spirit made editing this project a dream experience,” adds the editor.
D.B. has more in store for our two ne’er-do-wells. He is currently developing additional episodes for the series.
A shelf full of awards
The accolades garnered by the film include ‘Awards for Excellence’ at this January’s Southern Shorts Festival in 10 categories: ‘Editing’ (Keith Kristinat,) ‘Acting’ (Sean Astin,) ‘Acting,’ (D.B. Sweeney,) ‘Directing’ (Sweeney,) ‘Producing,’ ‘Script,’ ‘Cinematography,’ ‘Sound Design,’ ‘Production Design,’ ‘Music,’ as well as a finalist for ‘Best Comedy.’
The LA Live Film Festival recognized the film with top awards for ‘Best Comedy Short,’ ‘Best Director’ (D.B. Sweeney,) ‘Best Actor’ (Sean Astin,) and ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (D.B. Sweeney.) Chicago’s Blow-Up Arthouse Film Fest selected ‘Two Dum Micks’ as ‘Best Windy City Production,’ and the film won in the ‘Best Super Short Film’ category at the NY Movie Awards.
‘Two Dumb Micks’ also took home awards for ‘Best Comedy Short,’ Care Awards; ‘Best Short Film,’ Accolade Global Film Competition; ‘Best Short Comedy,’ Varese Film Festival; ‘Best Actor’ (Sean Astin,) Salt House Creative Film Festival; ‘Best Comedy Short,’ ‘Best Actor in a Comedy’ (D.B. Sweeney,) and ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (Sean Astin,) Vidi Space Film Festival. Crown Wood International Film Festival named it ‘Best Short Film,’ and it won ‘Best Comedy/Experimental’ at the Great Lakes International Shorts Festival. ‘Two Dum Micks’ was also an ‘Official Selection’ at the Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival.
The long list of top awards for Sweeney’s quirky comedy continues to grow. Currently, the film is a finalist in the ‘Best Short Film’ category at the upcoming Florence Film Festival, Kino London Film Festival, NY Cinematography Awards, and Under the Stars Awards. It’s also on Rome Prism Film Festival’s short-list in the ‘Best Leading Actor’ category and is up for Couch Film Festival’s ‘Best Film of The Festival’ award.
CREDITS
CLIENT: D.B. Sweeney
TITLE: ‘Two Dum Micks’
TYPE: Short Film/Comedic
CO-STARS:
D.B. Sweeney
Sean Astin
PRODUCTION:
Director: D.B. Sweeney
Producer: D.B. Sweeney
Writer: D.B. Sweeney
Cinematographer: Tom Lembke
EDITORIAL COMPANY: The Colonie / Chicago
Creative Editor: Keith Kristinat
Assistant Editor: Lexi Midkiff
Executive Producer: Mary Caddy
AUDIO + SOUND DESIGN COMPANY: BAM Studios / Chicago
Postproduction Sound Supervisor: Matt Sauro
Send your indie film updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
