Robbie Bryan's Powerful Magical Realism Drama PURGY'S Continues To Touch Audiences And Sell-Out Festival Venues

Good To Be Seen Films and Writer/Director Robbie Bryan's mystical short film PURGY'S continues to have a powerful festival release. The film tells the story of a magical bar, where spirits from the other side can take human form and interact with those in their past who need reconnection and closure.

The themes center around loss, forgiveness, and finding the ability to move on. Subplots focus on a child's need to seek approval from a parent and the tragic consequences of an Asian hate crime.

Shot on location at the 1901 Speakeasy in Oxnard, CA, a prohibition style bar serving as the backdrop for the film, PURGY'S stars Richard Riehle ("Transformers: Age of Extinction"), Arnold Chun ("The Man In The High Castle"), Brooke Lewis Bellas ("iMurders"), Ashleigh Morgan ("Ruthless"), Sam Cisneros ("Art Confidential") and newcomer child actor Luciana Elisa Quinones. Robbie Bryan ("The Eyes") wrote and directed the film, which was Produced by Christie Botelho ("Choose"), Drea Castro ("Baldy For The Blind") and Spero Stamboulis ("Warning Shot").

Bryan was compelled to write this film after the passing of his father in 2021. "I began to think about conversations I wished I had with my dad and what that would look like. I then expanded the film to include other stories, such as Brooke's character losing her unborn child after making a life-changing decision, and Arnold's story which parallels the atrocities that are occurring today with Asian hate crimes after the pandemic.

Purgy's opened to rave responses from a packed crowd at the 30th Anniversary of Internationales Festival Oldenburg as well as its U.S. Premiere at D.C. Shorts in Washington. In addition, it has been nominated for a Grand Jury Award for the upcoming screening at Richmond International Film Festival on September 30th, in addition to Catalina Film Festival and Bryan's hometown New Jersey Film Fest SModcastle, run by iconic indie filmmaker Kevin Smith.

PURGY'S will stay on the festival circuit through 2023 at Fort Lauderdale Int. Film Fest as well as several pitstops in 2024, before turning its attention to developing the concept into a limited television series.