St. Paul (short)
19min/Full Color/English

Writer/Director: Francisco Ordonez

Producer: Joe turner Lin/ Kulture Machine

Cast: Rene Rosado, Tracy Perez, Sofia Yepes

Synopsis: Paul Ramirez, a senior in college wears his atheism on his sleeve like an intellectual badge of courage. In fact he preaches the word of doubt to all that will listen. He has had a particularly cogent influence on his girlfriend Samantha. When Samantha’s mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she is, as one would expect, devastated. Paul desperately searches for something, anything that “will make her feel even just a little bit better,” but to his horror he quickly realizes that her conversion to atheism has stripped her of the ability to comfort herself through a belief in the afterlife. Soon after, Paul begins wrestling with the growing suspicion that perhaps, just perhaps, God is punishing him for his sins.

Director Biography: Born and raised in Queens, New York, Francisco Ordonez
graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the City University of New York.  In May of 2005 he completed his M.F.A. at Columbia University's Film Program, where he was honored as a Film Division Fellow.  Recently, Kulture Machine, the production company that Francisco co-founded with three Columbia classmates, was named to Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Indie Film.  Francisco is currently raising financing for ASHER, which will be his first feature film, an expansion of his short, st. paul.  To date, St. Paul has been awarded Best short film at the 2005 HBO New York Latino Film Festival, the Committee Award at the Miami Short Film Festival and the IFP Audience Award at the 2005 Columbia University Film Festival.

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