Shellfish
“Shellfish is a work of sheer passion and creativity.”
“This one is like a pop-up book of handmade wonders, so simple, yet so infectiously openhearted and true. It’s freaking hilarious, it made me fall a little in love (how is that possible these days?), and I wanted to know these characters in real life.”
A Coming-of-Age Comedy Feature Film
Keller, a stop motion animator, has a week to make a film with his dumbstruck brother and the girl of his dreams without his parents finding out.
Stop Motion Twist
Following a harrowing loss, Keller focuses on animating instead of dealing with his trauma. Consequently, strong emotions are depicted through stop motion mixed with live action footage, inspired by films like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Un-Shellfish Support
Initially made possible by UNLV’s Johnny Brenden Filmmakers Grant, Shellfish was created by a talented 100-person cast and crew with support from many contributors. Coming full circle, it premiered at the Dances with Films Festival at Mann’s Chinese Theatre, owned once by Johnny Brenden’s grandfather, Ted Mann.
30 Film Festival Awards
Shellfish has won 30 film fest awards, including ten Best of Festival awards and is available on every major rental platform, domestically distributed by Freestyle Digital Media.
“Maintaining a consistent vision with the fusion of hand-drawn and stop-motion animation, this is an absolute delight for anyone who adores filmmaking and the love that often goes into it. ”
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Best Feature Film & Best Director – Global Nonviolent Film Festival 2021
Best Feature Film – Golden Gate International Film Festival 2021
Best of Festival – Gulf Coast Film and Video Festival 2021
Best Picture – Oil Valley Film Festival 2021
Best Feature Film – Samskara International Film Festival 2022
Best Comedy Feature – Berlin Independent Film Festival 2022
Best Comedy Feature – Los Angeles Theatrical Release Competition & Awards 2022
Best Screenplay & Outstanding Achievement in Lead Acting – Orlando Film Festival 2021
The Johnny Brenden Filmmakers Award
Best Screenplay – Fade In Awards 2021
Best of Fest – Festival Angaelica 2021
Best Editing – Motion Pictures International Film Festival 2021
Best Music – International Sound & Film Music Festival 2021
Best Student Film, Best Narrative Film (2nd Runner Up) & Audience Choice Award – Albuquerque Film & Music Experience 2021
Best Feature Film, Audience Award – Silver State Film Festival 2021
Best First Time Filmmaker – ReelHeART International Film & Screenplay Festival 2021
Best First Feature Film – Ramsgate International Film Festival 2021
Best Actress – Marina Del Rey Film Festival 2021
Best Comedy Feature – Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival 2021
Best Feature Film – Mindfield Film Festival 2021
Best Student Film & Best Visual Effects – Canadian Diversity Film Festival 2021
Best Ensemble – Queens World Film Festival 2021
Best Student Feature Film – Mile High International Film Festival 2021
Best Feature – Andromeda Film Festival 2021
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“Shellfish was a labor of love by a lot of talented filmmakers who I'm proud to call my friends. We put every bit of creativity we could muster into this project, and I believe you can feel the camaraderie, synergy, and fun we had on set in the final cut. After five years of poring over every frame, I feel gratified by the positive reviews and reactions we've received from critics and audiences. I'm delighted that finally, everyone will be able to enjoy our little film that could.
While writing, I kept thinking, ‘What will make our micro-budget feature stand out?’ I wanted Shellfish to be about something I was very familiar with – the many funny and tragic things that could go wrong during the production of an indie film made with friends.
When I was nine, the first video I ever made was a stop motion animation, and I'm glad that audiences have embraced the unique mix of stop motion in Shellfish. It's one of the many things that has truly made our feature film look and feel bigger than its budget.
I’ve been a Video Producer at Disney for five years, I’ve always dreamt of working on their films, and as Walt said, “It takes people to make the dream a reality.” I was blessed to have this unique opportunity, and to receive a remarkable amount of "un-shellfish" support from UNLV staff, friends, and family.
There are nearly 200 names in the credits, each one representing significant contributions. So many standout performances from up-and-comers in our cast and a crew who gave it their all to ensure every shot looks cinematic. My wish is for Shellfish to lead to more opportunities for me and my team. I plan on a lifetime of making movies, as a writer, director, actor, and composer, helping others with similar passions by paying it forward. We hope you enjoy our film!"
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“Shellfish is a work of sheer passion and creativity.” –Film Threat
“Shellfish is a completely diverting indie comedy/drama with wonderful performances from its young ensemble. Maintaining a consistent vision with the fusion of hand-drawn and stop-motion animation, this is an absolute delight for anyone who adores filmmaking and the love that often goes into it. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form, and it is always an accomplishment when a group of people gets together to create something that is undeniably theirs.” –Film Threat
“I was in love with every minute of this film.” –Indie Film Review Podcast
“This film is a love letter to people who love films.” –Indie Film Review Podcast
"Shellfish is a charming, quirky film, part coming of age drama, part creative animation. The decision to shoot the movie half live-action and the other half stop-motion was a brave one, but it more than pays off; the stop motions acts as a visual journal of the lead character Keller, and gives the film an added dynamic...With it's sharp script, naturalistic acting and more than a smidgeon of humor, Shellfish is undoubtedly a worthy piece of filmmaking."
"Hunter Hopewell, a video producer for Disney, definitely gives the viewer a Disney-esque feel with his feature film directorial…and with its blend of live-action and stop motion animation, this is a story that should be checked out." –World Film Geek
"Four years in the making, Shellfish is packed with standout comedic performances balanced with touching moments that could make even a crab cry. Nearly every intense emotion in the film is visually depicted through onscreen stop motion animation, and the result is a quirky, pop fueled, half live-action, half stop-motion romp."
“Everyone in this film is fantastic.”
-The Indie Film Review Podcast
"Really fun film, super creative with excellent performances by the actors...Very funny bits, and a few tugs at the heartstrings. My favorite film at the festival."
-IMDb User Review
"This is the movie you wish you would come across on Netflix...Hunter Hopewell did an amazing job with his creation and still managing to pull off a believable character at the same time. I really did laugh out loud at moments. It was also just creatively done with the animation. The actors were all believable. I hope this pops up on a streaming platform somewhere so I can watch it again."
-IMDb User Review
"A rather charming coming-of-age story with shades of comedy that manages to find a good balance between being quirky and feeling grounded and real, the former through added stop motion sequences, often including shellfish and corals, the latter by solid performances that mostly play the comedy straight."
–Search My Trash, Mike Haberfelner
“The film is simple in how it conveys its characters’ feelings, but the joy of watching it unfold springs eternal when you realize that Hopewell is a true dreamer and a visionary and is perfectly capable of conveying the nuances of his fancies in a cinematic language that feels accomplished, assured, and relatable through comedy that works in unexpected ways. His little animated touches are mere flourishes rather than gaudy exposition, but they’re all essential when they land like a good punch line or help the story along.”
“Hopewell is a very appealing actor, despite not looking or sounding like a typical handsome Mr. Audition type of actor. His timing is good, and he surrounds himself with actors equally as good as he is – or better. There’s a side character in the film that constantly had me in stitches to the point of laughing so hard that I started coughing, and I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve laughed that freely and heartily.”
“I loved Shellfish, but I was also pretty amazed by it. We’ve seen stories like this before, just done differently. This one is like a pop-up book of handmade wonders, so simple, yet so infectiously openhearted and true. It’s freaking hilarious, it made me fall a little in love (how is that possible these days?), and I wanted to know these characters in real life. Again, how is this possible in today’s fearful, jaded world? All I can say is that Hunter Hopewell concocted a little microcosm of joy and self-introspective youthful hope and promise, and it delivers in ways that seem impossible.”
“It is a visual feast for the eyes.”
-Indie Film Review Podcast
“This film is for everyone.”
-Indie Film Review Podcast
“The camera work in this is spectacular. This film is very frenetic. It’s hyperactive.” -The Indie Film Review Podcast
"I saw the movie 3 days ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it. It is the most engaging movie I've seen this year!"
“It felt like a favorite movie from my past that I got to rediscover.”
"I'd recommend checking it out if you're in the mood for high quality indie."
"Shellfish is a charming indie film that shows great promise from everyone involved."
"Big props, you love to see a mixed medium film actually pull off the mixing."
"Lotta creative stuff in here and not only that, but it also hit me right in the core since it's about a lil gang of no-budget filmmakers. I liked it!"
–Letterboxd Users Reviews
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Brothers Bailey, Keller, and Kane grew up making silly videos together, idolizing their hero Director Alexander Ronolio. While shooting one of their videos, Kane tragically dies in a freak accident. Instead of dealing with his trauma, Keller focuses on animating, and consequently, emotional beats in the movie are shown through animation.
Now, Keller still lives at home with no job, wasting time on video contests. Concerned, Keller’s parents give an ultimatum to get a real job or move out. However, when Keller learns about a contest sponsored by Ronolio to make a short film in a week, he enlists his longtime crush Harper, a now dumbstruck Bailey, and a cast of dysfunctional characters to make a film without his parents finding out. As their shoot unravels, Keller must face his own selfishness and decide which is more important, his filmmaking or his friends and family.
“I was in love with every minute of this film.”
