By Virginia Schneider
Photos by Mike Macera, Matt Connelly
Los Angeles, CA, (The Hollywood Times), 2/23/25 – A terrific film coming out of Slamdance 2025 is Alice-Heart, by writer/director Mike Macera who has created unique, lively, upbeat, heartfelt storytelling at its best. So good in fact, you forget it’s shot in black and white which is perfect. Macara describes his vision best saying, “This is how most of my college experience was shaped—teetering on the edge of dropping out while being pulled back in by financial support and guilt to obtain a degree… (the character Alice-Heart) …is a much more headstrong version of myself— someone who could talk back to ridiculous teachers and openly complain about capitalism with no self-awareness of my privileges.”
Lissa Carandang-Sweeney plays our lead, a totally relatable, honest (for better or worse) confused college student with too many great ideas and not enough direction. Deciding to drop out of college in the last semester of her senior year—just, you know, because—to the screaming frustration of her Filipino mother (a hysterical portrayal by Mylene Wilson), Alice-Heart finds herself cut off from the grounding and financial support of her boyfriend and family. On her own, she’s now face-to-face with the daunting task of LIFE– money, food, bills and everything that comes from trying to be independent when you don’t understand the responsibility, and maybe, just don’t care.
Because most important to being an adult is self-discovery, and that comes at a price—of rejecting what we are told is ‘right’ in order to bravely find one’s own voice. With the help of a neighbor and new friend, and a soft bunny, Alice-Heart begins to come into her own. Gabriel Elmore, Adam McAlonie, Tony McCall, Kelsey O’Keefe and the entire cast give brilliant, biting hysterical performances that burst through the screen.
Director of Photography Matt Connelly does an amazing job, giving us fantastic shots and capturing the heart of Macara’s characters. Adam McAlonie does a brilliant job as editor. One of the best things about this truly indie film, is that all the actors worked crew positions as well, demonstrating their multifaceted talents, determination, and professionalism to their craft. This is a filmmaker and a production team to watch.
For more information: https://www.aliceheartfilm.com/about, aliceheartfilm@gmail.com
