Screening at Time to Murder and Create block October 5th, 2025, at 2:00 PM Get your tickets here: HQSFF
By Valerie Milano
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/14/25 – There’s been a lot of chatter online lately about that infamous Grindr notification sound—people triggering it in public just to see who looks up. Sunday Sauce taps into that same cheeky, awkward humor, delivering a short film that is outrageous, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly heartfelt.
At the center of the chaos is Gino (Matthew Risch), a repressed Italian father whose bathroom breaks take on more than one meaning. At home, he juggles his domineering mother (played with gusto by Academy Award nominee Cathy Moriarty) and his pregnant daughter (Nicole Ehinger). But behind closed doors, Gino escapes into flirtatious chat sessions with a younger man online. One of those exchanges escalates to an accidental reveal at the very worst possible moment, setting off a chain of embarrassment and absurdity.
The family drama boils over in classic Italian-household style: nonstop shouting, clanging pots, and simmering sauce. In the middle of this, Gino’s mother tries to orchestrate a match for her granddaughter, only to invite over a family whose son happens to be the same twink Gino was chatting with—played by writer-director Matt Campanella. From there, things spiral hilariously: hallucinations, surreal imagery (including a lobster claw hand), and a kitchen disaster that culminates in exploding sauce.
The film is as messy as it is sharp, offering a comic take on the double lives many closeted men are forced to lead. Risch gives a layered performance that mixes slapstick with aching vulnerability, while Campanella adds just the right mix of mischief and mystery. The whole thing feels like a mash-up of The Sopranos family bickering with the eccentric whimsy of The Royal Tenenbaums.
With strong performances, sharp direction, and a story that balances satire with genuine emotion, Sunday Sauce is one of those shorts that practically begs to be expanded into a feature.
You can catch Sunday Sauce at this year’s Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival in Hollywood. For tickets and the full lineup, visit Home hqsff.com
Matt Campanella (writer, director, producer, actor)
