By Will Espero
Izzy is a short film from the United States directed by Micah Stathis. Izzy the character is a white studious college student majoring in philosophy. He loves to skateboard, and he’s looking for his partner in life as he ponders the ideals of fate, determination, and free will. In his whimsical journey, hIs dating results are dismal so he ventures into the world of online dating.
Persy is a young, attractive bi-racial woman who captures the attention of Izzy on the subway. Her interaction is delightful and expressive. This short film is their innocent journey from meeting to getting to know each other, and the fun in between. Izzy’s examination of his mindset, challenges, obstacles, and new experiences guide this light refreshing story of playful courtship and overthinking.
Micah Stathis
Award winning director Micah Stathis was born in the Midwest and raised in Greece, in Ano Glyfada just outside of Athens.
Micah spent three years serving in the US Army, being deployed in combat in Ramadi, Iraq. He is a decorated veteran.
Micah also has extensive experience as a television producer and technical director. He has directed one feature film, The Sisters Karras, and currently has two shorts out in the world, Rest and Izzy.
A comedy about fate, free will and… skateboarding. Equal parts aspiring philosopher and lovesick college sophomore, Izzy misguidedly believes the examined life and finding a soul mate are one and the same. That is Izzy’s struggle. It’s also very much mine, and it’s been a long time since I was a college sophomore. The wheel goes round, I guess… no point for explaining and ruining the metaphor.
I’ve always been interested in the double standards, large and small, that we allow for ourselves but admonish in others; we want one thing, or we tell ourselves we do, but then when the thing is a little too much the way we want it, we want something else, a whole lot different. But, really, exactly the same. Rinse, repeat.
This going back and forth describes Izzy’s journey to the festival circuit. Shot and edited over a two year span, I have struggled to find the ideal version of the film. I think it’s there. Having recently been on the festival circuit with my first feature, The Sisters Karras, I decided to take another look at Izzy with fresh eyes. I polished the story, made some difficult edits and realized the story makes me smile.
Izzy has a lot of heart and aspirations too big for his age and experience. Like Izzy, I’d like to get a second shot at some of the experiences I went through when I was still a teenager – the regrets, big and small. I’m confident we all would like that. Or, like any unreliable narrator, we’d like the opportunity to give our life a voice over, explain what we were thinking; our good intentions.
Micah Stathis
Izzy is an Official Selection at the 2023 edition of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, and it can be watched from September 28 to October 8 on GlobalCinema.online where the Festival is being broadcast. D!
Daria! 
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