Danny Aiello's Final Film to Open the 2021 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival

One Moment is the funny, heartwarming story of middle-aged siblings struggling to balance managing their own lives with caring for their recently widowed aging father, played by legendary actor Danny Aiello in his touching final performance. "Welcome to the sandwich generation," One Moment writer and director Deirdre O'Connor says wryly. Her film "is the story of what so many people are going through right now, squeezed between caring for their own lives and families (and) an aging parent." One Moment focuses on "the joy and the laughter of the moments that we have left together" O'Connor says.

One Moment is Deirdre O'Connor's first film, but it was also Danny Aiello's last film, which she calls "an honor and privilege." Born on the Upper West Side and raised in the South Bronx, Danny Aiello's brilliant performances in Do the Right Thing and Moonstruck cemented his status as a beloved Brooklyn icon. His poignant final performance as an aging recent widower is the heart of O'Connor's feature debut. She says, "I am so grateful to the Art of Brooklyn for letting me share this film with everyone.”

O'Connor's relationship with Art of Brooklyn goes back several years. Her script for One Moment was a finalist in the 2018 Art of Brooklyn screenplay competition, so opening the 2021 AoBFF with the completed feature three years later is a full-circle moment. "Each season we choose a different Guest Festival Director to keep our curation fresh and inclusive, " explains Art of Brooklyn Executive Director Joseph Shahadi," LA based filmmaker Christie Conochalla was chosen after an international search and she championed One Moment without knowing that AoBFF was an important part of its development history. "We were all delighted that it came together and One Moment became the obvious choice to open the 2021 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.“

The award-winning Art of Brooklyn Film Festival was created in 2011 to bring the vital Brooklyn independent film and media scene into conversation with the industry and their peers across the country and around the world. For over a decade AoBFF has showcased exciting emerging creators and established voices, created innovative programming, hosted world-class artist talkbacks, and screened for enthusiastic audiences across Brooklyn-- and the world. As of 2020 over a dozen AoBFF premieres have gotten distribution, one became an HBO series, and we've entertained audiences in fifteen countries.

Reserve tickets for One Moment, streaming across North America on June 2nd at 7pm EDT, with an encore presentation on June 5th at 4pm EDT here.