A resident of Baltimore, Sylvio Bernadi spends his weekdays inside a cubicle, working for a debt collection agency. Sylvio is also a human-like gorilla. In his free time, he likes to record episodes of “The Quiet Times With Herbert Herpels”, a puppet show where the moustache-sporting central character experiences everyday moments and completes simple chores.
One day, after a small incident on a TV set, he becomes a celebrity and accepts to appear regularly on a daily TV talk show called “The Afternoon Show With Alan Reynolds” (Kentucker Audley). But this overnight fame and success are not exactly what Sylvio had dreamed of, and he ends up feeling misunderstood and trapped into a role that doesn’t fit his personality.
Filmmakers Kentucker Audley & Albert Birney present Sylvio, a touching and lovingly naϊve comedy that made it to the big screen thanks to crowdfunding. It’s an absurd tale mocking instant fame and TV shows vacuity. Under its DIY-aesthetics and constant references to genre movies, Sylvio brings the viewers into an almost childlike, contemplative universe, not unlike the one experienced in Michel Gondry’s films. Just like its ape protagonist, it’s a feature that doesn’t intend to please everyone in the audience, just to reach out to the ones who will kindly go past first impressions.
Year: 2017
Runtime: 80′
Country: USA
Direction: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney
Screenplay: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney, Meghan Doherty
Cinematography: Eric Laplante
Genre: Comedy
Subtitles: Guillermo Parra
Contact: Dog Fish Pictures
2017: SWSX. Nominated for Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award