Hippie-throwback Sage owns the world-renowned Serenity Now Pet Spa in beautiful Coronado, in the state of Fruits and Nuts, California. Her zen-pet specialist, direct from Italy, is Dr. Donatella – who attempts to cure dogs of their “problems.” That is until Lila walks in with her adorable dog Wilbur. This is a serious case of “Puppy Love” that only Sage and Dr. Donatella can cure – or can they? Seems Wilbur is a “tough nut to crack.” But Lila insists on getting Wilbur cured. Her bargaining chip is a secret recipe for love which Lila knows all about – and something Dr. Donatella and Sage are yearning to discover for themselves. Cure the dog, get the gold.
“Serenity Now,” a short film written and created by a class of novice filmmaking students and produced entirely in Coronado, is now available on YouTube. The class met at the Coronado Library this past summer for once-a-week production instruction with award winning producer and director, Tony Perri.
After the classes concluded, the dedicated new filmmakers continued their learning experience during four weeks of production and three weeks of editing, post production, and creation of the final cut of the movie.
The short film is about a frantic dog mom who hits up the local pet wellness spa, Serenity Now, for some wacky cures…with the hope of taming her humping hound before love slips away. The off-the-wall pet wellness spa’s owner Sage is convinced she can cure every dog’s ailments through new age potions and remedies.
But things get a bit complicated when Lila and her dog Wilbur pay a visit to Serenity Now with the hope of curing the pup of his boyfriend-repelling and amorous antics.
After repeated attempts, Sage and her chief canine therapist, Dr. Donatella, simply cannot cure Wilbur. Lila is devastated. She loves her dog – but wants a boyfriend. In a last ditch effort to ‘fix’ Wilbur, Lila hatches a sure-fire plan which will not only help her and Wilbur, but change the lives of Sage and Dr. Donatella forever.
Fun side note: Coronado Times Managing Editor Dani Schwartz and Director of Sales & Business Development Jonathan Withers both have small parts in the film.
“Serenity Now” features aerial views of Coronado, beach and downtown scenes, and talented local actors including some of your friends! For most of the cast and crew, this was their first movie production and a true learning experience.
Watch “Serenity Now” on YouTube here:
