Tell Me Something True

TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE is an AFI narrative short film that explores the fragility, vulnerability and risk of being an artist. It is an exploration of how an aspiring actor navigates the challenge of continuing to pursue her craft in the wake of a raw and brutal confession of unembellished honesty from her best friend.

The film opens as close friends, Lola and Dylan, stand on stage to rapturous applause at the end of the opening night of their show. As the after show party kicks off, Lola soaks in the flattery of her contemporaries, oblivious to Dylan’s growing resentment. In the early hours of the morning, we find Lola and Dylan in a retro dinner, as Lola probes Dylan for his thoughts on the show. When he is reluctant to engage, she snatches a diner menu and proposes a game of tic-tac-toe…but with a twist. Loser has to tell the other what they didn’t like about their performance. As the game unfolds and Lola presses Dylan, he gradually reveals a brutally honest and cutting critique of her performance. The following night we find Lola in her dressing room once more as she prepares to go onstage, but the question now taunts her. Can she perform?​