http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2012/04/28/news/doc4f9c95247a196494478044.txt

CCSU student hopes to make it big with short film: Bristol resident taps into creativity for ‘30 Minutes to Swim’

Saturday, April 28, 2012 10:45 PM EDT

By ROBERT STORACE
STAFF WRITER

NEW BRITAIN — A film buff since he was 12 years old, Central Connecticut State University senior Josh Therriault already has an impressive film biography.

A veteran of making public service announcements and short promotional films, Therriault, a 23-year-old communications major, is hoping his latest 11-minute film titled “30 Minutes to Swim” can catapult him to national attention.

Therriault’s latest project, which recently finished filming and will be edited by June, will be sent to more than 40 film festivals around the country, including the popular Austin Film Festival in Texas.

“Their (Austin’s) acceptance rate is broad, as far as genres and type of films,” Therriault said.

“30 Minutes to Swim” — which was filmed in four days — is about a young couple without financial means and how they deal with the end of the world.

“Not everyone has the luxury to go away and do all of these exciting things,” Therriault said this past week. “They (the couple) just sit and wait it out.”

Click here to see the trailer/teaser for the movie.

A Bristol resident, Therriault’s first break came in 2010 when he shot a short public service announcement (PSA) for then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell supporting the 2010 census. The PSA was shown online. In addition, later that year, Therriault entered and won a PSA contest sponsored by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut. His PSA, which was aired on most television stations in the state, was about a young boy and his aspirations to be just like his father.

“He shaved like his dad, went shopping like his dad and then we showed him wanting to get served alcohol like his dad,” Therriault said.

The CCSU senior has also done several short films for various groups within the university, including its marketing department.

While his ultimate goal would be to shoot a feature length film, Therriault said he “loves short films” and plans on freelancing on film sets after college.

Therriault, who is serious about his craft, said his favorite director is Lars Von Trier “who does edgy films. His storytelling skills are hard to read, but they leave you thinking.”

“A short film should tell a story,” Therriault said, adding, “Each character, each prop and every aspect of the film should relate to a specific message. I love film because you can communicate on so many different levels.”

Therriault’s 21-year-old brother, Jon, said his older brother would always come to him when his creative juices were flowing.

“He has always been creative,” Jon Therriault said. “I’ve always been in the shadows. Any crazy idea he has, he comes to me first.”