On Friday, Nov. 12, the Riley Emmaus Mora (REM) Collective saw the premiere of its first original long-form film project in the Red Door Cafe. The project, titled “Sisters,” is a psychological thriller that follows Ellie, a sorority sister, as a date goes horribly wrong, and a string of murders, betrayals and cover-ups ensue. This was also the Collective’s first attempt within this genre, and the process was handled with the utmost professionalism, research and care.
New York University senior Sebastian Mora took the creative mantle on this project and co-wrote the script with Marymount Manhattan sophomore Jenny Delorimier. Both artists were previously involved with the Collective’s live production of “Sanctorum” in Muhlenberg’s Harry C. Trexler Amphitheatre in mid-September, and worked closely with the Collective’s many Muhlenberg students to secure the space and draw an audience.
You can expect to see so many more exciting projects from us as early as winter break; we have another short film, ‘Pillow Fort,’ and then a ton on the assembly line going into next spring.”
-Thomas Riley ’22
Featured in this project were a number of student actors, including Delorimier, who played the role of Ellie, as well as Katrina Binks ‘24, Grace Nyberg ‘23, Chiara Aiello ‘24 and Evelyn Carlin ‘24, who played her sorority sisters. The Collective’s co-founder, Thomas Riley ‘22, played Ellie’s date, Spencer.
The editing team on this project featured the sound design and cinematography work of Lorenzo Antigua ‘24 and the film editing expertise of Jonathan Mindiak ‘24, veterans to the REM Collective’s film scene.
Specific audio placement played a sizable role in “Sisters,” as Antigua included a delicate balance between cell phone tones and ambient noise. The ambience grew and became increasingly more diminished as Ellie’s desperation drove her to commit crimes and blatantly lie to those she cared about. There was also a prominent implementation of swells and even orchestral sounds which created an artistic dichotomy between Ellie’s idealized romance and the aftermath of an accidental murder.
Antigua explained, “The biggest advantage was finally having something physical to show for our work. Having something of caliber to show clients and potential partners is a huge step for the group going forward.”
This premiere arrived in conjunction with the Collective’s new member acceptance, and the event saw a number of new faces who were excited to see Mora and Delorimier’s newest creation.
“We’re coming up on a year since our founding,” said Riley, in an opening address to the audience. “You can expect to see so many more exciting projects from us as early as winter break; we have another short film, ‘Pillow Fort,’ and then a ton on the assembly line going into next spring.”
 Collective saw the premiere of its first original long-form film project in the Red Door Cafe.){kind=link}