PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST 2026 REVIEW! In her short film Chop Cheese, writer/director Sophia Meloni turns a favorite New York bodega sandwich into a metaphor for a young boy’s passage into adulthood. Dante (Luca Rickman) and his friends are teenagers in New York. They are cocky and street savvy, and they love the chop cheese at their favorite neighborhood bodega. They stop by frequently as part of their hang-out ritual, and Dante notes with envy that the bodega sandwich man always calls his older friend “Boss.”
He decides he, too, would like that jaunty moniker, not fully understanding what it is that inspires respect and acknowledgment from an admired adult. He goes back on his own to order the sandwich. Time and again, to his continuous disappointment, the man either just acknowledges him with superficial politeness or says, “Thanks, kid.”
“… a favorite New York bodega sandwich becomes a rite of passage…”
His frustration results in several missteps as he miscalculates how to be seen as a grown man. Dante learns that respect must be earned. This leads him on a crucial journey of self-discovery as he takes his first steps into a wider adult world.
Meloni (daughter of actor Christopher Meloni) rolls out this compelling story succinctly with tremendous style and humor. Rickman creates a memorable, authentic character in just a few brief moments. There are also a pair of unexpected, fantastic cameos at the end of the film. Chop Cheese is the whole package delivered hot and fresh off the flat top grill in 22 minutes.
Chop Cheese screened at the 2026 Palm Springs International Shortfest.
"…the whole package delivered hot and fresh from the grill..."
