Welcome to the Cosa Nostra Club!

From the director of The Lollipop Forest comes your next favorite short film, The Chronicles of the Cosa Nostra Club, a lighthearted, comedic murder mystery/mafia film. Emma Mautz, a senior at Loyola Marymount University, is so excited to direct The Chronicles of the Cosa Nostra Club as her senior thesis, and needs your help funding it!

The Chronicles of the Cosa Nostra Club follows Tiger as they interview for a job at the local jazz club. When a police officer interrupts their interview, they quickly come to find out that the Cosa Nostra Club might actually be a front for the mafia. But before Tiger or the officer can investigate further, someone is murdered. Tiger and Officer Green team up and interrogate the people in the jazz club, trying to solve the mystery and discovering more secrets about the jazz club.

"When I made The Lollipop Forest, I envisioned it as a smaller part of a bigger film universe," says writer and director Emma Mautz. "With The Chronicles of the Cosa Nostra Club, I envision this as the pilot episode of a workplace comedy. I took inspiration from shows such as Brooklyn 99 and Abbott Elementary and asked myself, 'What would it be like if these workplaces were a front for the mafia?' This is why the pilot episode (my senior thesis film) starts with Tiger being interviewed. I wanted this pilot episode to include a murder mystery because I wanted to confine the film to a single location with a small cast of characters so I could really dive deep into their characterization. I also wanted to make it a comedic, lighthearted film with a mystery that the audience would enjoy trying to solve along with the characters."

The Chronicles of the Cosa Nostra Club will be shot on a soundstage at Loyola Marymount University, where the set will be built entirely from scratch. Building a jazz club set allows for much cooler shots that can only be achieved by moving furniture and walls around, something that is impossible at an already established jazz bar. This also allows for the environment to be more controlled, from the paint on the walls down to the lights in the ceiling. 

Where will your money go? If you donate to this project, you'll be helping fund production design, equipment rentals, costumes, props, cast salaries, cast and crew lunches, craft services, and more. Check below to see the breakdown of where the budget will be spent!

Thanks so much for your support! You can check out our instagram to keep up with our progress (@chroniclesofthecosanostraclub). 

Here’s to the Cosa Nostra Club!