Birds of Paradise
Director: Marissa Velez
Cast:Janeane Garofalo
Crew:Writer: Marissa Velez. Producer: Olivia Kavanaugh. Cinematography: Sean Price Williams
Email:marissaemmanuellevelez@gmail.com
Synopsis
Carmella Cimmino has had enough. For thirty years, she’s been battling the wild turkeys that have taken over her Staten Island neighborhood—and her front lawn. With a cigarette in one hand and her loyal pug Mr. Darcy by her side, Carmella delivers a hilariously unfiltered account of local government failure, nepotism at the butcher shop, and yuppies taking selfies with the enemy.
About the director
Marissa Velez is an award-winning director and creative producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Miami to Puerto Rican parents, she was raised on a steady diet of movie-going and travel—formative experiences that continue to shape her intimate, place-driven storytelling. Her work has screened at top festivals including Tribeca, Milan, and New York, and is known for its visually rich, emotionally grounded approach. Drawing inspiration from 1960s and ’70s cinema, she often shoots on 16mm and 35mm film to craft bold, nostalgic visuals rooted in texture and tone. Her latest short, PANTIES (2024), received multiple festival awards and was featured on platforms like Director’s Library and Nowness, further cementing her reputation for exploring identity, intimacy, and community with a distinct cinematic voice. She is currently in pre-production on her feature film debut, POSITIVE, as well as another feature, The Offer, co-directed with Makenzie Leigh and produced by Killer Films.
Filmmaker's note
This short is a proof of concept for my feature film Birds of Paradise, a comedy and mystery about small-town politics, power, and the stories we tell ourselves. I wanted to start by bringing one of the feature’s most unforgettable voices—Carmella Cimmino—to life. Her interview is more than just a quirky account of wild turkeys overrunning Staten Island; it’s a window into a community where every backyard problem is tied to history, grudges, and local politics.
Birds of Paradise uses the turkey infestation as an entry point into the dynamics of a place that is both hyper-specific and universally recognizable—a microcosm of the tensions playing out everywhere today. Who gets to decide what’s preserved and what’s removed? Who controls the narrative, and who gets left out? By focusing on one woman’s version of the truth, the short captures the humor, chaos, and humanity at the heart of the feature, and asks the question that lingers long after the credits roll: who are the real turkeys here—the birds, or the people?