By: William Jones
It has often been said that comedy doesn’t win awards, drama does. While that might often ring true at the Oscars, many film festivals in the United States oppose this notion, including the short film Drive By. Written, directed, and produced by award-winning director Carolina Liz (LA Holly Films, TOAFF, and Wildsound Film Festivals), Drive By was an official selection of the Cinemabriz Film Festival, 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival, Jha Jha International Film Festival, ClickFest, and Indian Independent Film Festival. Official selections at these prestigious independent film festivals are a notable achievement within the independent film industry. This type of multi-festival recognition strengthens a project’s credibility, broadens its cross-border exposure, and signals to programmers, collaborators, and potential distributors that the work has been supported by a global circuit of distinguished judging panels, and resonates across diverse markets and audiences.
In addition, its lead actor, Arthur Bastos, personally took home multiple Best Actor awards from the Thilsri International Film Festival, Cinemabriz Film Festival, and Asian Independent Film Festival for his portrayal of Sean, who presents an idealized version of himself to the public. To state that Bastos is inspiring as an actor is not hyperbole, as Carolina Liz professes, “Arthur possesses a level of dedication and commitment that is rare. He approaches every role with precision, emotional intelligence, and complete professionalism. I had previously collaborated with him on the film Spotlight of Love and the experience was so creatively fulfilling and deeply inspiring that it led me to write and direct Drive By specifically for him, confident in his ability to carry complex material with skill, discipline, and depth” From Peter Sellers to Jim Carrey, the genius of pivoting sharply between comedy and drama demands a truly unique quality that few possess but which is readily visible in the performance Bastos delivers in Drive By.
The casual interactions we have with others are highlighted in this story, which centers around Sean (Bastos) and an Uber driver named Milton. Sean is charming with a confident ease that intensifies his charisma. Milton is simply trying to pay the bills, and he admires, even idolizes Sean. However, subtle cracks appear in Sean’s well-crafted personality during one intoxicated evening’s ride in Milton’s car. Arthur’s performance balances the difficulty of playing intoxication with intention rather than as a caricature, using loosened boundaries, misplaced confidence, and performative charm to show how Sean leans even harder into his public-facing persona when his control is compromised. This also reveals how deeply ingrained that projection is and how it unintentionally invites Milton’s fixation.
The film’s tonal shift occurs when Milton violently breaches personal boundaries by entering Sean’s private space, transforming the narrative from one of discomfort to confrontation. At this point, Drive By abandons comedic distance in favor of emotional exposure. Sean is forced to confront the collapse of his constructed identity, while Milton’s idealized image of him disintegrates. The climax is grounded in disillusionment rather than spectacle, emphasizing the emotional consequences of projection, fixation, and unmet expectation.
What distinguishes Bastos’s performance is the gradual unveiling of Sean’s contradictions. Rather than positioning the character as deceptive or exceptional, the portrayal underscores the ordinariness of his internal conflict. The slow reveal encourages audience recognition rather than judgment, fostering empathy instead of moral distancing. This approach reinforces the film’s thematic focus on identity as something curated, unstable, and deeply human.
Drive By succeeds not only as a festival-recognized short film but as a disciplined character study that demonstrates how careful performance and narrative restraint can elevate a brief runtime into sustained psychological impact.
