Synopsis: Whitty is a young man with bad drug habits. He’s forced to face the severity of his condition when the estrangement from his family becomes evident as he’s forbidden to attend his mother’s funeral. In an effort to prove his worthiness to his family, he sets out to attend the funeral anyways. At his breaking point, he makes a life-changing connection with a police officer, of all people.

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Junkie is inspired by true events between a police officer and a criminal drug addict. When I heard this story of a police officer selflessly offering inspiring words and frienship to someone so different than him, it struck a chord with me. Something inside of me screamed “this is what the world needs more of!”.
Given how prevalent the drug addiction crisis has become, Junkie is a short film that many have connected with. Speaking with audiences, they offer that this “gritty yet heartwarming story” is one that would benefit any viewer in uncovering the basic human truth of the importance of relationship. To tell this story with authenticity, I’ve read many accounts of drug addicts’ stories and have drawn from first-hand experiences of family and friends who’ve had this struggle.

Junkie aims to change perceptions. It is natural for us as people to create labels for others based on a small amount of information. This creates an easy formula to navigate the social aspects of life. This is how many people have come to view all drug addicts as “worthless bottom-feeders” and all police officers as “hateful villains”. Junkie challenges this formula by depicting the reality that there is much, much more to a person than a singular label. Most importantly, Junkie acts as a message of hope for people struggling with drug addiction. It’s been my goal that these people find connection with the main character and believe that like him, “it’s not too late to start over”.

Alyssa Botelho is a filmmaker based in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. She is a senior at the University of Rhode Island double-majoring in Film/Media and Entrepreneurial Business Management and works as a videographer for her town’s cable access station. She also freelances as a photographer, live event videographer, and screenwriter. Although Junkie is the first legitimate short film she’s made for college, Alyssa has been recognized by the New England Student Emmy Awards as well as the Rhode Island International Film Festival for her work. Alyssa looks forward to a screenwriting/directorial career in the film industry upon her graduation in 2021.

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