Storyline
In a quiet Italian village, a young priest battles declining church attendance while the village thrives. Frustrated, he steals the local bocce team’s lucky ball. When the ball goes missing, the defending champions erupt in conflict, forcing the team to withdraw from the big tournament. Tormented by his sin, the priest soon discovers it may actually be a miracle.
Director's statement
BOCCE explores the consequences of a society grappling with a collective lack of belief, where the bonds that once held communities together begin to unravel as shared convictions falter. Set in a small Italian town, the film centers on a church that’s more than just a backdrop—it’s a salute to the beauty of community, the power of coming together, and the quiet grace of belonging in an increasingly disconnected world. For me, as director, it’s a nod to the Catholic traditions I grew up with, but it transcends any single doctrine, reflecting a universal human need for faith—whether in miracles big or small, hope, or something bigger than ourselves.
The bocce ball in this story is more than a pastime—it’s a metaphor for life’s journey. We stumble through, veering off track or finding our rhythm, always pushing forward together. It symbolizes our shared imperfection, reminding us that no religion or individual holds all the answers—and that’s perfectly fine. Through this film, I aim to provoke contemplation and introspection, inviting audiences to question, reflect, and perhaps rediscover the significance of faith in their own lives.
BOCCE is my love letter to this idea: none of us are perfect, and we don’t need to be. It’s the small things—Sundays spent gathering, not to judge or preach, but to find strength in each other—that bind us. Faith, in all its diverse forms, and community, with all its beautiful chaos, are what make us human. This film celebrates that truth, honoring the people of this town, the church that unites them, and the game that brings them back together.
Thank you,
Jeffrey DeChausse, Director
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Jeffrey, a filmmaker, was born in Vicenza, Italy, and raised in both Detroit and France. He transitioned from being an award-winning advertising creative director to becoming a filmmaker. He has created six short films, a feature documentary, and received accolades at 35 international film festivals. Notably, his film FIVE earned him the Best Director award at the Madrid International Film Festival and the Best Film award at Italy's Verci di Luci Film Festival. His filmography includes acclaimed works such as AMERICAN AUTO, ESPERAME, SPERFECT, MUSEUM FOR THE PEOPLE, NO PLACE TO FALL, and ANNIVERSARIO, the latter securing him the Best Director title at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.Jeffrey's work has also earned him a Commercial Emmy Award and recognition for his storytelling excellence. He has collaborated globally, drawing inspiration from renowned mentors such as Judy Hoffman, Albert Maysles, and Wim Wenders. He is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus and the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab, as well as a proud member of the Directors Guild of America.
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Jamesis an award-winning producer/actor/director. Born in New York City, he graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in Political Science. He is an active member of BAFTA, Producers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, and TV Academy.
He received a 2019 EMMY nomination and two Telly Awards for producing LOVE, GILDA (Magnolia Pictures/CNN Films), the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival’s opening night film. James co-founded Italus Films, an Italy/US joint venture based in Milan and Los Angeles; the company’s short film, PER CHI (2025), was entirely shot in Italy. As a producer, he has championed and collaborated with filmmakers whose voices span a diverse spectrum and share a passion for social impact content: ALL SHE WROTE (Bulgaria/US); STRIKE ONE (US) starring Danny Trejo; SOMEBODY’S MOTHER (US) directed by South African Gabriela Tollman; and VIVA VERDI (Italy/US) directed by Yvonne Russo and filmed entirely in Italy. With his short film MY CHRISTMAS WISH (ShortsTV), James has received multiple festival awards, including Best Director (Monaco and Sydney, Australia) and Best Short (Hollywood & Vine) as director and producer, respectively.
Among his recent acting credits, James has completed three projects in Italy, including: the first episode of AGC’s “Those About to Die” (Peacock) starring Anthony Hopkins; Cattleya's TWO SCOOPS OF ITALY (Hallmark/Peacock) and IL CANTO DELLA MOSCA (Amazon).
James has dual citizenship (Italy/USA), and he divides his time between both countries.
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Roberto Schaefer, A.S.C., is a BAFTA-nominated Cinematographer who began his film career in Europe working for Martin Scorsese, Joe Pykta and Nestor Almendros. He eventually moved to Los Angeles to shoot for director Chris Guest. Schaefer shot classic films for Guest such as Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and For Your Consideration.
Soon thereafter, Schaefer and director Marc Forster began an extensive collaboration, shooting nine films together including Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Stay, The Kite Runner, Quantum of Solace, and Machine Gun Preacher. Schaefer has also collaborated with a variety of other directors including Lee Daniels for 2012's The Paperboy, Andrew Niccol for 2013's The Host, Don Cheadle for 2015's Miles Ahead, and Gideon Raff for 2019's Red Sea Diving Resort.
Other recent credits include 2021's Creation Stories directed by Nick Moran for Burning Wheel Productions and 2019's Rattlesnake directed by Zak Hilditch for Netflix.
Production details
RUNNING TIME
12 Minutes
BUDGET SOUGHT
$150,0000 USD / Production
$25,000 / Post Production
PRODUCTION TIME
5 Shooting Days
LOCATION
Italy - TBD
SHOOTING FORMAT
Arri Alexa
RELEASE FORMAT
TBD
SHOOTING LANGUAGE
Italian
CAST
12 Persons
LOCATIONS
5
Contact us
TINY ELEPHANT FILMS
Los Angels, CA 90066
e. jeffrey@tinyelephant.net
p. 310-922-7859
WGA registered