Italian-American actor, Luca Cerbone, received the Best Young Actor, Silver Award, last night from the Independent Shorts Awards, for his role in the anti-COVID short film, IT IS WHAT IT IS. “We are extremely proud of Luca,” said producer Michael Sedge. “As a debut actor, he brought emotion and life to the character caught-up in the emotion of losing a loved one to COVID.”

The eight-minute film portrays a young couple discussing their participation in a Los Angeles party. They attended the event despite the known virus risk. It is not until the end of the film that viewers learn she has become a victim of the virus. The entire discussion, as well as their sharing a glass of wine, is only in the mind of her grieving boyfriend (Cerbone).