Anthony Cioe, a marketing student at Purdue University Northwest, is gearing up to graduate this December. Alongside his studies, he’s been captivated by the world of film, particularly with the recent release of “Unsettled.” The film tells the story of two college students who move into an off-campus house that seems like a steal. As they settle into the house and the new semester, they slowly discover a past tragedy they had no idea about, lingering in the air, remaining unsettled, and threatening to unravel everything.
Cioe explained that he and his friend Brenden Kerrick sat down one day to write a small scene and initially planned to make a short film based on it. However, as they continued writing and brainstorming ideas, they expanded it into a full-feature film instead.
“We started writing it seriously, and we began with the first scene,” said Cioe. “Then, we put it on the back burner for a couple of months before returning to it. That’s when we added another year and a half to the process, which we hadn’t originally planned. We wrote the script between April 2022 and finished in February 2023. After that, we began casting, setting up the scenes, and planning our desired shots. By the end of May, we were filming. Filming took about five or six months, and then we started editing. Finally, in December 2023, we put everything together and released the film.”
He was genuinely shocked by the rapid growth the film experienced. Within a short time, the views skyrocketed, far surpassing their expectations for the release.
“Honestly, Kerrick and I were not expecting it,” said Cioe. “Our main thought was that we had put so much into it and had a lot of passion behind it. We just wanted to release it and see what everyone thought. We figured we’d get a couple thousand views at most. People enjoyed it at the premiere, which was the highlight of the whole thing. Leading up to it, we were thinking about how people would react at the premiere because that was a pretty important day.”
The movie premiered on December 16, 2023, at AMC Theaters in Schererville. Cioe and Kerrick hosted a private screening, which 250 to 300 people attended. The following day, they released the film on YouTube.
“I felt like once it was released and shared, it just started to grow,” said Cioe. “We hit about 20,000 views in the first couple of days, then a hundred thousand in five days. Within a couple of months, we were at a million, and we weren’t expecting that much traction. We just hit the right notes and made it onto the right pages of YouTube."
Looking ahead, Cioe and Kerrick plan to continue making films together. However, they’re not focused on pursuing it as a career; instead, they want to keep it as a passion project, dedicating their full energy to it without the pressure of making money.
“We do short films, so we released one where Kerrick took the more creative side of things,” said Cioe. “I love to act and edit, but after a while, that wasn’t my main passion anymore. I wanted to try other things, which is when I grew into ministry and doing more worship-related work. This past year, we released a half-hour short film for the screen, and that was completely Brennan’s writing. I got to act in it and contribute other creative elements as we have plans to keep making films.”
He also does ministry work for his worship team, where he plays the drums. His involvement goes beyond just performing; he actively supports the team in organizing events and creating a sense of community among the members.
“I first joined the worship team when I was twelve, playing drums, and I’ve been doing that ever since,” said Cioe. “Now, I’m 22, and last year, I took a step forward and started playing guitar and doing a little singing. That’s something I’ve been able to add to my repertoire. Most of my love has been in the worship side of things, but beyond that, I’ve had the chance to lead small adult groups, create a young adult ministry, and continue serving with the faith students as our middle school and high school group. Leading worship and small groups in that setting is something I’m passionate about.”
He is also a member of the Indiana National Guard, where he balances his military duties alongside his other commitments. His role in the National Guard involves performing training and service.
“I’m also a member of the Indiana National Guard, so that’s another part of my schedule,” said Cioe. “A proud moment I shared with them was graduating from basic training and getting through four months of rigorous mental and physical training. Balancing my school schedule, military schedule, worship, and other commitments has been something I’m proud of accomplishing.”
Cioe expressed his passion for music and shared that he and Kerrick have discussed the possibility of writing original music or scoring a movie. They hope to combine their creative talents to create something significant.