As exclusively announced in Deadline, the MPI Original short film Grind, written, directed, and produced by MPI filmmaker Mark Apicella, will make its world premiere on Thursday, June 26, at 7:00 p.m., as an official selection of Dances With Films (DWF)—Los Angeles’s largest independent film festival. Renowned for spotlighting bold new voices and boundary-pushing storytelling, DWF has become a leading platform for innovative cinema. Hailed by IndieWire as “the future of independent film,” the festival is celebrated for introducing emerging talent to Hollywood’s industry insiders.

Grind follows the story of John, an aspiring sneaker designer in East Los Angeles, who lands the opportunity of a lifetime to be featured in his idol’s pop-up shop—only to have his best friend and business partner threaten to derail everything by promising John’s design to a gang with their own agenda.

Originally developed in the 2022 MPI Short Film Lab, Grind was acquired in 2024 for co-production as an MPI Original through the Production Lab. Principal photography wrapped in August in Los Angeles, with MPI interns gaining on-set experience as production assistants.

Don’t miss this gripping debut on the big screen.

Get your tickets and watch the teaser for the film here.