Topeqa (Emiliano Ferrera, 2025)

Spaghetti Westerns šŸŽ¬
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Hi guys,

I wanted to share some details gathered from the production phase of an upcoming short film (approximately 20 minutes) that sounds promising. Itā€™s titled TOPEKA and is being helmed by director Emiliano Ferrera. The goal is to give the film an international scope and serve as the usual directorā€™s modest homage to the genre.

Ferrera describes it as a protest Western with a strong theme. The story is inspired by the historical account of Olive Outman, an American girl who was kidnapped by the Mohave tribe and later integrated back into white society in adulthood. The film will tackle the sensitive issue of racial discrimination prevalent during that time period.

Filming was planned to start in September 2025, and as of today, the production is actively shooting.

Production and Technical Details

  • Director: Emiliano Ferrera.
  • Producer: Andrea Leone.

Although the budget is very low, the expectation is that the final film will still be of good quality.

The film will be spoken in English. Crucially, some dialogue will feature authentic Apache Chiricahua language.

Filming Locations: Shooting is taking place in Italy, specifically between Campo Imperatore and the Mingardo in Cilento.

Cast

The cast includes a mix of established and new names:

  • Confirmed Actors: Romano Talevi, Simone Pieroni, and the Native actress Itathy Santana.
  • Lead Actress: Giulia Morgani, who is being listed internationally as Juliette Morgan.
  • Francesco Cabras: Known for his previous role in Mel Gibsonā€™s film The Passion, he is also part of the cast.
  • Additional Talent: Francesco Baccini is listed among the interpreters.
  • Special Cameo: There are plans for a cameo appearance by the legendary Spaghetti Western actor Vassili Karis (ā€œSpirito Santoā€).

Feel free to share your thoughts ā€” Iā€™ll pass any feedback straight to Ferrera.
We can also gather some questions for the director, as heā€™s open to an interview Iā€™m currently trying to arrange.

5 Likes
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I saw Emiliano Ferreraā€™s last short film which played at the AWFF23 and really enjoyed. I thought it was one of the few films staying true to the spaghetti genre. Sadly I donā€™t speak Italian or Spanish so I would have enjoyed even more if it had English subtitles. Looking forward to seeing Topeka too when completed.

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I liked ā€˜Oro e piomboā€™ and ā€˜Se il mondo intorno crepaā€™ so Iā€™ll watch out for this.

But I stll havenā€™t managed to see either version of ā€˜Oltre il confineā€™.

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Wow, thatā€™s exciting! Looking forward to the film!

I was Facebook Friends with Emiliano until he paused his account, and luckily still follow him on Instagram. We chat from time to time and he even shared a link with me for one of his projects which I enjoyed thoroughly. A very nice guy and a gentleman too.

I still hope to collaborate with him on a project one day. Hopefully this new film will get doors open for him.

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Emiliano is a good director who captures the spirit of not only the American West but the feel of the Spaghetti western. Best of luck on the project. Always fun to see one of the original Spaghetti westerns pop up even in a cameo role.