Short Film “TULIP” Is a Timely Reminder That Cryptocurrency Is Not Always an “Up-Only” Market
Cryptocurrency has attracted a lot of attention, with many people investing in new decentralized currencies. This crypto craze has been linked to the many cryptocurrencies available today, access to crypto information, and equity potential, meaning there is a possibility for a high ROI. However, the crypto market is not always an “up-only” market. There have been at least 7 crypto crashes that have left investors counting huge losses. Gregory Romein covers the other side of crypto through his short comedy/drama film TULIP.
TULIP showcases the volatility of crypto and how it affects investors, specifically crypto influencers. Crypto influencers have more than doubled in the last year and are riding the roller coaster of digital currencies into the mainstream. Day after day, crypto content creators post videos and live streams about new and trending coins, digital wallets, and all things blockchain, each with a different angle to try and wow their audience. But if and when the market crashes, these influencers have it rough.
TULIP showcases a glimpse of financial influencers’ influence in fuelling the crypto industry and the immense scrutiny that comes with the influencer tag, especially during turbulent times. The short film follows the story of a cryptocurrency YouTuber who gets caught up in the market bliss before it comes crashing down.
Mr. Biz, the protagonist in the film, is an Uber driver by day and a crypto influencer by night. Mr. Biz, who has just moved to Prague to escape the clutches of an overbearing father, quickly experiences great success in the crypto world, with his video content attracting massive attention. But his success is short-lived. Mr. Biz has a disastrous fall after the crypto crash, which causes his community to turn on him. TULIP is named after the tulip bulb mania during the Dutch Golden Age, regarded as the first bubble in history.
According to Gregory, he named the film TULIP to help reclaim the association of “tulip” among the crypto community in a refreshing perspective. “Yes, the film touches on the volatile asset class, but in actuality, it is a story about a son reconnecting with his father. TULIP shows the role crypto influencers play in spurring the crypto craze, the immense scrutiny they are under, and has several lessons for the audience to take away,” says Gregory.
TULIP is Gregory’s third short film. Gregory has previously worked on another short film which he managed to write and direct in a foreign country. His work has attracted a lot of praise in and out of the US, landing Gregory his first big nomination.
Gregory was among the RIIFF nominees (Rhodes Island International Film Festival). His film was paired with two films that went on to win Best Feature Film and Best First Time Director. While Gregory didn’t win any awards, this was a great opportunity and achievement as he met industry bigwigs and even got into RIIFF as a first-time filmmaker.
TULIP is 12:55 minutes long and is written and directed by Gregory Romein and produced by Patrick Kirschner. The short film is available on YouTube and TULIP‘s website.
