Daddy's Little Meatball (2026)

Daddy's Little Meatball is a short film written and directed by New York-based filmmaker Yael Grunseit. DLM is about an Australian period underwear salesman and his teenage daughter navigating a business trip to New York City.

Over a 5-day shoot in Manhattan, we fed 15 to 30 crew and cast members. We set up a home base kitchen in Chinatown and transported meals to each location with a trusty cart. It was January, in the thick of winter, so the warm meals were an important part of the day.

At the world premiere, Australia's Flickerfest awarded DLM with "Best Local Short" and "Best Cinematography" by Dylan Rizzo.

The Craft Service Menu

We would be remiss if we did not serve meatballs for this crew. We whipped up our vegan black bean and pepita 'meatballs' to go with salad greens, sesame potato salad, and rye berries with apple.

A crew favorite was our quickly blistered green beans with lots of crispy garlic and a touch of gluten-free tamari.

We like to sous vide chicken thighs with a mix of sumac, black lime, and MSG. Once they're super tender, they get broiled until the skin crisps up. A touch of fresh thyme at the end brings it home.

We offered a choice of mole chicken or tofu with cinnamon black beans, sofrito rice, and thinly shaved veggie noodles with shallot vinaigrette.

We love Vietnamese bun cha or rice noodle bowls with cucumber, herbs, crispy shallots, and nuoc mam. We grilled chicken apple sausages and tossed them in more ginger to tie it all together.

Press

Tribeca Festival Reveals 25th Anniversary Lineup with 103 World Premiere Features

See the full lineup for the 2026 Tribeca Festival, marking the event’s 25th anniversary edition.

IndieWireRyan Lattanzio

Yael Grunseit Rolls Out Daddy’s Little Meatball - FilmInk

Bondi-raised filmmaker Yael Grunseit will enjoy a hometown premiere for her new film Daddy’s Little Meatball, which will screen at this month’s Flickerfest.

FilmInkCara Nash

A Filmmaker You Should Know: Yael Grunseit — Monster Children

The Australian-born filmmaker premiering at Tribeca, interviewed by another filmmaker you should know.

Monster ChildrenMonster Children

Interview: Yael Grunseit on “Daddy’s Little Meatball”

The director discusses this short about a young woman whose trip to the Big Apple threatens to take a bite out of her in the company of her dad.

The Moveable FestStephen Saito

Flickerfest International and Australian Awards Winners Revealed

The winners of the annual Flickerfest International and Australian Awards have been revealed at a star-studded ceremony at Bondi Beach.

Variety AustraliaLauren McNamara

The Crew

Cast: Madeline Sunshine, Benjamin Howes, John Hedrick, Liliane Klein, and Georgia Kate Haege
Producers: Jason Gotlieb (and AD), Sam Jang Milsten, Elaine Rava, and Rebecca Quinn Robertson
Cinematographer: Dylan Rizzo
Editor: Maya Parkoff
Composer: Merrick Craven
Sound Design/Production Sound: Sam Dusman
Colorist: lexandra Makarenko
Casting Director/Script Supervisor: Manuela Romero
Production Design: Abyn Reabe, Abby Melbye, and Gigi Tamayo Boado
Wardrobe: Kendall Kondo
Wardrobe Assist: Brad Glazer
DIT: Selene Almeron 
Gaffer: Steven Baerga
Title & Credits Designer: Tess Lafia
Caterer: Family Party Catering
Written & Directed by Yael Grunseit

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