ABOUT THE FILM
BLUE TARPS is a documentary portrait of an artist and his sanctuary examining what it means to dedicate a lifetime to the unquivering devotion of painting, far from the noise of the art world, in a space that holds fifty years of memory, paint, and purpose.
Deep in rural Connecticut, surrounded by woods and weathered silence, stands a barn with countless memories, thoughts, and hidden paintings. Inside, artist Tom D'Acunto has been painting for fifty years in a sustained act of devotion, solitude, and radical commitment to the creative life.
FIFTY YEARS.
ONE BARN.
A LIFE'S WORK.
50+
YEARS OF PAINTING
1
HISTORIC BARN
∞
WORKS CREATED
GALLERY
FILM STILLS &
SELECTED WORKS
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTARY STILLS FROM PRODUCTION, 2025–2026
SYNOPSIS
SYNOPSIS WRITTEN BY DIRECTOR ERIC BRIONEZ
Embark on a journey through a 110 year old barn ingrained with art. mystery, and a fervor for art in the countryside of Colchester Connecticut to meet the seasoned reclusive painter by the name of Thomas Rocco Anthony D’Acunto.
Shot in a single, intimate day, on Easter in 2025 on his son’s birthday,
he confronts the struggles of recently being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease while giving the Director of the film Eric a tour of his life’s work. Blue Tarps captures a father and son bound by creativity as they wrestle with legacy, illness, and the unrelenting force of making art that refuses to let go.
Blue Tarps is a deeply intimate, one-day portrait of artist and painter Thomas D'Acunto, a fiercely independent painter living quietly in Colchester. He has been working for half a century within the walls of a 4000 square foot barn on land once dedicated to raising horses. Inside the barn is wall-to-wall abstract paintings, sculptures, pastels, and relics of a lifetime devoted to creation. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Tom now faces an adversary of a new calibre: a body that trembles, vision that falters, and a future he cannot control.
Shot entirely on his son’s birthday, on Easter Sunday in 2025, Chris, an art director, designer and artist inspired and influenced by this home of generational creativity discusses with his father creativity and what it means to be an artist.
Produced by Erban Creative Productions and lensed by cinematographer Eric Brionez, the viewer will have the POV tour of Tom’s labyrinthine barn, miraculously captured in one take. It’s raw, unfiltered and a journey of curiosity as the reclusive painter guides Eric through his creative psyche. The documentary immerses us in a world covered in blue tarps both literal and symbolic. The tarps, originally meant to insulate the space, now hang as quiet witnesses to time, dedication, and preservation.
Creation is a journey, a chain reaction. It is also a burden. Relief follows completion, but only briefly, before the anxiety of the next piece takes hold.
For Tom, stopping is not an option. “It’s not that I make art,” he insists. “It happens. I have to do it.”
The film’s emotional undercurrent is amplified by its full musical score drawn from Mobygratis platform.
The music underscores moments of humor, frustration, pride, and vulnerability which culminating into a sense of closing hope from Tom.
Blue Tarps is ultimately a meditation on creation as compulsion, on legacy as living dialogue, and on what it means to continue when your body resists you.
It is about the art that fills a barn and the love that fills the space between a father and son.
ERIC BRIONEZ, DIRECTOR,
BLUE TARPS
" The tarps, originally meant to insulate the space, now hang as quietwitnesses to time, dedication,
and preservation."
THE OFFICIAL 2026 POSTER
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I first met Chris’s father Tom several years ago when I got invited to Thanksgiving, and from the first few minutes of talking to him I was immediately drawn to his presence.
The way he spoke, his cunning sense of humor.
He reminded me of my late father so when it came to shooting this film it was not only personal, it was a privilege. It was a privilege for Tom to let me into his world, to not only speak with so much conviction about his process, but also to be naturally vulnerable with me. I hope the audience can feel this when watching this documentary and can relate to it.
So when I arrived in Colchester on that Easter Sunday which happened to also be Chris’s birthday I knew we only had one day to shoot. There was no crew beyond myself, no elaborate lighting setups, no retakes, no written out questions I planned to ask. What unfolded inside the barn was something pure…something real.
It felt like every scene, every answer came perfectly together to craft this meaning of what Blue Tarps is.
Blue Tarps symbolizes what most Americans can relate to when growing up. A childhood where you’ve witnessed your parents use it to keep something important intact, protected and preserved. And that’s why I chose to name this film Blue Tarps because it’s about what remains when the body falters, the creative force does not give up. It’s about legacy—not in terms of fame or market value, but in the passing of obsession from father to son.
I hope audiences leave asking themselves: What’s holding you back physically or emotionally from pursuing your creative passion? And can you have the determination to push yourself to keep creating like Tom is in the film?
— Eric Brionez
Director & Cinematographer
BACKGROUND
© 2025 BLUE TARPS DOCUMENTARY.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A FILM ABOUT TOM D'ACUNTO · CONNECTICUT · 2025