Mark DiNatale is one of the many filmmakers taking a shot at GoDaddy’s Small Business Stories challenge. A late-blooming filmmaker (we love those!), DiNatale says he’s always had an interest in “people that are going ‘old school’,” which falls right in line with his entry into the SBS challenge.
DiNatale’s film Galco’s Soda Pop Stop shines its own spotlight on a tiny niche shop in Highland Park, California. He says it’s the “go-to place in Southern California for the soda connoisseur.” Shots of hundreds of vintage-style glass bottles, like Bubble Up, Dang That’s Good butterscotch root beer, Curiosity Cola and Moxie, fill the screen as owner John Nese tells the genesis story of his lovely little store.
Click here to watch, Galco’s Soda Pop Stop
“John’s spirit and dedication to making Galco’s succeed is amazing. A true inspiration in the world of small business. Focusing on helping the independent soda producer … Galco’s stands out as the very definition of a small business,” DiNatale says.
As a filmmaker, Mark DiNatale carries with him all the defining traits of a small business. Also forged by grit and determination, laughter and sacrifice, DiNatale left “a job I hated in an industry I despised” to pursue a college degree. He discovered his interest in filmmaking just a short time ago and the piece he submitted to the GoDaddy contest is part of a larger look into nostalgia in the middle of a technological world. No matter his late-blooming status, DiNatale has a filmmaker’s heart. “I want to be able to change lives, start conversations, and discuss things that matter. I want to highlight things we don’t, the things that are uncomfortable to talk about, the things that shape who we are for better or for worse.”
Make sure to check out his film, Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, when GoDaddy’s Small Business Stories challenge opens for voting February 14th at noon MST!
