In The Can: 'Body Image' Wraps NJ Shoot

Last week, during a one-day shoot in Woodland Park, NJ, we shot a new horror short film called Body Image. This is a different kind of film for me: very short runtime (approx. 2 minutes), one location, one actor, and no dialogue.

We had a great cast and crew! We worked with a skeleton crew for this small shoot and everyone worked so well as a team to cover the many roles needed.

I worked again with producer Matt Garland and cinematographer Ian Choplick -- our fourth film now as a team -- and we assembled a talented crew to create the look and feel for this film.

A big thank you to each of our cast and crew for their dedication, hard work, and artistry -- and a special shout-out to our actor Jocelyn Vammer and FX makeup artist Ashley Thomas for working with me to create Abby, our single character in Body Image.

You can follow our progress as we complete the film via our City Kid Films pages on Facebook and Twitter. And thank you for your continued support!

In The Can: 'The End of Mara' Wraps NYC/NJ Shoot

During the last week of March, we shot The End of Mara and had an amazing shoot! 

Over four days, we shot in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. In the woods, in an SRO, and at Riverside Park.  And it seems we spent a lot of time shooting in the back of a truck.

We were filmmaking carnies: Setting up our tents, putting on a show, then packing it up and moving on to the next location.

We had a rockstar cast and crew who weren't dismayed by cold windy days, set crashers (we luv ya, Jukebox!), and a junkyard dog with a heart of gold. Thank you to each of our cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and artistry.

You can check out our day-by-day behind-the-scenes photos at The End of Mara Facebook page and follow our progress as we complete the film: www.TheEndOfMara.com

And thank you for your continued support!

Announcing My Next Film: 'The End of Mara'

The time has come to finish up my Resurrection Trilogy of short films! The final film will be The End of Mara and it's slated for release in 2015.

The End of Mara is the story of a woman who helps her husband break free of a curse that’s brought him back to life and trapped him on Manhattan Island. This film, as with the last two, will be stand-alone and character-focused.

We're just getting rolling with this project and are in the script development stage now. We have our key crew for production and post-production already lined up - the same collaborators we created the first two films with - so we will truly be keeping the films all in the same world.

In order to focus on making this last film the best it can be, I'm taking a hiatus from my Script magazine column for the next few months to put everything I have into this project.

It's going to be an amazing ride!

Follow along via Twitter at my personal account or our production company's account, or on Facebook at The End of Mara page. I will also send out periodic updates through my newsletter, which is probably the best way to stay in the loop.

Thanks for continuing with me on this journey and I hope to share lots more with you soon!

Screening: 'Deal Travis In' Heads to the Twisted Celluloid Film Festival in Ireland

For the first time, one of my films is traveling overseas! We've been selected to screen at the Twisted Celluloid Film Festival, a cool genre fest that screens in a restored 18th Century church in Cork city, Ireland.

While I won't be able to attend this fest in person (darn!), it is very exciting to have our first screening outside of North America!

May 18, 2014 – 4:15pm
Triskel Church (Cork city, Ireland)
> Opening for feature film Torment.

Press: Local News Coverage at the Flyway Film Festival

We just returned from a long weekend at the Flyway Film Festival in Pepin, Wisconsin, where we screened Deal Travis In. We had a great time with awesome friends at this gem of a fest.

Plus, Matt Garland and I were interviewed for the local news. Watch it now!

"Deal Travis In" World Premiere in NYC!

"Deal Travis In," my newest short film, will have its world premiere at NY Shorts Fest on May 30th.

I'm thrilled to have NY Shorts Fest hosting our premiere in our film's own hometown. If you live locally, please join us!

MAY 30, 2013 at 7:30PM - Program 8
LANDMARK SUNSHINE CINEMA
143 EAST HOUSTON STREET, NY, NY

Tickets can be purchased through the NY Shorts Fest website - we're in Program 8 - and I will definitely be in attendance. I hope to see you on the 30th!

October & November Screenings of "Vivienne Again"

The dates, times and locations are now set! "Vivienne Again" will be screening in October & November at the following film festivals:

FilmColumbia Festival (Chatham, NY)
October 19, 2012 - 3:00pm
Venue: Morris Memorial
BUY TICKETS

Flyway Film Festival (Pepin, WI)
October 19, 2012 – 10:30pm
Venue: Lake Pepin Art & Design Center Gallery
BUY TICKETS
*I will be in attendance at this screening.

Big Apple Film Festival (New York, NY)
November 17, 2012 – 1:15pm
Venue: Tribeca Cinemas (New York, NY)
BUY TICKETS (Tickets on sale 10/15)
*I will be in attendance at this screening.

"Vivienne Again" Making Its West Coast Premiere at HollyShorts!

I'm Hollywood-bound! Nope, this New Yorker isn't moving, but it is time for me to make the filmmakers' pilgrimage to Los Angeles. And this isn't just any trip or any screening, this will be my first time in LA... ever.

I was one of those kids who dreamed of being in film since I was a little girl, so thoughts of landing in LAX, five dollars in my pocket, and sleeping on the sofas of friends until I got on my feet wasn't ever too far from my mind.  I never thought it would take me this long to set foot on Hollywood soil.

But as they say, the best laid plans...

The obstacles life threw my way that keep me from pursuing a career in film until just these last few years are mostly in the rearview now. This is my chance and I'm taking it with all I've got.  The upside is, for my first trip to LA, I now have more than five dollars, I'll be staying in a nice hotel, and the day I land, I go straight away to screening my first film. Not bad for a kid from the old rough-and-tumble neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, NYC.

Here are the details of our screening:

AUGUST 14, 2012 at 9:00PM
GRAUMAN'S CHINESE THEATER, CHINESE 6
6925 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD
HOLLYWOOD, CA 90028

Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite and be sure to buy tix for the 8/14 9pm Short Film Program: Action.

LA friends, I hope to see you there!