In an alternate near-future, social classes are divided into parallel layers of reality called Strata. Lydia is a young woman with everything going for her- a nice apartment, stable finances, and a favorable government job at the US Dept. of the Prism. Yet as she commits to building her career, she finds herself feeling isolated and unsatisfied, and addicted to a dream of love. But when she finds out her dreams are actually forgotten memories from another reality, Lydia is forced to consider if she’s willing to risk her reality to make a better one.
In Suspension was created as my senior thesis (advanced) project for the NYU Tisch film production program. It began with a script and a pitch in the first semester of the yearlong class, from which only 13 projects were selected to be produced. We then raised funds via school grants, self-funding, and an IndieGogo campaign, and production of the short film ran for seven days in March/April 2018. I worked with my editor, composer, and VFX artists to create a rough edit by the end of the semester, and then spent the next year and a half in post production, concluding well into the pandemic.
With the world in lockdown, the film went through a digital festival run, and finally landed on the sci-fi channel DUST on January 12, 2022.
Awards:
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- Best Sci-Fi Short (Festival Director’s Award) – Cannes Short Film Festival 2022
- Best Sci-Fi Short – Next Generation Indie Film Awards 2021
- Best Short Script – Other Worlds Austin 2020
- Clive Davis Award for Excellence in Music in Film – 2019
- Todd Martin Film Production Award – 2019
- Winner – Screencraft Sci Fi/Fantasy Concept 2019 for Feature Pitch
- Semifinalist – Screencraft Short Screenplay Competition 2018
Festivals:
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- Cannes Short Film Festival 2022
- Boston Sci-Fi-Film Festival 2021
- Miami Sci-Fi Film Festival 2021
- Other Worlds Austin 2020
- NYU First Run Film Festival 2019