About this submission
In the hyper-busy world today, it is easy to become overwhelmed and feel disconnected from one’s environment. I aimed to capture a feeling of disillusionment, where, despite living a seemingly idyllic life, my young character Casey can’t understand why she still is not happy. I wanted to create a meaningful juxtaposition of beautiful scenery and melancholy emotion, capturing Athens, Georgia in its most enchanting season while critiquing its beauty as being not without sadness. I hope this film serves as a reflective and relatable experience for audiences navigating their own moments of disconnection.
Creator
Growing up in the semi-industrial suburbs of Atlanta, I often wondered why my life looked so different from the movies. I seldom had starlit adventures, amazing romances, or serendipitous encounters. Instead, my nights were routinely simple: picking up take-out from Panda Express with my dad, staring at the neon glow of Waffle House signs and scattered powerlines driving home, and watching tv while doodling on my homework. I resented my non-cinematic hometown in non-cinematic Georgia. Especially as an introverted kid, I used film and television as a crutch to relate to the world - to feel like I belonged. Seeing stories that reflected a piece of my own humanity made me feel less alone.
As seasons passed and my frontal lobe developed a bit more, I started to appreciate the place I grew up. I appreciated the leaves poking through cement sidewalks. I appreciated the childhood memories that the non-starlit streets held and the non-serendipitous, awkward teenage friendships I made. I appreciated that feeling lonely helped me discover my love of media and my passion to be a writer / director- to help others feel less alone by telling stories that reflect humanity.
Both in my studio art - drawings and paintings - as well as filmmaking, I endeavor to explore the relationship between the mundane and the fantastical, finding beauty in both extremes. My stories have an emphasis on female stories of identity, especially in the context of life in the charming, unforgiving, beautiful, ugly American South. I aim to challenge the romanticized version of American youth and explore industrialized in-between spaces with a new cinematic language.
As a senior at the University of Georgia, I have written and directed 4 short films, 1 web series episode, and 1 music video. I am also the president of the Writers’ Room club, where I lead 30 students in collaborative script writing. I have grown to absolutely love Georgia and the wonderful art it is home to. I want to continue telling stories that share Georgia with the world and bring the world to Georgia, bridging perspectives through art and film. more...