Short Films

Director Biography – Chloe Mondesir (JACKS)

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This story was written and directed by Chloe Mondesir who hails from the great state of Texas and is currently living in Los Angeles, CA who is a Public Figure pursuing a career as an, Actress, Writer/Producer/Director. She brings a personal touch with her inaugural film project inspired by one of her grandmother’s struggles growing up in rural Texas after the Great Depression. This short film expresses her desire to explore real stories that her audience can relate to, learn from, and be entertained.

Director Statement

JACKS came to mind when my 73 year old grandmother, Sonia shared a story about her childhood. At around the age of 9, she was struggling to stand her ground with a neighborhood bully, so she went to her mom for guidance, but things didn’t quite go as she expected.

As a mother, I instantly put myself in my great grandmother’s shoes and imagined how I would have handled a similar situation. This script was developed with the belief that both the joys and struggles of childhood and motherhood are universal and transcend cultures, religion, geographic location, and even time. It is important to me that the audience notices that this is a period piece from the very first scene, so it was crucial for me to work with each department closely to create a feeling of 1950’s nostalgia.

The details within the story, of fear, pure joy, internal conflict, and the humor; gives ‘JACKS’ an authenticity that every parent and child can relate to. Being able to tell relatable stories through film is a great joy and I hope audiences find this lacing of elements and tonal shifts satisfying.

Short Film: JACKS, 9min., USA, Drama/Family

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During these desperate times in 1950’s, Dallas, TX, Sonia is a friendly 8 year old girl that has finally got the courage to face the neighborhood bully, Theresa, but things get out of hand when this sweet little lady goes on a quest to get her stolen Jacks back. When the two girls fail to come up with a solution on their own, their mothers step in to get the job done.

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Director Biography – Jessica Graham (LISTEN)

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Listen is Jessica Graham’s directorial debut. After directing Listen, she went on to direct the comedy pilot, Group Ease with YouTube and Elizabeth Banks’ comedy company WhoHaha. Jessica acted in and produced the award winning short film Monkeys, as well as the murder mystery/horror feature Murder Made Easy, and the upcoming sci-fi feature, The Tangle. She is also an author, meditation teacher, and sex, relationship, and spiritual guide.

Director Biography – Karisa Bruin (LABOR RELATIONS)

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Karisa Bruin is a writer-director specializing in dark and grounded comedy. Her inspired-by-real-life pilot Mile Markers, was awarded best comedy pilot at the Premiere Film Festival and her first short film, UberEx, premiered in competition at Dances With Films in 2018.

A former Chicagoan, Karisa holds her MFA in Screenwriting from DePaul University and her cum laude BA from Dartmouth. She has directed web series, music videos, pilot presentations, and short films.

An improv specialist, Karisa studied and performed improv at the iO, UCBNY, Annoyance, and Magnet Theaters. Her skills an improvisor allow her be flexible and creative on set, finding opportunities for humor inspired by what’s on the page.

Karisa has also worked as a professional actor in commercials, television and film.

Find out more at http://www.karisabruin.com.Karisa has the one-two punch of a Midwestern work-ethic and dark sense of humor that means that she takes her work seriously, but rarely herself. Karisa has worked as a freelance copywriter for ad agencies such as FCB and OKRP. She has also produced multiple web commercials with Fulton Market Films and director Scott Smitt. In 2017, Karisa made move to Los Angeles and she has worked as an actress in multiple national commercials, including Southwest Air, Fabletics, and DiGiorno.

Director Statement

This film is deeply personal and important to me. After I became a mother, I was unprepared for how torn I would feel between my work as a creative and my work as a mother; between my commitment to my career and my deep desire to mother my new child. We as mothers are expected to want to have it all but the way our society is structured it makes it almost impossible to do it all well when we don’t even have parental support in the form of paid maternity leave and we don’t value the work that it takes to be a parent.

It was my goal to hire mothers as department heads for this film. How did we do? Glad you asked.
44 people worked on this film. 5 of them are children.
Of the 39 adults who made Labor Relations come to life, 20 of them are moms, so a whopping 51% of the positions on the film, from cast to crew, prepro through post were filled by moms.
While hiring moms was my focus, I’m proud to say our crew was also 10% dads and overall 65% female.

Here are the positions that we filled with working moms:

Writer/Director
All Producers
DP
Editor
Composer
HMUA
Production Designer
Wardrobe
Every single actress (including extras) in the film is a mother (and at least one of her children is in the film, too!)
Script Supervisor
Locations Manager
PA

Not only does this film serve as a satirical look at the pressures on mothers to have it all all the time, but it also is a step forward for me creatively in that I want to be able to mine my experience as a mother and use it in my filmmaking, as well as provide a space for other mothers to do the same. I don’t have to choose between being a mom and being a filmmaker, and I’m better at both because I’m both.

Director Biography – Hannah de Groot (TIME AT WOODPINE)

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Hannah is from Cupertino, California. A recent graduate of Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, she earned her BFA in Film Production with a minor in History. Hannah is also an alumna of Phillips Academy, Andover which served as inspiration for her senior thesis Time at Woodpine. In addition to directing, she has a passion for progressive education, writing, classical guitar, and outdoor sports.

Director Statement

There are moments in our lives when we realize, in an unpredictable and sometimes terrifying world, we all need each other to lean on. My films aim to capture these moments.