LOGLINE
In this dark ensemble comedy, a motley crew of insomniacs, who have tried everything, attend a sleep retreat in order to learn how to sleep.
SYNOPSIS
David, a gung ho man-child, hosts six insomniacs at his cottage in the woods under the false pretense that he is a seasoned sleep expert. Through wacky exercises, routines and mindful living, some guests see nights of improvement, while others find themselves further from where they started.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
“Rest Assured” is the purest expression of my voice, centered on a subject matter that is deeply personal. I’m most interested in creating humor in the depressing, brought to life through comedically dry characters who feel painfully real. Character-driven storytelling resonates with me most—when characters deeply want something, they become more human; and when that want is something as fundamentally relatable as sleep, you’re closer to striking gold. As a devoted fan of dark comedy, I’ve seen many films tackle addiction, mental illness, and other hardships, but insomnia felt like a fresh subject, and one I personally know well. Needless to say, I wrote a lot of this film laughing wild in my own waking hours.
This is an ensemble film; the community is the heart of it all. “Rest Assured” says that when someone struggles with a very individualized problem, it is counterintuitively best solved in a group. Instead of beating yourself up at four in the morning wondering why am I so pathetic that I cannot sleep, the one thing I’m supposed to be born knowing how to do, it might be better to just have a buddy to play Go Fish with you. Maybe you can’t always “cure” your problems, but community can help you resolve your relationships with them. People need people. That is how I know we are making a film full of life.
KEY CREW
Olivia Crowell - Director
Olivia Crowell is a multi-hyphenated artist (filmmaker/writer) based in New York City. She wrote “Rest Assured” with her writing and comedy partner, Liam Caplan, while keeping her other scripts alive on the back burner. She has written two features, one stage play, and several short films. Olivia graduated with degrees in film and writing from Wesleyan University before heading to Los Angeles, where she freelanced in production. She then transitioned to working full time as an Executive Assistant at World of Wonder, supporting oversight on US and International formats of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. Olivia has spent the last two years in New York city working on indie projects, honing her screenwriting, and preparing for her debut feature. Her most recent short, The Life of a Zebra, played at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival. Olivia is a witty director who values hard work, perceptiveness and laughter.
Theodore Matza - Producer
Theodore Matza is a producer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He worked for many years as both a cinematographer and director on several short films that have screened at such venues as Sun Valley Film Festival, Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, NY Pause Film Fest, NY Cinematography Awards, New York City Independent Film Festival (NYCIFF), Oniros Film Awards, and New York Shorts. He has also directed several music videos, pre-screened for the New York Film Festival, worked on and off set as Assistant to Filmmaker Ari Aster, and recently founded his own production company: You Can Smell It Films. He is humbled to be working with such professional and talented artists, many of whom have been steady collaborators.
Maya Barbon - Producer
Maya Barbon is a bi-coastal producer and production coordinator who has been working in the film industry for almost a decade. Co-founder of the production company Driver’s Ed Media, she has produced films and music videos for a variety of clients, including Warner Records, BeyGOOD, R&R Records, Indie-Pop!, and more. Having managed the logistical and administrative aspects of all stages of production, she is familiarized with coordinating crews, and with both large and micro budgets. She has worked on multiple features, short films, and web series projects as an Assistant Director, Production Designer, and Unit Production Manager. She prides herself on her versatility on and off set.
Vienna Ayla - Cast - Nora
Vienna is an internet personality and comedian (1.1M TikTok, 225k Instagram) with 92 million likes on TikTok. She is known for playing bold, aloof and unapologetically feminine characters with witty twists. She is ecstatic to play the role of Nora as her feature debut.
Alex O'Shea - Cast - Ali
Alex is known for Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022), FBI: Most Wanted (2020), and The Mark. She is a professionally trained actor and comedian based in New York and Chicago. She received her BA from Wesleyan University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Acting at Northwestern University, class of 2025.
Liam Caplan - Cast - Max
Liam is a writer and performer based in New York City. He is a member of Ripped Stick, a house improv group at Brooklyn Comedy Collective. With countless comedy projects under his belt, both on stage and screen, he is excited to play the role of Max in his feature debut. He is also the co-writer of this script!
ACCOLADES
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