LOGLINE
A fated mistake leads to a fleeting, chance encounter between a traveler and a reclusive New Yorker. When life takes them in opposite directions, each carries the significance of their shared moment into the future.
SYNOPSIS
EUDAEMONIA is a film about a serendipitous and fleeting moment of human connection. Amy is a poverty-stricken artist and tattooist in the midst of a downward spiral grappling with chronic isolation and meaninglessness in New York City. Cara is a wealthy, young backpacker with self-sabotaging tendencies who’s been traveling for a year, running from family pressures. They meet accidentally when Cara gets locked out the night before her flight and proceeds to accidentally break into the wrong apartment. Amy and Cara’s initial differences gradually subside over the course of the evening.
The story pivots around this brief exchange – a simple conversation from which both women emerge changed. Shortly after, Cara rushes off to catch her flight as Amy sleeps, both never to meet again.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
The title ‘EUDAEMONIA’ is a Greek word commonly translated as "happiness" or "human flourishing". The themes explored surround the idea of human connection, and what it is to live a meaningful life.
Our film EUDAEMONIA plays with the notion of transience, and the power of an un-repeated moment. The Zen Buddhist phrase 'ichigo ichie', encapsulates this feeling; defined as “one time, one meeting”.
Travel and experiencing different cultures has played a significant role in my life. Despite location or language, the beautiful fragility of our humanity consistently connects all people. It’s this commonality that I'd like to tap into with my work - possessing great fascination in stories that entertain, dissolve barriers, and diffuse our sense of isolation and disconnect.
-- Julia Ngeow
KEY CREW
Julia Ngeow - Writer / Director
A Chinese-Australian filmmaker living in Brooklyn, with a background in visual arts, production design, science and photography. Having lived across Australia, Singapore and the US (descending from Chinese, English, Irish and Scottish heritage) travel and cultural clashes have greatly informed her creative outlook. Originally graduating with a Bachelor of Biophysical Science in 2005, majoring in Neuroscience & Physiology, Ngeow has great interest in the human psyche, and sharing stories that unite humanity.
Ngeow has directed several short films, including two funded by the Australian government’s screen funding and development body. Currently co-directing an IFP Fiscally Sponsored documentary with 15-yr-old Emma Zurcher-Long. This documentary, called UNSPOKEN, is a poetic, POV film about Emma’s life growing up with autism. For the past 10 years, Julia has directed narrative shorts, documentaries and music videos with bands from Australia, USA and Canada. EUDAEMONIA is Ngeow’s first produced screenplay and is currently being developed into a feature film.
With a passion for equality and opportunity, Julia is also producing and directing a self-funded global girls empowerment mini-documentary series; showcasing amazing stories from across the world. See Julia's work here.
Amy Everson - Actor (Amy)
Everson is an American actor, screenwriter and artist based in San Francisco.
Everson co-wrote and starred in feature film FELT directed by Jason Banker. Everson’s work in FELT earned her the 2014 Fantastic Fest “Next Wave” Spotlight Award for Best Actress, and the Nashville Film Festival Graveyard Shift Competition Award for Best Actress.
Everson art directed both music videos “Lampshades on Fire” and “The Ground Walks with Time in a Box” for musical group Modest Mouse. In her primary artistic medium, Everson re- appropriates objects from pop culture and presents them in humorous or disturbing ways.
Alexandra Nell - Actor (Cara)
Alexandra is an Australian actor, theatre producer and voice-over artist, working across stage and screen. She holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts in Acting from The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
In 2016, Alexandra was recognized as the first person in history to take out the three major awards at NIDA; The 2014 Hazel Treweek ‘Excellence in Shakespeare Award’, The 2015 Keith Bain OAM Scholarship for ‘Excellence in Movement’ (making her the first female recipient), and finally the prestigious Leslie Walford Scholarship in 2016 for ‘creative endeavors’. Alexandra has also been awarded ‘Best Performance by an Actress’ for her work on the short film We Were Here at the 28th annual WA Screen Awards in July 2016.
Ashley George - Producer
Ashley is a director and producer based in New York. Current projects in development include comedy web series Run for Your Life and documentary series I am the T. Her work has exhibited at festivals and theaters such as Picture Farm Film Festival, GLITCH Film Festival, New York No Limits' Queer Film Initiative, Bideodromo Experimental Film Festival, MIX NYC Experimental Queer Festival, National Queer Arts Festival, Santa Cruz Film Festival, and San Francisco's Roxie Theater and Castro Theater. She's a Gemini firecracker in a sugar bowl and is a sucker for all things 90s. You can see her work at filmsbyashley.com.
Lauren McCune - Producer
Lauren McCune received a B.A. from Eugene Lang: The New School for Liberal Arts and co-founded Six Part Productions through which she developed and produced several short films and numerous music videos. These include KILLING THE DOG, which received the Manny Award for Outstanding film at Take Two Film Festival, as well as Official Selection of New Filmmakers NY and NYC Independent Film Fest 2013. McCune also produced Frank Mosley's short film PARTHENON (starring Lily Baldwin, Tallie Medel, and Thiago Martins) to be released late 2016.
Amanda Rose - Producer
Amanda Rose is a 2016 New York University, Tisch School of the Arts graduate.
She earned her BFA in Film & Television as the first transfer student to receive the prestigious Cohen & Tisch Scholarship. Amanda studied abroad in London for the selective Advanced Screenwriting Program, where she wrote her first feature length screenplay, PASS ME OVER.
Amanda interned at Viacom Spike TV in the production management for special events department. She also worked on the award-winning Tahir Jetter feature film, HOW TO TELL YOU’RE A DOUCHEBAG.
Almudena Caminero - Production Design
After completing her studies in Fine arts and History of Cinema and earning a MFA in Set Design and Production Design in Madrid and Valladolid, Almudena moved to New York where she currently works and lives. Combining her job as a painter and visual artist with film work, Almudena's credits as Production Designer and Art Director include short films, TV shows and feature films shot in both Spain and New York. Almudena has also written and directed two short films that have been awarded and recognized internationally.
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Homemade in Brooklyn, NY by @made_by_martin.
**Please email <julia.ngeow@gmail.com> with your shipping address
***Additional $10 for postage outside USA.
ACCOLADES
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