fiscal sponsorship
Waves
TYPE: Narrative Short
GENRE: Experimental
STATUS: Post-Production
LOGLINE
Waves is a journey into the physiological effects of anxiety explored through magical realism.
SYNOPSIS
Set in an interior garden and like the ebbs and flows of waves in the ocean, a woman's body rides out different stages of an anxiety attack. Through memory and space she regains control and relief.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Waves is a visceral kind of truth about mental health. Anxiety is something we don't culturally reckon with in comprehensive ways. As we see it, every fissure or break is some kind of opening, the broken parts are the other side of strength and power. The objective of this film is to shed light on the harsh reality of anxiety and the powerful, disorienting experiences we feel when it takes hold of us.
CNN wrote in August that panic attack and anxiety were searched at an all time high last year, no wonder under the circumstances surrounding Covid-19. We hope to help adovcate for those struggling.
Waves is performed by Lily Baldwin and the project was shot on 16mm and 35mm film and developed by the Kodak Lab in NYC. Currently we're in post production and are about to finish editing. The next steps are color and sound design and any donations will go directy into funding these next stages.
*Thanks for reading and your support! All donations will receive a copy of the film and a thank you in our credits.
With gratitude,
Natalie
KEY CREW
Natalie Gee - Writer/Director
Natalie is a filmmaker and film curator. She recently shadowed Oscar nominated director Steph Green on HBO's The Deuce with James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Natalie's first short film, All Is Not Lost premiered at the Academy Award qualifying festival, HollyShorts. She recently shot and directed an experimental film on 16mm titled Queendom that has been nominated for Best Short at the Miami Short Film Festival. Queendom also premiered on NoBudge. She programs the narrative shorts for the Brooklyn Film Festival and recently curated a feminist film night at the Brooklyn Museum. She's been given an artist residency at the Wythe Hotel to program shorts in their hotel cinema (currently on hold). In addition, she’s on the screening team for Telluride and Hamptons Film Festival.
Zeus Kontoyannis - Producer
Zeus is a producer and writer with nearly 10 years of experience in the film industry. After arriving in New York City in 2009, he worked with Cinetic Media on the Banksy documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” From there, he continued his career under veteran Hollywood and Broadway producer Scott Rudin, working on films including “The Social Network,” “True Grit,” and “The Dictator,” and the original theater production of “Book of Mormon.” Following his time at Scott Rudin Productions, Zeus joined projects under veteran indie producers Terry Leonard, Mynette Louie, Nicole Galovski and Academy Award Winning director Ross Kauffman. His most recent films have screened at Cannes, Dances with Films and Manchester film festival.
Joshua Echevarria - Cinematographer
Josh is a Director of Photography from New Jersey. He attended Montclair State University in 2009 where he dedicated himself to developing as a cinematographer and worked alongside a talented and ambitious group of filmmakers. Upon graduation, Josh received the Award In Filmmaking. He travels globally shooting features, documentaries, shorts, music videos and commercial content - remaining driven, motivated and active in this ever expanding industry. He has had films play at Doc NYC, Manchester Film Festival and HollyShorts, to name a few, and has won Cinematography awards for his work on shorts, Addle Strife and Atlantic City. His dedication to the craft and his experience has allowed him to develop a keen sense of lighting and composition which plays a key role in telling unique and moving stories through a visual medium.
Lily Baldwin - Actor
A formidable talent working in NYC, Berlin and LA, Baldwin is known for her compelling, intricate narrative forms. As director, and frequent performer, she combines her penchant for dance and film to craft visceral stories and stylized dreamscapes. Chief among her tools are bold scores, rhythmic editing, and the viewer’s potential to embrace wonder. Her work has screened as a Vimeo Staff Pick, on the Criterion Collection as well as at SXSW, BAMcinemaFest, Montclair Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, Berlinale EFM, Cucalorus.
Andre Basso - Editor, Colorist, VFX artist
Founded by Andre Basso in 2009, 9th Street Films is an NYC based creative studio serving both the filmmaking and advertising communities. On the advertising side, Andre has worked as a creative director & producer for iconic brands such as UNICEF, GSUSA, PFIZER, ROYAL BANK OF CANADA and INVISTA. On the filmmaking side, he has worked as a Producer, Colorist & Flame artist with notable independent filmmakers including Rhamin Bahrani, Mynette Louie, Frank Hall Green and Chris Caldwell & Zeek Earl on PROSPECT, starring Pedro Pascal.
Lindsey Nadolski - Editor
Nadolski sees crafting narratives as a great collaboration, like an orchestration. Her instinctive rhythm is no doubt, inextricably tied to her life as both maker & lover of music. From fluid to frenetic, she harnesses many modes of storytelling and always aims to set the work apart.Nadolski’s portfolio ranges from commercial to long-form, having cut for brands such as Google, Gillette, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Revlon. She has edited videos for artists including Common, Sleigh Bells, Vance Joy and Tune-Yards, the latter having been nominated for a UK Music Video Award, as well as selected by the LA Film Festival. She was also editor of the provocative short film EXIT, which premiered at Toronto Film Festival in 2018.
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