Vicious Dogs in Marietta
Short Film
Project Type: Short Film
Project Status: Pre-Production
Writer/Producer: Lane Bernes Genee
Director /Producer: Daniela Schrier Kafshi
Cinematographer: Andres Karu
Actors: Jesse Boitel (as Chip), Drew Springer-Miller (as Sarah)
Casting Director: Lois Drabkin
LOGLINE
On a sweltering midnight in suburban Georgia, an estranged daughter sneaks home to say a goodbye she's been dodging for two years — only to find a half-forgotten classmate in her parents' backyard, cleaning the pool and refusing to leave.
SYNOPSIS
2006 in Marietta, Georgia. Sarah Feldman, a New York sculptor, comes home to her dying mother but can't make it past the fence. She lands in the backyard instead, face to face with Chip Reed: pool boy, line cook, and small-time weed dealer.
He's waiting to speak with the judge (Sarah’s mother) who once sentenced him. Over one humid hour of swimming and smoking, the truth surfaces: Chip has been secretly making Sarah's mother edibles and Sarah is trying to muster the courage to say goodbye.
But even though the truth brought them together, new complications arise when Chip reveals he needs $1800 tonight or he's going to "get his ass kicked". Sarah then decides to go into the house and face her mother's death not only for herself but for Chip.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
What gets designated dangerous or vicious—a dog, a drug dealer, a daughter—versus what actually is. Marietta's manicured cul-de-sacs are full of things labeled wrong.
Additionally, the film explores the idea of Jewish assimilation as inheritance. As a woman who grew up where the film takes place, and experience the mislabeling, I do feel uniquely qualified to explore these ideas.
Meet The Filmmakers
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Daniela Kasha
Producer/Director
Daniela Schrier Kafshi (producer/director) is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker with a soft spot for renegades and rabble rousers. Her provocative short film, LADYBUG, has screened internationally, won a Best Drama award, and landed her a Best Director prize. Currently, Daniela is in post-production on THE MAYFLOWER, a feature film she produced with director Nick Sandow, featuring Michael Imperioli. Previously, she produced FALL TO RISE, a feature film starring Daphne Rubin-Vega and Desmond Richardson, and directed the award-winning play JULIE, PAUL AND JACK at the Chain Theatre. As an alumna of The Black List x Women in Film Episodic Writing Lab, she honed her skills with mentorship from leading female creators. She is a mother to two sons, the owner of a full-service NYC production company, and a terrific whistler.
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Lane Bernes Genee
Producer and Writer
Lane Bernes Genee (producer/writer) was born and bred in Georgia. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in playwriting and journalism. She has studied playwriting and screenwriting with some of the nation’s best writers. Her work has been performed at The Bloomington Playwrights Project, The Cherry Lane Theatre, The Estrogenius Festival, The Samuel French OOB Festival, and The Chain Theatre. Her first play The Mercy Swing was nominated for the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, and received 3 out of 4 stars from The NY Post. Her tv pilot, Start-Up, was a quarter-finalist in the Slamdance Film Festival pilot competition. She is a proud member of The Dramatist Guild. She lives in Brooklyn with her amazingly-supportive husband Jordan, and two amazingly-funny kids Drew and Elliot.
Your Help
VICIOUS DOGS IN MARIETTA is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!