Weirdo (Short Film) — CFA Institute

WEIRDO
Short Film

Project Type: Short Film
Project Status: Pre-Production
Writer/Co-Director/Actor: Austin Highsmith Garces
Co-Director: Izzy Stevens
Producer: Beck Bennion
Director of Photography: Nathaniel Regier
Actor: Hannah Barefoot

LOGLINE

llison King is artistic, sensitive, and exhausted by the bullying she’s forced to endure. After faking sick and settling into the safety of being home alone, Allison is visited by Allie—her future self. Together, they travel through memory & Allie shows Allison that the future is worth staying for.

SYNOPSIS

Allison King (13) is artistic, sensitive, and exhausted by the middle school bullying she’s forced to endure. After faking sick and settling into the safety of being home alone, the impossible happens: Allison is visited by Allie—her future self. Allison panics, convinced she's hallucinating. But Allie knows things no one else could: private rituals, hidden fears... the exact location of her babysitting money. Together, they travel through memory—the bathroom where Allison hides, the creek where she once felt safe, the field where she first imagined herself as an artist—and Allie shows Allison that the pain she feels won't last forever with the honesty only someone who is you can offer. The future isn't perfect, but it's hers, and it's worth staying for.

MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

“Weirdo” is the most personal and terrifying piece I’ve ever written or shared with the world. As a young girl, I was bullied extensively for six straight years. It was unspeakable. And it is something I am thankfully still working through now. I found my way into this story while doing inner-child work one day: What if the adult version of me could go back and help the younger me process what she had been through? Through a touch of time travel and magical realism, Weirdo explores that question. It is about the healing that can happen when we are truly seen, truly known, and truly loved.

Weirdo will be my directorial debut, and I am honored to co-direct with Izzy Stevens, someone I trust implicitly. Together, we are committed to telling this story in a grounded, truthful way, while holding onto the humor, tenderness, and hope at its center.

This is art straight from my soul. Can that be scary? Sure, but “scary art” has long been the best indicator for art that I absolutely MUST make. And so I will.

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Meet The Filmmakers and Cast

Austin Highsmith Garces

Writer, Co-Director, and Actress (ALLIE)
Austin Highsmith Garces is an actress, published author and illustrator, and produced screenwriter. Audiences know her best as Phoebe in Warner Bros./Alcon's Dolphin Tale 1 & 2 and as Ms. Lang in MTV's Scream: The TV Series. As a writer, she wrote and starred in A Country Romance (UPtv/Amazon Prime), co-wrote and starred in The Plus One (Starz), and produced, wrote the story for, and starred in Inheritance (Amazon/Tubi). Weirdo marks her directorial debut, and it's a story that comes from a deeply personal place for her.
Izzy Stevens

Co-Director
Izzy Stevens is an Australian-American actress, award-winning director, and co-founder of Shoot the Cowgirl Productions. On screen, she's known for playing Eileen Leigh in Underbelly, a lead role in Puberty Blues, and Bella Bartlett in the Occupation sci-fi trilogy. Behind the camera, her films Seafoam, Phenomena, and Leap have screened at Fantastic Fest, HollyShorts, Tropfest, and Cannes (Diversity), and have reached international audiences on ABC, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Izzy is also the founder of Indie Spunk, a mentorship platform supporting emerging filmmakers, and is currently in development for two features: Charisma (production begins November 2026) and James on Rage (production begins 2027).
Beck Bennion

Producer
Beck Bennion is an actress, writer, and producer. She founded Jumpsuit Pictures and serves as lead producer and co-founder at Shoot the Cowgirl Productions, a film and TV company dedicated to amplifying authentic stories centered on women. She is currently in development for two features: Charisma (production begins November 2026) and James on Rage (production begins 2027). Beck is best known for producing Getting to That Age, starring Romy Reiner, Carter Jenkins, Sharon Lawrence, and Matt Walsh, as well as the critically acclaimed one-man show Unsavory Fellow. Before producing full-time, she spent a decade in corporate marketing, experience she brings to every project she builds.
Nathaniel Regier

Director of Photography
Nathaniel Regier has shot more than 30 narrative projects, including the feature Love Meets Sunshine starring James Franco. He's known for /, which premiered at SXSW, and his films have also premiered at festivals including Fantastic Fest. His work has been featured on Short of the Week, Vimeo Staff Picks, and AdAge. On the commercial side, he has collaborated with brands like MUD\WTR, Nike, Condé Nast, and Comfort Inn.
Nicole BHannah Barefootoisseau

Actor (DEBBIE)
Hannah Barefoot is a theatrically-trained actress and writer. She broke into the film industry with her lead role in the indie-cult favorite, The Falls: Testament of Love (2013). She recurred on the Amazon original series Good Girls Revolt(2015), and L.A.'s Finest (2019), starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. She has guest starred in shows such as Chicago Med (2015), Good Trouble (2019), Creepshow (2019), Dirty John (2018), and Lucifer (2016), among others. More recently, Hannah appeared in Oscar winner King Richard (2021) and the Sundance Appalachian drama, The Evening Hour (2020). Hannah is also a singer-songwriter with the band The Luminous Grey, comprised of herself and her husband, musician Andy Barefoot.