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Promise Me

Logline: "Promise Me" is an emotionally charged social drama in which a once flourishing woman, now at the end of her life, struggles to ensure that her recently reconciled son does not make the same mistakes that she did.

Synopsis:
Promise Me paints a touching, intimate portrait of one dying woman's final day on Earth and her plight to right the wrongs of her past while attempting to convince her recently reconciled son not to follow in her footsteps. Promise Me broaches the topic of Death with Dignity in an environment where the practice is not legal, but shows the reality of a situation that happens in America on a daily basis.

  • Kevin Machate
    Director
    #RIP, Bernie, The Guards Themselves, Inside the Extras Studio
  • Kevin Machate
    Writer
    #RIP, Bernie, The Guards Themselves, Inside the Extras Studio
  • Kevin Machate
    Producer
    #RIP, Bernie, The Guards Themselves, Inside the Extras Studio
  • Gayland Williams
    Key Cast
    Natural Selection, Gideon Oliver, Ballad of the Sad Cafe
  • Craig Nigh
    Key Cast
    Breaking Bad, The Lying Game, Revolution
  • Step Rowe
    Key Cast
    Tedesky
  • Teagan Jai Boyd
    Key Cast
    Lost in the sun, My Monster
  • Judy McMillan
    Key Cast
    An American in Texas
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Social, Senior, Medical, Death & Dying, Women, Female Protagonist, student
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 2 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Austin Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    WORLD PREMIERE
  • Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes y Arte sobre Enfermedades
    Valencia, Spain
    Spanish Premeire
    Young Jury Award
  • Omaha Film Festival
    Omaha, NE
    Midwest Premiere
    Finalist: Best Short Screenplay
  • Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Sociales SOLO PARA CORTOS
    Barcelona, Spain
    Barcelona Premiere
    Best Screenplay
  • Worldfest Houston International Film Festival
    Houston, TX
    Houston Premiere
    Platinum Remi Awards for both script and film
  • Hill Country Film festival
    Fredericksburg, TX
    United States
    Best Short Screenplay
  • The Awareness Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    April 16, 2016
    Jury Award
Director Biography - Kevin Machate

The film was part of my undergraduate thesis at the University of Texas.

Kevin graduated from the University of Texas, with a BA in American Studies and minor in History. Although he began his film career as an actor, he quickly moved into Producing and eventually Directing. Kevin's films have won numerous awards worldwide having been screened in various cities in the US, Europe, South America, Oceania, and Asia.

Kevin has directed six short films and his credits as a producer have exceeded 50 at the time of this writing. His recent works include three short series starring Golden Globe and Tony Award winner Barry Bostwick and Saturn Award Winner Doug Jones, along with a series of short musical and educational videos (With puppets!) starring Ed Helms.

He is a veteran of the US Air Force and a three-time Guinness World Record holder. Kevin was recently featured by Business Insider magazine as one of the most "Impressive Students at the University of Texas."

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In 1998 I was working as an HIV Risk Reduction counselor in Philadelphia . One day, I was talking to one of my co-workers, when she mentioned that her Mom had died the year before. As we got to know each other better, more details came out about her mother's illness and the circumstances surrounding her death. While it's clear that her Mom died as a result of cancer, it wasn't the cancer that killed her. She took her own life before that could happen. I was stunned. My friend has never provided me with any details. This was the first time I had ever come face-to-face with the idea of Death with Dignity. The whole idea blew me away to the point that I never forgot about it.

We are all going to die. I think it's our wish that we all die a good death rather than the alternative. Ethically speaking, a good death is one where there is minimal suffering, and without violence. For many people, factors that constitute a good death include dying at home, with family and friends and without stressful physical symptoms (nausea and vomiting, pain, dyspnea, respiratory tract secretions, pain, and agitation). It may also include the knowledge that one would not be a physical or financial burden on others.
This film is a work of fiction, but it tells the true tale of what many individuals go through. Events much like this one take place in our country every day. Sometimes legally, other times, not. Promise Me paints a touching, intimate portrait of one dying woman's final day on Earth and her plight to right the wrongs of her past while attempting to convince her recently reconciled son not to follow in her footsteps. Promise Me broaches the topic of Death with Dignity in an environment where the practice is not legal, but shows the reality of a situation that happens in America on a daily basis.