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Situational

After being prescribed his third antidepressant, Charlie returns home only to have his Craigslist roommate Miles toilet flush his pills and kidnap him to see a sunrise over the ocean. Tension mounts as the fast talking road trip drives us to the bottom of Charlie's pain and to the impending sunrise on the coast, where life could begin or end, literally... And then there are chinchillas.

  • Scott Simonsen
    Director
  • Scott Simonsen
    Writer
  • Scott Simonsen
    Producer
  • Alyssa Skoller
    Producer
  • Michael Gazin
    Key Cast
    Friday Night Lights
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 14, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    14,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    2k (Cannon C300; Alexa cameras)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Hollywood Reel International Film Festival
    Hollywood, CA
    February 21, 2016
    North American Premiere
  • Ft. Worth Bizarre Film Festival
    Fort Worth
    United States
    June 12, 2016
    Winner - Best Short Film Nationwide
  • Rome Cinedoc
    Rome
    Italy
    May 10, 2016
    Winner Best International Short Film
  • Wolves International Film Festival
    Utena
    Lithuania
    May 30, 2016
    Winner - Best Actor - Michael Gazin
  • Siouxland Film Festival
    Sioux City, IA
    February 28, 2016
    Winner Audience Award - 2nd place
  • Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
    Dubuque, IA
    April 23, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Accolade Global Competition
    Los Angeles, CA
    March 9, 2016
    Winner - Award of Merit
  • Discover Short Film Awards
    UK
    April 10, 2016
    Official Selection
  • MayDay Film Festival
    Evansville, Indiana
    United States
    May 21, 2016
    Official Selection - Closing Film
  • Miami International Film Festival
    Miami, FL
    May 28, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Pune Short Film Festival
    Maharashtra
    India
    May 31, 2016
    TBD
  • South Bay Film and Music Festival
    Hermosa Beach, CA
    United States
    June 3, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Near Nazareth Film Festival
    Afula
    Israel
    May 28, 2016
    Official Selection
  • New Renaissance Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 16, 2016
    Winner - Film of the Week
  • Bucharest ShortCut CineFest
    Bucharest
    Romania
    June 1, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Jehlum Long and Short Film Festival
    Bangalore
    India
    June 4, 2016
    Official Selection
  • New York Sun Fest NYSF
    Ellington, New York
    United States
    June 1, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Big River Film Festival
    Savannah, GA
    United States
    July 8, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Ouchy Short Film Awards
    Lausanne
    Switzerland
    July 20, 2016
    Nominated "Best Film"
  • Lilliputian Film Festival
    St. Louis, Missouri
    United States
    July 15, 2016
    Nominee - TBD
  • Long Beach International Film Festival
    Long Beach, New York
    United States
    August 4, 2016
    TBA
  • Hudson Valley International Film Festival
    Hudson Valley, New York
    United States
    August 27, 2016
    TBD
  • New Renaissance Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    August 20, 2016
    British Premiere
    Nominee - TBD
  • Crested Butte Film Festival
    Crested Butte, Colorad
    United States
    October 1, 2016
    TBD
Director Biography - Scott Simonsen

UPDATE (6/1/16): Scott was recently selected by Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson, Indigenous Media and the Blacklist as a new filmmaking voice worth investing in. As part of their "Big Script" incubator project, Scott's next film will be fully financed with the goal of producing his first feature Honor Council shortly after. http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/josh-hutcherson-ape-short-films-conde-nast-indigenous-incubator-1201781024/

Winner of the prestigious Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Fellowship, Scott Simonsen is an active member of the WGA and has sold feature lengths pitches and scripts to top producers in Hollywood. "Situational" marks his debut as a director (as well as producer and editor... and location scout and and wardrobe and crafts services...) The experience was a beginning to end crash course in filmmaking and has created an insatiable desire to create more. A native New Yorker, now living in Redondo Beach California, Scott tends to work in stories that strip emotional relationships to their cores, while also finding the humor and love within them.

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Director Statement

Being that Situational was my directing debut, I felt it wise to stick to what I know as a writer: emotions. In order to do that, I went to a private place where emotions ran deep. Although I have not experienced clinical depression myself, some people very close to me have, including my mother and my lovely girlfriend. While depression is usually seen from a pitied distance, my goal was to take the audience on an in-your-face road trip, where you would become claustrophobically locked in with the pain and humor of the characters. Even the transference of loyalties from Charlie to Miles (and then to the two of them) is an intentional device used to help the audience empathize with both sides. The world begins a bit maudlin, with some hints of absurdity, but then soon takes on an increasingly accelerated trip driven in equal parts by humor and care. I humbly hope I succeeded in some respects and perhaps even created a piece that speaks to those battling depression, offering them comfort that they are not alone or forgotten.