Experiencing Interruptions?

39 Across

On a quiet suburban street, in a quaint suburban home live housewife Anna and her husband Arnold. Every weekend since they first met, the young couple has done the Sunday crossword together. But when Arnold leaves for a business trip, Anna is left to do the puzzle alone. As she works through the crossword, she comes across an unusual, unsettling, impossible clue in the 39 Across slot. Though she initially shrugs it off, several of the following clues begin to trigger memories from her marriage, and the truth behind 39 Across appears all the more convincing...

  • Adam Turkel
    Director
  • Adam Turkel
    Writer
  • Camille Casmier
    Producer
  • Lilia Vassileva
    Key Cast
  • Nick Van Brunt
    Key Cast
  • Jennifer Lenius
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Chenard
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Thriller, Mystery
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 29, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Media Arts Grants Premiere
    Evanston, Illinois
    United States
    June 2, 2016
  • Big Apple Film Festival
    New York, New York
    United States
    November 4, 2016
    Best Student Film
  • 30under30 Film Festival
    New York, New York
    United States
    November 5, 2016
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Adam Turkel

Adam Turkel is a filmmaker from New York, NY, currently studying radio/television/film at Northwestern University. Over summers since high school, he has attended filmmaking programs and interned at production companies in both television and film, gaining experience in the offices and on set. Several of his original films and those he has edited have been accepted into various film festivals.

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Director Statement

If you look back at early episodes of The Twilight Zone, the unusual phenomena taking place are rarely explained to the audience. The series instead explored how ordinary people respond to the intervention of extraordinary situations, using the supernatural to examine different facets of human nature. With 39 Across, I aimed to recapture that air of mystery while adding a contemporary edge to the visuals. Plus, I have always wanted to combine my passion for film with my love of word games and puzzles.