Experiencing Interruptions?

A State Of

An agoraphobic apartment manager, who struggles with intense hypochondriasis, must fight for his life after he witnesses a grisly murder just outside his window.

  • Nick Benjamin
    Director
    How It Goes Down, Under Darkness, Here and Beyond, Tagged 016, Magic Cologne, Interview at 4, 3rd Ward, Theatre in the Round, Flashback
  • Nick Benjamin
    Writer
    How It Goes Down, Under Darkness, Here and Beyond, Tagged 016, Magic Cologne, Interview at 4, 3rd Ward, Theatre in the Round, Flashback
  • Alexis Arce
    Producer
  • Nick Benjamin
    Producer
    How It Goes Down, Under Darkness, Here and Beyond, Tagged 016, Magic Cologne, Interview at 4, 3rd Ward, Theatre in the Round, Flashback
  • Jesse Frankel
    Producer
  • Jesse Gabbard
    Co-Producer
  • Marlon Galdamez
    Director of Photogrphy
  • Alexis Arce
    Production Design
  • Tessa Tingloff
    Costume Designer
  • Calvin Chin
    Editor
  • Dillon Weiss
    Music Composer
  • Andrew Simon
    Key Cast
    "Henry"
  • Rebecca Gomberg
    Key Cast
    "Jeanette"
  • Sean Carmichael
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Andrew Michaels"
  • Mel Padernal
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Jenn Cruz"
  • Shane Weiss
    Key Cast
    "Neighbor"
  • Jimmy Leihe
    Key Cast
    "Nurse"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Psychological Thriller, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital (3.4K RAW)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nick Benjamin

Nick Benjamin is a Brazilian-American writer/director, who has been experimenting with filmmaking since he was twelve years old. When he was only seventeen years old and a junior in high school, Nick won the award for Best Director/Picture at the Columbia College Hollywood summer film program for his short film How It Goes Down (2011). Since then, Nick has written, directed and produced several personal projects, as well as many student projects during his tenure at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Upon arriving at USC, Nick immediately jumped into working on a multitude of projects for undergraduate and graduate students alike. In 2018, he was a producer in several award-winning USC graduate theses including Here and Beyond (2018) and Something to Live For (2018). Nick was also nominated for a Student Academy Award for Co-Producing the multi-award-winning short film Under Darkness (2018). After graduating, he began his journey into the world of directing by assisting acclaimed directors such as Michael Bay and Brad Peyton during Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production on their respective films. Nick began directing music videos in his spare time, including “Flashback” by Holland Greco (2022), which made its debut on national television in 2022. Taking the skills that he acquired along the way, Nick is now focusing on writing and directing compelling and captivating stories of his own that encompass themes that look "outside the box" with a sense of wonder, while maintaining a thrilling edge.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A State Of came about back in early 2021, post lockdown, when everything started opening back up. After being stuck in an enclosed space for ten months, it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders for many reasons: next moves, career, life. That feeling took a toll on me, and because of that, it resulted in a bout of spontaneous panic attacks; something I had never felt before, and can safely say I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemies. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was out of control of my own health. And I surely thought it was something fatal. I visited every doctor I could think of - neurologist, psychologist, cardiologist, even down to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. Each visit was met with a small sense of hope, but eventually reverted back to a feeling of hopelessness. It felt like everyone was against me anytime I tried explaining to them what I was feeling. More importantly, I thought every doctor was blind, because all of them ended up saying the same thing: “you’re fine.” To me, there was clearly something there, and no one could spot it. It took a lot for me to get back to a place where I could control these attacks. One of the things that truly helped helped me overcome this obstacle was writing.

I came up with the idea of someone who feels trapped and fearful, trying to find inner peace, just as I had been told to do a number of times. Being a fan of genre, I thought it would be interesting to explore an exterior dilemma; in this case, murder. Henry gets caught up in the middle of his own fears, and is thrust into one he never thought he’d have to face. What I enjoyed most about this journey was creating a character so many can understand and relate to, while also questioning the reality of what he sees, leaving us to interpret different outcomes. This project could not have been made without the exceptional cast and crew that brought so much heart and tenacity to their roles, whether it was in front of the camera or behind. This was an incredibly collaborative effort and I share this film with every single one of them. I hope everyone has a great time watching my short and more importantly, can feel something different each time they watch it. Thank you and enjoy the ride!