Gateway Stays

A woman grieving the loss of her fiancé turns to a mysterious home rental site offering access to the afterlife.

  • Raphael Rogers
    Director
  • Jay Frasco
    Writer
  • Jay Frasco
    Producer
  • Maliya Gorman-Carter
    Key Cast
    "Elsie"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,800 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.9:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Raphael Rogers

Raphael has directed numerous commercials, music videos and narrative shorts. He was recently hired to write an interactive screen-reality thriller for Bazelevs, the creators of “Searching.” He is currently attached to direct the feature film. His work was recently featured by National Geographic and Redbull. His shorts have received numerous staff picks and millions of views on youtube. His very first sci-fi short was optioned by Universal. He wrote MASQUE with his wife, Kristin Rogers, an award winning filmmaker (SXSW), and an AICE winning editor with numerous projects also in development.

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Director Statement

GATEWAY STAYS is a story about fighting loss. What drew me to Jay's idea initially, was the concept of someone going through a perpetual cycle of struggle. Elsie becomes possessed, but has momentary windows of lucidity and uses those precious moments trying to escape. We all see this in the people that surround us in real life, people that spiral down into darkness and have to fight to come to the surface. Many unfortunately don't make it out. Ultimately, I know that Elsie keeps fighting just as we encourage our friends and family to.

Also, central to the concept is the unique idea of haunted homes converted into rental sites for communion with those beyond the veil. Combining that concept with the mythology of the protective candle creates a world that I wanted to know more about. We taste the beginnings of something much deeper that many can connect with.