BORDERLINE

On the day of her Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, Kelsey tries everything to avoid being alone. Spamming her Dad’s phone to no avail, she tries to cope the old-fashioned way… online dating. After a series of failed connections, Kelsey spirals into psychosis leaving herself questioning why she should continue on this lonely road. In Kelsey Packwood’s directorial debut, this half-hour “traumedy” encompasses what it really means to be, Borderline, shining a light on this long misunderstood mental-illness.

  • Kelsey Packwood
    Director
    Miracle Workers, B.F.E., Rehabilitation of the Hill
  • Kelsey Packwood
    Writer
  • Kelsey Packwood
    Producer
  • Jennifer McDonnell
    Producer
  • Michelle Ammons
    Producer
  • Ryan Bifulco
    Producer
  • MYC Agnew
    Producer
  • Kelsey Packwood
    Key Cast
    "Kelsey"
  • Andrew Ferguson
    Key Cast
    "Oliver"
  • Elle Nelson
    Key Cast
    "Therapist"
  • Djon Alexander
    Key Cast
    "Delivery Driver"
  • Billy Ray Coats
    Key Cast
    "Jazz Trumpet Player"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 6 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 8, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kelsey Packwood

Kelsey Packwood is a Writer, Director, Producer, and Actor based in Los Angeles, CA. An alum of the Disney/ABC Discovers Talent Showcase, Kelsey began her career in Musical Theatre before pivoting to Film & Television at the age of 18 years old. Kelsey went on to star in the indie darling, “B.F.E.” directed by Seattle local, Shawn Telford, which made its festival circuit globally, taking home the “Best Ensemble Acting” award at the Sarasota Film Festival. After moving to Los Angeles, Kelsey starred in the Pittsburgh-Drama “Rehabilitation of The Hill” opposite Harry Lennix (The Blacklist). An unexpected career change landed Kelsey in the writer’s room of TBS’ high-concept 1/2 hr comedy “Miracle Workers: End Times”, produced by Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe. Since receiving her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder at the age of 27, Kelsey has been working endlessly to bring her own series “BORDERLINE” to life. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Kelsey independently produced a pilot presentation for “BORDERLINE” while packaging the series for sale. Kelsey hopes to bring awareness to mental health and create films & series that continue to challenge the world’s perception of neurodivergence and disabilities across all spectrums.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Creating this film has simultaneously been the most challenging experience and greatest joy of my life. It has taken me 3 years to bring BORDERLINE to your screen, though in reality it’s taken a lifetime. At the age of 27 I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, which as you can imagine turned my whole world upside down. I finally had answers for 5 year old me who always wondered why I was “different”. Initially, I had moved out to Los Angeles to become an actor. After 6 years of auditioning and booking nothing… I quit acting and began looking into production assistant work. I just wanted to be on set, even if that meant working behind the camera. It was as if the universe had been waiting for me to take this leap as I landed a job in the writer’s room of Miracle Workers: End Times as a Showrunner’s Assistant and Writer’s Assistant shortly thereafter. And in that room I realized my true calling in life. Writing. I was able to combine my talents to produce, write, and direct a piece as a star vehicle for myself. I began writing a spec script about my life, and just like that, Borderline was born.

As I was writing I went to look for comps to reference for the series and I couldn’t find anything that explored the depth of what BPD truly is. And that’s when I realized that this show did not exist yet. In fact, it dawned on me that it was my purpose to bring it to life. And after a string of coincidences, I was able to crowdfund and independently produce an autobiographical film that accurately depicts Borderline Personality Disorder in a way that the world has not yet seen.

During this time I was battling my own suicidal ideation while simultaneously trying to understand why it felt like this disorder was ruining my quality of life. As a filmmaker I wanted to use my knowledge and expertise to educate the masses in a palatable way and ultimately lower the suicide rate for the highest killer of any psychiatric disorder. 10% of people with BPD will die of suicide, but with the right information in the right hands we can change this.

I couldn’t be more proud of what I’ve created. And I can’t wait for you to see what my incredible team has put together.

Welcome to BORDERLINE!