Becoming
Becoming is a dramady with a magical twist that explores themes of death, grief, and transformation. On their 33rd birthday Scott and Morgan, twin brother and sister, learn that like their mother Beatrice, they were baptized into the coven and are witches and have a chance to open a portal to bring their mother back. Will they accept their their identity and unite in bringing their mother back, or will their grief keep them from stepping into their true nature?
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Carly SullivanDirectorBecoming, Creative Lite, The American Virus, Happy!, Blue Bloods
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Carly SullivanWriterBecoming, Creative Lite, The American Virus
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Ryan DziadoszProducerBecoming
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Benjamin KangProducerAlpha/Beta, Snack
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Carly SullivanKey Cast"Morgan"Becoming, Happy!, Blue Bloods, The Carrie Diaries, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll
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Joseph ReitmanKey Cast"George"Happy!, The Punisher, Ray Donovan, Clueless
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Dramady, Sci-Fi, New Age
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Runtime:20 minutes 50 seconds
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Completion Date:March 26, 2021
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Production Budget:30,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, Sony Venice, 4k/6k
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Aspect Ratio:2:39:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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New York International Film FestivalNew York
United States
May 1, 2021
Official Selection, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director -
LA Shorts International Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
July 9, 2021
Official Selection -
LA Independent Women Film AwardsLos Angeles
United States
April 30, 2021
Best Sci-Fi Short -
La Femme International Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
October 16, 2021
Official Selection -
Infinity Film FestivalLondon
France
July 15, 2021
Official Selection
Carly Sullivan is a multi-hyphenated creative artist who works as an actress, writer and director. Born in Plantation, Florida, she moved to New York City after graduating from the University of Florida to study theater, where she trained at the Maggie Flanigan Conservatory and UCB. She began working in various commercials and voice overs, and eventually in film and series like Happy!, Blue Bloods, and the Carrie Diaries. She has starred alongside on-screen talents like Christopher Meloni, Ritchie Coster and Debi Mazer.
She began exploring her desire to direct after shadowing a director on her off days while recurring on the Syfy series Happy!, which only solidified her desire to step into the directorial role in her next project, Creative Lite. Creative Lite, a four episode docu-series that explores how creativity influences and transoforms the modern world, got a distribution deal and a nomination from Women In Film as a rising an up-and-coming actress/content creator.
This nomination got her access into an elite mentorship program with five other women, and gave her access to highly-respected female mentors like Disney's casting legend Judy Taylor and Mai Ling.
Continuing her journey in front and behind the camera, she wrote and directed two short films in 2020: Hope In the Valley and Becoming. In addition, she was offered a development deal for a true crime series she created, and was asked to join the production team for an all female production team on the documentary The American Virus.
She is incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities she's had thus far in her career and continues to push the pendulum forward as a 360 degree female creator. Every project, every story, and every role she Ms. Sullivan dives into continues to align with her artistic mission: to share thought-provoking , truthful narratives around the marginalized or forgotten parts of society, that are deeply transformative and healing.
Becoming is such a special film to me not only because it is the first project I wrote, directed and co-starred in, but because it was a beacon of light in my life in 2020, during the challenging phases and anxieties of the pandemic. Having this film as a creative outlet was a gift, and provided myself and the entire team with immense cathartic reprieve.
Becoming is incredibly personal. It is about a family dealing with grief after the loss of their beloved mother and wife. Personally, I have dealt with many internal questions around death when my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2003. She is a warrior and survivor, but it put death and loss at the forefront of my existence at a very early age in my life…
The pandemic made these themes incredibly relevant. So many of us have experienced death and loss in profound ways-- whether a physical death, death of our “normal” lives, death of a career… all of these experiences motivated me to write this story and the timing felt perfect.
I am a huge fan of the dramady/ sci-fi genre, and wanted to see how I could build different realities and worlds in a short story. It certainly was a challenge, but I hope to continue to tell relevant stories in the genre that have real heart and meaning.
Shooting during the pandemic meant that certain elements of the story and film had to adapt with these new norms. My team was incredibly flexible, understanding and generous with these changes, and always found a way to remain supportive to the film and the story. Creating the film during such a time of fluctuation taught me how incredibly important it is to remain open minded, flexible and adaptable. Our incredible team was able to overcome many hurdles, and I will never forget out magical --literally-- time together during the creation of Becoming.
I hope the audience is able to question their own relationship with death and loss after watching the film, and to see the transformative and empowering lessons and experiences that can come out of loss. I know that I will personally never forget this film for the reasons listed here, and am forever grateful for the incredible people who helped me make this possible.