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Cave Canem

A young writer on vacation ventures beyond her beach house walls to find a human connection only to realize all connections aren’t human.

  • Candice Vernon
    Director
    Make America Great?, Two Trials
  • Candice Vernon
    Writer
    Make America Great?, Two Trials
  • Candice Vernon
    Producer
    Make America Great?, Two Trials
  • Shane James
    Key Cast
    "The Duppy"
  • Candice Vernon
    Key Cast
    "C"
  • Roxanne Belcher
    Key Cast
    "Rox"
  • Keturah King
    Key Cast
    "K"
  • Dennis Fyffe
    Director of Photography
  • Tarik Holmes
    Sound Mixer
  • Jayson Ramos
    Post Production Supervisor
  • Scott Gibney
    Editor
  • Derek Goldsmith
    Color Producer
  • Demitri Zola
    Colorist
  • Jeff Altman
    Special Effects Color
  • Moises Tavera
    Flame Artist
  • Roman Zeitlan
    Post Production Sound Mix
  • Ross Hopman
    Music Producer
  • Brad Fischer
    Composer
  • Brad Fischer
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 6, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Jamaica
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Candice Vernon

Candice Vernon’s directing career kicked into high gear with her award winning short film, MAKE AMERICA GREAT? which she wrote, directed, and produced. The film screened at festivals worldwide and received write-ups by The Hollywood Reporter and Decider.com. The success of the film opened doors for Candice to be signed to The Russo Brothers production Company formerly known as Bullit. She was then hand-picked by Stevie Wonder to direct THE DREAM STILL LIVES, celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Candice worked with The Obama’s, Stevie Wonder, Common, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, and countless other entertainment luminaries. The video has garnered over 1 billion impressions to date. It is this experience that put Candice in the spotlight and set her on a trajectory for where she is now as a DGA member.

She’s also a former ad agency Executive Producer/Head of Production, where she used this experience in working with brands, production companies, and high profile directors to become a Director herself. Born in Jamaica, Candice also grew up in the USA, and Germany, providing her with a unique outlook on humans as subjects which sparked her passion for storytelling. She loves a good comedy-drama, and secretly wants to direct a superhero film…

Known for her work in comedy, and documentary content, with high profile celebrities (Academy Award Winner Regina King, improv queen Jenny Slate, Sterling K.Brown, Simu Liu), Candice has directed for NBA2K, Svedka Vodka, Warner Media|HBO, P&G: Cascade, Vaseline, Spotify, Hulu, and BuzzFeed. Most recently she’s at the helm of TWO TRIALS, a feature length documentary surrounding the social justice cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She received her BA in Film & TV from Temple University and currently resides in Los Angeles and Accra, Ghana.

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Director Statement

"Cave Canem" is a film that springs from a deeply personal place and an impromptu creative burst. While visiting my home island of Jamaica, in the serene fishing village of Treasure Beach, I felt a powerful urge to capture the haunting beauty and eerie tranquility of this place on film. This story is a thrilling exploration of human connection, isolation, and the often blurred line between the two.

As a storyteller, I am fascinated by the way we seek connection and how our environment shapes these interactions. "Cave Canem" delves into this theme through the journey of a young writer on vacation. She steps out of her comfort zone, beyond the familiar walls of her beach house, only to confront a disturbing reality: not all connections are human. This narrative is a metaphor for our deepest fears and desires, reflecting the complexity of our relationships and the often unpredictable nature of human interaction.

Shooting this film entirely through improvisation was both a challenge and a revelation. It allowed for a raw and organic portrayal of the characters and the setting, capturing the essence of Treasure Beach in a way that scripted dialogue might not. The spontaneity of the process brought an authenticity to the film, making the terror and tension more palpable.

In post-production, I made the artistic choice to present the film in black and white while isolating specific colors to enhance the emotional impact using color theory. The main character, C, wears a lot of yellow to signify her naivety. At times, we see red, which hints at danger. The film includes one color sequence reflecting a flashback, purposefully keeping the present time in black and white while the past is in color. This distinction was chosen to highlight C's isolation in the present compared to her more vibrant past.

My background in both commercial and documentary filmmaking has profoundly influenced my approach to "Cave Canem." Having worked with high-profile celebrities and on significant social justice projects, I have learned to navigate various storytelling techniques and styles. This film is a departure from my usual genre but carries the same dedication to character depth and narrative intensity.

With "Cave Canem," I hope to evoke a visceral reaction from the audience, to make them question the nature of their connections and the boundaries they place on themselves. It is a film that speaks to our primal fears and the dark allure of the unknown.

I am immensely proud of this project and grateful for the opportunity to share it. I hope "Cave Canem" will resonate with viewers and spark conversations about the nature of fear, connection, and the human experience.

Candice Vernon