Experiencing Interruptions?

Changing with the Seasons

"Changing with the Seasons" traverses a family's mundane and repetitive road to recovery after the mother suffers a stroke.

Following several months in the hospital, life has become exhausting and the aftermath impacts everyone on a physical, mental, emotional and financial level.

With just a year to relearn as much as she can, will the mother be able to find her way back to a normal life? Or will she be dealing with the struggles the diagnosis has dealt the family for years to come?

  • Ashley Seybolt
    Director
  • Arik Hopson
    Director of Photography
  • Ashley Seybolt
    Writer
  • Ashley Seybolt
    Producer
  • April Bennett
    Key Cast
    "Mother / Carol"
  • Cayla Ross
    Key Cast
    "Daughter / Chloe"
  • Jason Harvey
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Cameron Strock
    Key Cast
    "Son"
  • JD Lafary
    Key Cast
    "Doctor"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, family, medical drama
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 34 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 13, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    600 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Poombukar International Film Festival
    Tamil Nadu
    India
    December 9, 2022
    WINNER in “Best Debut Short Film”, “Best Women’s Short Film” via Special Jury Award, “Best Actress” (April Bennett as MOTHER)
  • Snow Leopard International Film Festival
    Madrid
    Spain
    WINNER - "Best Young Director"
  • V.i.Z. Film Fest

    Bulgaria
    December 7, 2022
    WINNER - Best Short Film Editing (Ashley Seybolt, Arik Hopson) FINALIST - Best Short Film, Best Short Film by a First Time Filmmaker (Ashley Seybolt), Best Short Drama, Best Actress (April Bennett as MOTHER), Best Actor (Jason Harvey as FATHER), Best Short Film Cinematography (Arik Hopson), Best Poster, Best Short Film Sound Design (Ashley Seybolt, Arik Hopson), Best Short Film Director (Ashley Seybolt)
  • Athvikvaruni International Film Festival
    Tamil Nadu
    India
    December 16, 2022
    Winner - "Best Actress" (April Bennett as MOTHER), Special Mention Award "Best Women's Short Film"
  • Blue Moon International Film Festival

    December 28, 2022
    Winner, "Best Actress" (April Bennett as MOTHER), "Best Debut Short Film", "Best Women's Short Film", "Best Social Awareness Short Film"
  • Green Island International Film Festival

    WINNER, "Best Debut Short Film", "Best Short Film Director - Ashley Seybolt", "Best Short Film Cinematography - Arik Hopson", "Best Original Score - Ashley Seybolt & Arik Hopson", "Best Short Film Editing - Ashley Seybolt & Arik Hopson", "Best Actor (Jason Harvey as FATHER)", "Best Actress (April Bennett as MOTHER)"
  • Monthly Indie Shorts

    WINNER - "Best Editing" (Ashley Seybolt & Arik Hopson), "Best Actress" (April Bennett as MOTHER)
  • Snowtown Film Festival
    Watertown, NY
    United States
    WINNER "North Country Filmmaker Award"
  • Miseentage International Film Award

    WINNER, "Best Actor / Actress" (April Bennett as MOTHER, Jason Harvey as FATHER"
  • Santa Cruz Independent Film Fest

    Winner- "Best Actress" April Bennet as MOTHER
  • Niagara Falls International Short Festival

    WINNER - “Best Editing in Short”, “Best Poster”
  • Under Appreciated Film Festival

    August 13, 2023
    Winner: "Best Social Awareness"
  • Bestlov Film Festival

    December 31, 2022
    Finalist- "Drama", "Low Budget", "Best Actress"
  • Paris International Short Festival
    Paris
    France
    Semi-Finalist, Nominations for “Best Actress in Short” (April Bennett as MOTHER), “Best First-Time Filmmaker”
  • New York International Women Festival

    Semi-Finalist
  • The Macoproject Film Festival
    New York City, NY
    United States
    September 22, 2023
    Semi-Finalist
  • Zagreb International Film Festival
    Zagreb
    Croatia
    Official Selection, Nominations for "Best Short Film", "Best Director Debut"
  • Cooper Awards

    Official Selection
  • Janjira International Film Festival

    December 31, 2022
    Honorable Mention “Best First Time Filmmaker (Short Film)”
  • Eternal International Film Festival

    Official Selection, nominations in "Best Actress" (April Bennett as MOTHER), "Best Debut"
  • Wisdom Tree International Film Festival

    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓-𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐓-𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐁𝐀𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊

    Official Selection
  • The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    October 2, 2023
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Ashley Seybolt

I'm a technically inclined and visual individual wih a passion for story-telling, whether it's current events or a short film with a story I want to tell.

Currently, I am a News Producer at WWNY / WNYF in Watertown, NY. However, my duties extend beyond the production of our newscasts.

I am a New Jersey Devils hockey fanatic, and am all about the chilly weather and the outdoors. I'm very active and can be found at the ice rink, on the slopes, or in the pool swimming laps.

In 2022, Ashley founded Walk With Me Productions.

Walk With Me Productions is a group of story-tellers, filmmakers and talented friends who work together to create our passion projects to inspire others to enjoy the same passions.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Changing with the Seasons" is inspired by family events that occurred in 2017-2018 after my mother suffered a stroke that put her in the hospital for months.

“Changing with the Seasons” is very personal to me. The script is raw and unfiltered and I hope to express just that in the edit. An emotional, yet mundane and awkward rollercoaster as a family traverses the road to recovery.

I wrote the script in a matter of days in August 2021 as the words literally poured out of me. Then immediately began pre-planning. We started filming in December 2021 on weekends and finished up in June of 2022.

This is my first film in 7 years, and the first one I have done since high school. It is also the first one I am making under Walk With Me Productions and is the largest project I have ever taken on, more than tripling the time of my last film, which had a run time of 5:27.

I truly appreciate and love everyone who has supported the project this far. It is perfectly imperfect, one that I’ve learned a lot on, and hopefully one to make you really feel the struggle the characters are going through.