Cranberry Nights
Juana's life is uprooted when her friend unwittingly reveals the secret that she's undocumented.
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Sara RobinDirectorBottled, Listeners, Am I Not Your Girl
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Sara RobinWriterBottled, Listeners, Am I Not Your Girl
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Matias LetelierProducer
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Sara RobinProducer
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Inde NavarretteKey Cast"Juana"13 Reasons Why, Wander Darkly, Superman & Lois
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Sarah SawyerKey Cast"Kelly"I'm Sorry I Love You
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David Murillo R.MusicBetween Sea and Land, Y Donde Es El Partido, Prime Contact
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Casey StolbergDirector of PhotographyThoroughbred, Speed, Gigi Boy
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Jess WeberEditorGarage Squad
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:15 minutes 53 seconds
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Completion Date:February 28, 2020
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Production Budget:25,000 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, Spanish
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Shooting Format:Digital, ProRes4444, Alexa Mini
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Aspect Ratio:2.35:1
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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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Female Eye Film FestivalToronto
March 5, 2020
World Premiere
Official Selection -
Lakeshorts International Short Film FestivalToronto
Canada
September 25, 2020
Official Selection -
Online New England Film FestivalBoston
United States
September 8, 2020
Best Drama -
San Antonio Film FestivalSan Antonio, Texas
United States
August 4, 2020
Texas Premiere
Official Selection -
Geelong International Film FestivalGeelong
Australia
September 11, 2020
Australian Premiere
Best Director -
LA Women in Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
September 10, 2020
California Premiere
Official Selection -
Charlotte Film FestivalCharlotte, North Carolina
United States
September 23, 2020
North Carolina Premiere
Honorable Mention – Social Justice Category -
SCAD Savannah Film FestivalSavannah, Georgia
United States
October 24, 2020
Georgia Premiere
Official Selection -
St. Louis International Film FestivalSt. Louis, Missouri
United States
November 5, 2020
Missouri Premiere
Official Selection -
San Francisco Short Film FestivalSan Francisco, CA
United States
October 9, 2020
San Francisco Premiere
Official Selection -
HollyShorts Film FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
November 9, 2020
Los Angeles Premiere
Official Selection -
Montreal Independent Film FestivalMontreal
Canada
October 10, 2020
Montreal Premiere
Official Selection -
Anchorage International Film FestivalAnchorage, AK
United States
December 4, 2020
Alaska Premiere
Official Selection -
Toronto Independent Film FestivalToronto
Canada
January 4, 2021
N/A
Official Selection -
Dublin International Film FestivalDublin
Ireland
February 16, 2021 -
Courage Film FestivalBerlin
Germany
January 4, 2021
Germany Premiere
Official Selection -
Roxbury International Film FestivalBoston
United States
June 17, 2021
N/A
Official Selection
Distribution Information
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Piko ProductionsCountry: WorldwideRights: All Rights
Sara Robin is a German director, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles. Her work centers on stories of social empowerment across narrative and documentary formats. Sara has written and directed a multitude of projects, from her 2013 LGTBQ short Am I Not Your Girl that was screened in festivals all over the world, to her science-fiction short Listeners, a chilling tale about a world without privacy. Sara is a Fulbright Alumna, and her student work at Boston University awarded her a place in Variety’s 110 Students to Watch List in 2015.
I have lived on visas for the past 10 years of my life. I know what it feels like when your home is uncertain. When you cannot plan the future beyond the next two years. I of course put myself into that position by choice. I did it for the same reason that many undocumented immigrants come to the US: in search for a better life. And yet, I was lucky enough to have the resources to get a visa and navigate the jungle of immigration laws. The people who most need a chance for a better life rarely have the resources to achieve it legally. The odds are stacked against them.
At its core, the American Dream is the idea that if you work hard, you can achieve your goals. Yet, there are millions of young people who have grown up in the US who have no avenue to build a lasting future in this country – no matter how hard they work, no matter how much they achieve. The only home they know does not offer them a path to citizenship. Under our current administration we are no closer to fixing that, but instead DACA was rescinded and deportation efforts ramped up.
In times where the political discourse increasingly divides us, I want to make a film that reminds us about the things we have in common. I want to show an undocumented teenager who so much appears to be a regular American teenager, that it takes the audience half of the film to realize that she is undocumented. I want to create the opportunity for a young Latina actress to star in a role that moves beyond gender and race stereotypes. Amidst the exciting rise of content showcasing black talent and storytellers, nuanced Latinx characters have yet to find their foothold.
Cranberry Nights is a coming-of-age story told through the lens of the undocumented experience. On the surface, it is the story about broken trust between two friends. It raises questions of identity, what it means to grow up never being able to disclose who you truly are. The film shows Juana’s efforts to “fit in”, an experience we’re all too familiar with when we think about high school. Yet in Juana’s case the stakes are higher: going out drinking with her friends can risk everything. Telling her friend the truth, might destroy her life.
Over the course of researching and writing the film, I was lucky to get in contact with several undocumented young people. Their stories are full of sacrifice, frustration, and disillusion. But also full of hope. I am excited and honored to have several undocumented team members in our cast and crew. Having people on our team, who experienced the story we're telling first hand made all the difference!
I hope you enjoy watching the film. Thank you for your consideration!
Best,
Sara Robin