Private Project

DINER THERAPY: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

PILOT EPISODE: In the midst of the Covid Crisis, displaced New York Therapist: Dolly Rey, finds a silver lining of sorts as she is forced to hold all of her therapy sessions outside or risk losing her livelihood. All kinds of hilarity and absurdities ensue, as she and her patients try and navigate this Brave New Pandemic World in the jungle that is New York City.

  • Laura Daniel
    Director
    Laura Loves NY!
  • Kate Greer
    Writer
    That's What She Told Me...
  • Kate Greer & Nick of Time Films
    Producer
    That's What She Told Me...
  • Kate Greer
    Key Cast
    "Dolly Rey"
    The Undoing, Younger, The Americans, Jessica Jones
  • Wayne Henry
    Key Cast
    "Henry"
    Jaws, The Musical, Becca
  • Trent V. Stone
    Key Cast
    "Stan"
    Phantom of The Opera
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Covid
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Austin Comedy Film Festival
    Austin
    United States
    November 8, 2022
    Texas!
    Official Selection
  • Chain NYC Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    August 27, 2021
    AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
  • Dark Comedy Film Festival-Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 26, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • New Filmmakers NY
    New York
    United States
    July 14, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Lift Off Global Network-Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 15, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Worldwide Women's Film Festival
    Scottsdale, AZ
    United States
    February 19, 2022
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • DC Independent Film Festival
    Washington D.C.
    United States
    March 5, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival
    Asbury Park
    United States
    April 23, 2022
    NJ Premiere
    Official Selection
  • SF Frozen Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    July 17, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Tuscany Web Fest
    Pisa
    Italy
    July 9, 2022
    European
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Laura Daniel

Laura Daniel made her first film when she picked up her grandfather’s Cine-Kodak and created a short called “The Seasons” with kids from her neighborhood. From there, she acted onstage in plays and musicals, winning awards all over the country. Laura also won the NYU Craft Award for Outstanding Acting in the short film, “Sincerely Yours.” A coach encouraged her to start filming again, so she bounced behind the camera to create the documentary-styled web series, Laura Loves NY to highlight the people, places and history of New York City. www.lauralovesny.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Humor has always helped me get through tough times, and when COVID-19 hit, Kate Greer (creator, writer & lead actress) came to me with her idea of filming her “Covid Comedy” DINER THERAPY. I immediately said, “I’m all in!”

I loved the script and the idea of showcasing how some people in New York City were dealing with lifestyle changes around the pandemic. DINER THERAPY was filmed as a guerilla-style on-the-move comedy, because that’s how New York feels: fast-paced, absurd and hilarious. Because of time constraints, it was shot entirely on iPhones.

I wanted to ensure the city was a character in the piece, so we heightened sound effects like jackhammers and traffic. Through editing, my co-editor, Wayne Henry, discovered a fun new ending for the film that created an easy lead-in for the next episode. This piece will always be special to me because I got to work with 3 wonderful actor-collaborators, who kept me laughing on a very cold day in the Big Apple.