Private Project

Day At The Zoo

A young uncle realizes something is very wrong with his 6-year-old nephew as they bond at the zoo.

  • Harris Gurny
    Director
  • Harris Gurny
    Writer
  • Harris Gurny
    Producer
  • Kate Greenlese
    Producer
  • Zach Spiegel
    Key Cast
  • Callan Barry
    Key Cast
  • Taylor Karin
    Key Cast
  • Kathy-Ann Hart
    Key Cast
  • Oliver Shahery
    Cinematography
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 58 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm film
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Harris Gurny

Harris Gurny is a New York based filmmaker. He is currently producing the upcoming feature Coup! starring Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen and Sarah Gadon. Recently, Harris co-produced The God Committee, starring Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles and Colman Domingo. The film premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released by Vertical Entertainment. He also co-produced the upcoming documentary ASCO: Without Permission, whose EPs include Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.

He has made several shorts that have screened nationally, assisted on films by Steven Soderbergh and the Safdie Brothers, and has written seven feature screenplays. Harris’ short film Mustache had its online premiere through NoBudge in 2021.

Harris likes to make films that are irreverent and provocative, that seek to disrupt people’s sense of normalcy, and speak towards pressing social and political issues. He tends to write humor that is hard to distinguish from tragedy and characters with extreme views and obsessions. Harris graduated from Vassar College.

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Director Statement

As a child, going to the zoo was the most awe-inspiring experience - I wanted to replicate that feeling in my film “Day at the Zoo” and view it through the eyes of a jaded twenty-something, who re-discovers this lost sense of wonder. My goal was to make an amusing and heartfelt film about an unlikely family bond in the spirit of a buddy movie.

Directing a 6-year-old with a limited amount of film stock was challenging, but I rarely had to adjust Callan’s performance, since his youthful energy came across in every scene. We chose to shoot on 16mm film so the movie would feel a bit like a childhood memory, grounding the film in Peter’s perspective.