Don't Miss Your Exit


Logline: With a sick mother, a young free-spirited sister and a family business, a selfless young woman on the brink of independence must decide to stay and help the family or chase her dreams
elsewhere.
Synopsis: Don’t Miss Your Exit is an emotional drama about one family, one best friend, and one dream. Jasmine, the oldest sister in her family, knows all about being the head of the household. After her mother was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, she’s been taking on the world: running the family’s successful legacy business, caring for her mother and her eccentric younger sister Nadia. If Jasmine could change the future, she’d go to college to become a writer and leave her family behind. Putting her dreams on hold is something Jasmine thinks about a lot. But when her dreams become a reality in less than 48 hours, Jasmine decides that she’s not going to go.
Rather than tell her family that she’s staying home to ensure that her family is taken care of, she tells the one person she can trust, her best friend Devin. With his boy next door style, he can easily tell that Jasmine is in definite need of a push. Jasmine gives herself a deadline to tell her family her choice, but Nadia finds out before she can tell her, leaving Jasmine to face her fears once and for all. This story revolves around selfishness versus selflessness and the sacrifice of choosing yourself. It focuses on interfamily relationships with an ambiguous ending of the family’s
consequences for Jasmine’s departure. With a new outlook on life, Jasmine makes the final
decision to leave for college, realizing that her family’s circumstances are under control with or
without her.

  • Savanah Winn
    Director
    Blink Twice, Synth Film, Drum Skin, Telephone Film
  • Savanah Winn
    Writer
    Blink Twice, Synth Film, Drum Skin, Telephone Film
  • Nia Stewart
    Producer
    Homecoming Film, The Sleepover, Ambitous, Castle In the Skai,
  • Mone Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Jasmine"
  • Jasmine Allen
    Key Cast
    "Nadia"
  • Felicia Wilkins
    Key Cast
    "Serena"
  • Tashan Thornton
    Key Cast
    "Devin"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    drama, coming of age
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,290 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Temple University
  • Diamond Screen Film festival
    Philadelphia
    United States
    May 1, 2024
    North American premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Savanah Winn

Savanah Winn is a recent graduate from Temple University with a degree in film and media arts with a concentration in directing. Savanah has a niche for all things media. She has had various media and entertainment internships and opportunities, ranging from social media marketing to festival managerial processes and production assistance. She has a passion for filmmaking and telling stories from underrepresented communities. She hopes to use her creativity in a more business-savvy manner and environment.

Please note: Producer Nia Stewart is submitting this film and is currently a film and media arts student at Temple University.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Don't Miss Your Exit is a retelling of generational curses that held my family back. Everyone missed their exit. When life begins to “life” the women in my family decided to stay and take care of the family rather than chase their dreams. There is this sense of wondering: am I being selfish for choosing me? The constant battle between selfishness versus selflessness is what causes the delays in departure. The time clock is ticking by as you watch the world keep spinning. You feel stuck as you watch other people chase their dreams. Meanwhile, your dreams have shifted from yourself to your family. Many of the women in my family got married and had children young. There was no more room for them.
After generations of selflessness, I am the first person in my family to choose myself. I moved away from my hometown. It wasn’t too hard; I’ve always felt like I was the chosen one. The changemaker who would ensure that the next generation of women would also choose to be selfish. I thought that when I left home, my family would fall apart but all we did was get stronger.
This film is a message that it's never too late to choose yourself. That no matter what’s going on at home there will always be room for you to shift. Taking your exit is the best thing you could ever do. This story is an ode to the strong Black women in my family who missed their exit.