Dream Upon Waking

A man strains to find joy in the monotony of pandemic life until a mysterious character from his past comes to remind him of who he used to be.

  • J. Andrew
    Director
  • J. Andrew
    Writer
  • J. Andrew
    Producer
  • Luke Powell
    Producer
  • J. Andrew
    Key Cast
    "David"
  • Scott Rice
    Key Cast
    "Madame Diora"
  • Andre Steens
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Scott Rice
    Hair & Makeup
  • J. Andrew
    Production Design
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    LGBTQ, Queer, LGBT, comedy
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 13, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - City College of San Francisco
  • IndieX Film Fest
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    June 30, 2021
    Honorable Mention (LGBT Short), Honorable Mention (Set Design), Nominated for Best Mobile Short, Nominated for Best Production Design
  • City Shorts Film Festival
    San Francisco, CA
    United States
    May 14, 2021
    Roxie Theater
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles Underground Film Forum
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Honorable Mention (LGBT Film)
  • SacFilmChallenge Music & Film Festival
    Sacramento
    United States
    September 23, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Online Isolation Short Videos Festival
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    August 5, 2021
    Official Selection
Director Biography - J. Andrew

J. Andrew (he/him) has honed and perfected his craft as he has transitioned from photographer to filmmaker, leveraging a passion for telling great stories. J is working to become a feature-length narrative film director with an emphasis on telling stories not typically represented on screen. He recently graduated from City College of San Francisco with a degree in film, and he is currently a cinema student at San Francisco State University.

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Director Statement

“Inside all of us is a great story yearning for an audience. Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by the expressions of my audience as a story unfolded. Going to the movies is one of the last truly communal experiences we have in a fractured and digitized world. The cinematic art form serves its highest purpose when the audience walks away learning something about the nature of their own humanity.

'Dream Upon Waking' is the translation of childhood dreams and experiences brought forward to the present as a queer response to the pandemic. With this film, I gave voice to the creative queer child I'd kept locked away inside for too long. This film is a testament that the indomitable spirit of creativity lives within us all.”