Private Project

EZRA! RUN!

Ezra is someone who doesn't have much self-worth and definitely keeps to himself. Jade on the other hand is a strong individual who exudes confidence. These two would probably never cross paths normally, but on this night they get caught up in a life or death situation that depends on Ezra finding some belief in himself in order to live.

  • Kevin Reese
    Director
  • Kevin Reese
    Writer
  • Kevin Reese
    Producer
  • Ali Akbari
    Key Cast
    "Ezra"
  • Madelaine Lamah
    Key Cast
    "Jade"
  • Tyler Fox
    Key Cast
    "Kent"
  • McKenna Flory
    Key Cast
    "Bre"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 39 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 15, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Utah
Director Biography - Kevin Reese

Kevin Reese is first and foremost a father and a husband. Secondly, he's a recent graduate from the Film Production Program at the University of Utah. In a prior life, he previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Colorado with Minors in Multicultural Anthropology and Film Studies. After that, he spent nearly 6 years exploring the hospitality industry before deciding to join the military. From there he spent another 6 years exploring the world via the Air Force and meeting his beautiful wife along the way. Upon finishing his enlistment, he decided it was finally time to pursue something he's always wanted to, film school. Complete with the experience of becoming a new father in 2020 to an amazing little girl; writing, producing, directing, and editing "EZRA! RUN!" was one of my proudest moments! Especially being able to do so in the midst of a pandemic!

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Director Statement

Sometimes the only thing we can do in the face of adversity is run. Whether it be from trouble, someone else, or ourselves; running can be the exacerbation of the problem or the solution. The tricky thing is, frequently we don’t know what the outcome of our running is until it becomes hindsight. So, in the moment, when your flight or fight instinct kicks in, what happens to your self esteem when you freeze?

This film touches on just that as it follows Ezra through a night of his life that will never be forgotten. My hope is that people will watch this and relate to Ezra (or Jade) on multiple levels. Because if there is a theme that courses through this story, it would be self worth. Which inherently feeds into survival and self preservation. Though my story does focus on one’s identity, I do think it branches out to other themes as well, like empathy and concern for others.

At the end of the day though, while I am concerned about this film connecting with the audience on a personal level, I’m more hopeful that this film will be just entertaining to experience. My goal is to provide an escape from the mundane and to take the viewer on a journey they’ll appreciate by the end of the film.