Everything Wrong With Mr. Ward

Everything is wrong. Terminally so.

Mr. Ward does not love his life, but he sure does love his dreams. Diagnosed with "terminal everything" and told he only has days left to live, the eccentric mad scientist invents a device to keep him asleep and dreaming for the rest of his life. However, his fear of death bleeds into his subconscious, turning his beautiful dream world into a living nightmare. Mr. Ward must learn to come to terms with his death and find peace before it is too late.

  • Emmy Pitschner
    Director & Writer
  • Jack Kukolic
    Producer
  • Nate Wood Fawcett
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Ward"
  • David Cairns
    Key Cast
    "The Wise Man"
  • Nurdaulet Suleimenov
    Director of Photography
  • Taylor Mann
    Production Designer
  • Marie Mancini
    Production Designer
  • Emma Wood
    Picture Editor
  • Allison Harvie
    Supervising Sound Editor
  • Logan Lindo
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66, 1.85
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Sheridan College
  • Opificer Media Student Film Festival
    Brentwood, CA
    United States
    November 15, 2024
    U.S. Premiere
    Official Selection / Winner - Best College Film
  • Yorkton Film Festival
    Yorkon, SK
    Canada
    May 23, 2025
    Canadian Premiere
    Nominated for Best Student Production
Director Biography

Emmy Pitschner is a 21-year-old Writer/Director, currently completing her Bachelor of Film and Television at Sheridan College. Emmy has worked on a variety of films as a writer, director, story editor, and script supervisor. Her work has been recognized with various awards including the Cogeco Best Multicam Production award, the Best Narrative Film and Best Overall Film awards at the Forest City Youth Film Festival, and Best Canadian Film award at the Femme Fatale Film Festival. Above all, Emmy’s passion lies in storytelling, as she hopes to captivate and immerse her audience in the world on the screen.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Everything Wrong With Mr. Ward was inspired by my lovely mother who passed away three years ago from cancer. As time has gone on I've thought less about my own grief and more about my mother's end-of-life experience. Was she scared to die? How could she not be? Did she ever feel at peace before death? I hope this film can act as a reconciliation of mortality, acknowledging the fear of death but taking away its power and finding peace within it.