Private Project

Evy's Wish

EVY’S WISH is a short feel-good drama that follows six-year-old Evelyn and her mom, Anna, living in Austin, Texas. Evelyn’s father passed away not long ago; a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic raging around them. Like many middle-class families, this brought immense grief and financial instability to the family.
Despite all the pressures, Anna wants to be independent, and happy. Evelyn’s only wish for Christmas is to get a pair of pretty shoes to replace her old worn-out ones, and Anna’s only wish for Christmas is to make her child happy.

  • Lydia Isnanto
    Director
    This is Me, The Calling, BFF (MV)
  • Sanju Jacob
    Writer
    Dear Mae, Bad Habits
  • Lydia Isnanto
    Producer
  • Pati Currie
    Producer
  • Sanju Jacob
    Producer
  • Mini Kim
    Key Cast
    "Anna"
  • Chloe Dela Cruz
    Key Cast
    "Evelyn"
  • Kimberly Meier
    Key Cast
    "Dorothy"
  • Miles Pina
    Key Cast
    "Michael "
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 27 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 5, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    35mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lydia Isnanto

Independent filmmaker Lydia Isnanto is a native of Indonesia and has worked in Singapore and the U.S. for the past twenty years as a filmmaker, cinematographer, and entrepreneur. Lydia’s work is always looking into impact and awareness, addressing the themes of women empowerment, transformation, and healing. Evy’s Wish is her fifth short film project as director/producer.
Lydia believes stories change the world and loves collaboration behind the camera producing and directing.
Her film This Is Me (2019), filmed in Austin, Texas and where she wrote, directed, co-produced, photographed and edited the work. This story was created for and dedicated to mental illness survivors and warriors. To date, the film has been screened in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Texas, with more than 20 accolades and has won nine awards, including a special Mental Health Community Award from the Los Angeles Silicon Beach Film Festival.
She also wrote, directed, co-produced, photographed and edited THE CALLING (2018), filmed in the San Francisco Bay area. The film tells the story of transformation and healing, based on a true story of a writer, a pastor and a filmmaker, Tony Gapastione. This short film was made entirely with an iPhone celebrating the creative movement of smartphone filmmaking. THE CALLING has been screened in San Francisco and New York. It has won five awards, including the Best Phone Made Film award from Olympus Film Festival Los Angeles.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Hi, Lydia here! I am the Producer, Director, and DP of EVY’S WISH. I have always enjoyed a good and impactful story because I believe stories can change the world. Evy’s Wish film is one of the immigrant’s stories that as a Mother myself and an Indonesian American, feel so much connection to this story. Covid itself is already a lot for any parent. And losing a spouse in this pandemic definitely is the hardest goodbye. I love how Sanju wrote this story about a grieving Asian American family, processing the messiness of being human, showing up imperfectly for loved ones, with the magic of Christmas that never ends. I hope this story gives us a safe space to heal and be brave.