Experiencing Interruptions?

FREA

Trapped in an endless, cursed forest, a warrior must confront both the ghosts that haunt her past and the Dark Lord that controls her future…

  • Ashlyn Nolan
    Director
  • Ashlyn Nolan
    Writer
  • Ashlyn Nolan
    Key Cast
    "Frea, The Skull, Voice of Myrkr"
  • Anna Secor
    Key Cast
    "The Priestess"
  • Damien Wright
    Key Cast
    "The Captain"
  • Aidan Michaels
    Key Cast
    "Finn"
  • Rushil Desai
    Key Cast
    "Body of Myrkr"
  • Griffin Petry
    Key Cast
    "Voice of Myrkr"
  • Erik Nolan
    Producer
  • Ashlyn Nolan
    Producer
  • Griffin Petry
    Composer
  • Zay Farzan
    Assistant Director
  • Nikos DeGruccio
    Director of Photography
  • Victoria Mclean
    Sound Recordist
  • Michael J Trampe
    Assistant Camera
  • Paige Charydczak
    Hair & Makeup Artists
  • Madison Braithwaite
    Hair & Makeup Artists
  • Doris Yan
    Hair & Makeup Artists
  • Tasneem Omar
    Hair & Makeup Artists
  • Madison Braithwaite
    Editors
  • Nikos DeGruccio
    Editors
  • Zay Farzan
    Editors
  • Ashlyn Nolan
    Editors
  • Deeya Doshi
    Behind The Scenes Photography
  • Zay Farzan
    Colorists
  • Madison Braithwaite
    Colorists
  • Nicola Alamino
    Audio Engineers
  • Griffin Petry
    Audio Engineers
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 37 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 13, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - The College of New Jersey
Director Biography - Ashlyn Nolan

Hi! I’m Ashlyn, and I am a lover of all things fantastical! I grew up on Lord of The Rings, Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, and other huge, magical fantasy universes. I was cast in a Renaissance Faire, pretended to be a witch as I roamed the forests near my house, and constantly wrote about distant lands and high adventure.

I’ve always, always wanted to try to make my own fantasy story, but never thought it was realistic for me to tell that story through film…

Until this year. The past few years, I’ve been exploring the movie-making world through writing, directing, and especially acting in various student films, plays, and other projects (including my first award-winning short film, SAUDADE, which premiered in November!)

Though I am an actress and filmmaker, I’m also a student (though not a film student!) I’m currently a rising senior at The College of New Jersey, where I study World Languages & Linguistics and Communication Studies. Balancing school and my creative endeavors has definitely been tricky, but also immensely rewarding, as some of my best friends in college are now the people who appear (voluntarily, kinda) in my projects. FREA is no exception.

In order to film this little movie, I corralled all the friends and classmates and armour and medieval weaponry that I could into the woods, sword fighting and picnic-ing between takes.

That’s why I do it, I think.

That’s why any of us make movies. There’s something indescribably magical and human about filmmaking, and I can’t wait to continue chasing and sharing that magic. My adventure is only beginning!

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

FREA is a proof of concept for a much larger story and world. I’ve written multiple screenplays, short stories, and even poems for this universe, and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to share a portion of this world through film.

At its core, FREA is a story about losing yourself. Frea is lost and scared and alone. She’s trapped in more ways than one - by the cursed forest and her evil master, sure, but also by her grief. Suffering can be a slippery slope. The lines between good and evil are more blurred than we think. Frea doesn’t know who she is anymore, having served different kingdoms and masters with their own agendas. More than anything, she wants peace…

Though Frea’s tale is one of loss in this particular film, in the long-run, it’s also about resilience. She’s stronger than she thinks.

I’m drawing from all the fantasy movies and games and shows and books I grew up on. I hope that my little movie can at least pay homage to the amazing universes that gave me a sense of wonder as a child. I’m hoping that others love Frea, Myrkr, and all my characters just as much as I do.

FREA means the absolute world to me, and all the people who helped make it a reality. I am so beyond excited and honored to share it with you, and I hope that one day soon, I’ll have the chance to tell more of Frea’s story!