Experiencing Interruptions?

Grandma's Ashes

On his way to an audition, struggling actor Shaun Davis is asked a bizarre favor by a friend which takes his day in an unexpected direction.

  • Ian Mitchell
    Director
  • Ian Mitchell
    Writer
  • Ian Mitchell
    Producer
  • Cheyenne Shelby
    Producer
  • Nick Kinder
    Producer
  • Bradford Barnes
    Producer
  • Bradford Barnes
    Key Cast
    "Shaun Davis"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 27 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 17, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,720 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director - Ian Mitchell
Director Statement

After moving out of my parents house to live in LA with my girlfriend and start our lives together, this romanticized idea of Hollywood quickly died. The reality was that no one knew my name and applications to offices and on-set opportunities went unanswered. The only solution to justify moving my life 30 hours west was to finally sit down, write a script, and make something out of it.

I found myself writing about the ironic isolation one feels when moving to a city and combined it with an image I discovered sitting in the gated parking lot of my apartment. On top of a stack of boxes up against the wall was one labeled, "Grandma's Ashes." From there, the story bloomed into what became a short film tackling how an absurd situation can make you long for home. How it can remind you of the complicated feelings that come with moving away from family and friends to pursue a dream that has little to no chance of succeeding.

This story is about the artists we don't see. It's about the artists who give up everything for the chance to create something, share it, and have an audience unable to shake what they just experienced. Even if that audience doesn't know our name afterwards, they'll know the feeling.

- Ian Mitchell