Great Minds
Three neighbors each navigate a day of rituals and ruminations—until a tense encounter with a suspected car thief outside their apartment building brings their inner worlds together.
-
Alice MarksWriter
-
Alice MarksDirector
-
Lauren GuglielmelloCo-CreatorPhases of the Moon
-
Alice MarksCo-Creator
-
Kara OverlienCo-CreatorRevenge of the Cyst, Cutoffs
-
Manon BlackmanProducerMadoff: The Monster of Wall Street, Who Killed Malcolm X, ALL IN: The Fight For Democracy
-
Mario RiquelmeCo-ProducerFlowerbox Films
-
Jenny Alice WattsDirector of Photography
-
Kat KearneyAssistant Director
-
Adam Matthew ChinEditor
-
Matthew K AddisonKey Cast"Hugo"And Just Like That, Shelter, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, FBI: Most Wanted, Blue Bloods, The Last O.G., High Maintenance,
-
Manon BlackmanKey Cast"Manager"
-
Sasha DominyKey Cast"Therapist"Aloha Heart, Inventing Anna
-
Lauren GuglielmelloKey Cast"Laine"The Sea Gull, how would you like me to atone?, The Pool, The Den, Crow Play
-
Alice MarksKey Cast"Ava"Through and Through and Through, Blank Space, Brick Wall, My Megan
-
Sam NixKey Cast"Car Thief"Paradise Lost, Animal Farm
-
Gail ShalanKey Cast"Gigi"Coyote Girl
-
Daphne ZelleKey Cast"Olivia"And Just Like That, It Ends With Us, Smile 2, Inventing Anna, Your Face
-
Monica BarkerBackgroundLaundromat Patron
-
Conor HerbertBackgroundCommuter
-
Kat KearneyBackgroundCommuter
-
Ezra OuelletteBackgroundLaundromat Patron
-
Maxwell ZikakisBackgroundLaundromat Patron
-
Adam Matthew ChinColorist
-
Adam Matthew ChinAssistant Camera
-
Mario RiquelmeGaffer
-
Luis ChavezKey Grip
-
Brayden BairdLocation Sound Mixer
-
Sasha DominyCostume Designer
-
Zoë BarleyScript Supervisor
-
Jessie KlueterScript SupervisorGold Rush
-
Zoë BarleyProduction Assistant
-
Conor HerbertProduction Assistant
-
Jessie KlueterProduction Assistant
-
Gail ShalanProduction Assistant
-
Nathania ten WoldeProduction Assistant
-
Conor HerbertStills Photographer
-
Katie KutchmireStills Photographer
-
Nathania ten WoldeScript Consultant
-
Max SolomonSound Design
-
Max SolomonSound Mixing
-
Max SolomonSound Mastering
-
Brayden BairdScore Composer
-
Klovis GaynorScore Composer
-
Brayden BairdMusician
-
Klovis GaynorMusician
-
Larah HelayneMusician
-
Project Type:Short
-
Genres:Comedy, Drama
-
Runtime:11 minutes 20 seconds
-
Completion Date:January 16, 2025
-
Production Budget:10,000 USD
-
Country of Origin:United States, United States
-
Country of Filming:United States, United States
-
Language:English
-
Shooting Format:Digital
-
Aspect Ratio:16:9
-
Film Color:Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:Yes
-
Student Project:No
Alice is a performer, filmmaker, and creator based in New York City. Great Minds marks her debut as a director.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Alice returned to the US in 2017 to begin her professional acting career. Shortly after arriving in New York, Alice was selected as one of 13 students worldwide for the MFA Class of 2018 at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, then part of the UK Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. She graduated in 2018 as the sole recipient of the prestigious Bonnie Hurren Prize, awarded for excellence in performance and acting technique.
Upon graduating, Alice immediately returned to New York, signed with representation, and performed in The Curtain’s (formerly Shakespeare@) critically acclaimed off-Broadway production of Hamlet. She has also starred in leading roles at New York’s Theater for the New City and the Wickham Theatre (UK).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alice pivoted to Melbourne to establish a career in publishing. She earned a second Masters degree in Publishing and Communications from the University of Melbourne, where she was named to the Dean’s Honor List. Since then, she has overseen the production and publication of numerous titles for Thames & Hudson Australia, served as a contributing editor for Good Sport magazine, and worked as an editorial and marketing associate for Aeon Media Group.
Alice returned to New York in 2023 and re-entered the entertainment industry with vigor. Her recent film projects include Through and Through and Through (dir. Anna Mikami), The Blink (dir. Ridley Randolph), and Blank Space (dir. Adam Matthew Chin).
Alice is proudly represented by a talented and supportive team:
Theatrical: Resolute Artists Agency – Paige Chambers Rutsche
Commercial: Stewart Talent – Phil Cassese and Ali Quartin (On-Camera) and Jason Sasportas (Voiceover)
Management: Kanner Entertainment – Cathy Kanner
Ok, get this: my co-creators and I have each received an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis at different times in our lives. We were sitting in the Drama Bookstore––New York’s literary shrine to brilliant ideas and where we feverishly assembled to think up our own––when it came up in conversation. Great Minds emerged from candid observations about our struggles and triumphs with the disorder, and our growing curiosity to explore the inner worlds of characters experiencing psychological conditions like OCD.
Through a vignette-style narrative, Great Minds highlights how rituals and ruminations subtly yet distinctly impact the everyday lives of three women. Ava, Kennedy, and Laine each experience OCD differently, yet their shared residence in the apartment building symbolizes a collective struggle, despite the isolation conditions like OCD may elicit. The film’s title, half of the adage “great minds think alike,” plays on this duality of shared plights and personal solitude.
Great Minds blends nonverbal storytelling and magical realism to portray the three characters’ experiences with OCD. In particular, Dutch camera angles, dramatic lighting shifts, and foreboding music seek to amplify disorienting and distressing moments.
This was my first time directing a film so, naturally, I quaked in my sweaty sneakers as we lined up our first shot. But the whole experience was so rewarding. I had an incredible women-led team to support me and think creatively throughout the process. I hope that Great Minds resonates with viewers, fosters deeper conversations, and challenges stigma.