Experiencing Interruptions?

Hard Reset

A beloved high school principal is forced by a documentary director to reveal his secret self destructive life.

  • Grady MacTavish
    Director
  • Grady MacTavish
    Writer
  • Ryan Leawood
    Producer
  • Kevin Griffin
    Producer
  • Grady MacTavish
    Producer
  • Aaron Tremblay
    Key Cast
    "Phil"
  • Nate Kulak
    Key Cast
    "Marv"
  • Cory Longley
    Key Cast
    "Gary"
  • Leanne Bausman
    Key Cast
    "Sherri"
  • Ryan Leawood
    Key Cast
    "Jared"
  • Grady MacTavish
    Key Cast
    "Bruce"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama, Mockumentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 23, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,304 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Sony
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Grady MacTavish

Grady MacTavish is an award winning Canadian filmmaker born and raised in Dawson Creek, BC. His versatile work features short films and commercials that he has directed, written, and produced under the name of his film production company, MacWood Productions. He strives to create entertaining films that carry a strong socio political meaning and brings an energetic collaborative attitude to filmmaking. He currently has several projects in the works, including a black comedy web series called A Little Racist and a science fiction, time travel feature film called Past, Present, Future.

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Director Statement

“I love sin!”

I knew I needed to make Hard Reset but I was terrified.

After all, who would want to see a movie about a Mr. Rogers like guy doing cocaine, dancing naked and riding yours truly like a horse? And also what would an audience think about me?

But I knew there was far more to it than that.

Growing up in a small conservative town in northern Canada, I knew a lot of men like Phil Danielson. Guys who couldn’t express their feelings except through explosions of emotion, rage or violence. I started to wonder, what if a man like that was a well loved pillar of the community? On top of that, had this desire to self destruct? With the right amount of comedy I wanted to explore that and see what Phil’s “Hard Reset” was really all about.

Also I wanted to see how much fake cocaine my actor Aaron Tremblay would do. The answer? A lot.

The movie is certainly a drug fueled party comedy but underneath the surface it also deals with issues of generational trauma, repression, guilt, masculinity, sexuality and what happens when all those things are bottled up and explode.

Aka when you're in need of a HARD RESET.