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In Hot Water

IN HOT WATER is a sketch comedy short starring Christie Nicholls as an 85-year-old Jane Fonda hosting a talk show in a hot tub. The project has won “Best Sketch Comedy Film” (Culver City Film Festival) and “Best Actress” (Sweden International Film Festival).

  • Christie Nicholls Nittrouer
    Director
  • Ed Ballart
    Director
  • Christie Nicholls Nittrouer
    Writer
  • Liz Maupin
    Producer
  • Christie Nicholls Nittrouer
    Producer
  • Ed Ballart
    Producer
  • Stuart K. Robinson
    Producer
  • Christie Nicholls Nittrouer
    Key Cast
    "Jane Fonda"
  • Charlz Williams
    Key Cast
    "Davis Skehan"
  • James Anthony Chiong
    Key Cast
    "Gary Whalon"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 7, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    14,999 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 6K +
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Stockholm
    Sweden
    Best Actress
  • Culver City Film Festival
    Culver City / Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Sketch Comedy
Director Biography - Christie Nicholls Nittrouer, Ed Ballart

ED BALLART is a Cuban-American director and cinematographer from Miami, FL. His work has been featured on FOX, CBS and Showtime and has amassed millions of views on the web. He drinks his coffee black and loves your dog unconditionally.

CHRISTIE NICHOLLS NITTROUER is an actor, writer, and comedian with a PhD in Performance Studies from UCLA. Nicholls Nittrouer has been in numerous independent and critically acclaimed films. She won a 'Best Actress' for her performance as Jane Fonda IN HOT WATER and a 'Best Sketch Comedy'.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Hello, I’m Christie, and…

IN HOT WATER is a “wild, non-stop hysterically funny romp, that leaves audiences crying from laughter.”

It is a sketch comedy special where I play an 85-year-old Jane Fonda, who interviews a meter maid and a pest control technician in a hot tub. Think: BORAT meets GRACE AND FRANKIE. The interviews are broken up by sketches.

I wrote the special as an ode to my experience getting through postpartum depression during the pandemic. After recovering, I really just wanted to laugh and stitch together the little bits that came to me during my time of PPD, and to address the topic with humor (and not drama - as is typically the case with PPD).

In terms of the aesthetics of IHW, we wanted to create bright and dream-like spaces; playing to a 1990s-like business/commercial-feel and its emphasis on productivity. It was important to us that we work with a director of photography who could create ethereal and beautiful tableaus to juxtapose with Jane’s crudeness. Emmy-nominated Valentina Vee knows how to get glamor shots of honey baked ham AND light a beatnik sex slam in a noir style – she is a true genius.

Regarding acting style, we wanted grounded “tonics” to support Jane’s fire. All scenes are scripted, but our audiences are sure they were real answers with improvised responses.

Please watch the film. Please consider how much your audiences will love to laugh along with it. I’ll be happy to attend your festival and talk about it as myself or as Jane Fonda.

I appreciate your consideration,
Christie (and Ed)