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In the Land of Moonstones

A young girl looks back on an extraordinary time in her life — winter vacation the year she was eleven, when she went to visit her beloved Russian grandmother in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. But it wasn't just any ordinary vacation. That was the winter she fell in love for the first time, with an extraordinary boy just her age. Now, some time later, she remembers the joys and sorrows that followed.

Told in live-action and animated drawings, this film is an ode to intergenerational friendships, memories, and the first loves that never really leave us.

  • Nicola Rose
    Director
    Creative Block, Callie & Izzy, Gabrielle
  • Nicola Rose
    Writer
    Creative Block, Callie & Izzy, Gabrielle
  • Nicola Rose
    Producer
    Creative Block, Callie & Izzy, Gabrielle
  • Natalie Keating
    Key Cast
    "The Girl"
  • Rand McAvoy
    Key Cast
    "Boris"
  • Valeriya Korennaya
    Key Cast
    "Babu"
  • Valerie O'Hara
    Key Cast
    "Olga"
  • Pavel Shatu
    Key Cast
    "Dad"
  • Vicky Golbraykh
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance
  • Runtime:
    38 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 23, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Russian
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Oaxaca Film Festival
    Oaxaca
    Mexico
    October 6, 2019
    Mexican Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Garden State Film Festival
    Asbury Park, NJ
    United States
    March 31, 2019
    Best Narrative Short Honorable Mention
  • Midnight Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    January 12, 2020
    Winner: Best Featurette
  • Queen Palm International Film Festival
    Palm Springs, California
    United States
    Coronet Award Winner
  • Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    Official Selection, Finalist (Best Narrative Short, USA)
  • Boulevard Film Festival
    Queens, NY
    United States
    June 27, 2019
    New York Premiere
    Audience Choice Award & Official Selection
  • KIDS FIRST! International Film Festival
    Santa Fe, New Mexico
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Franklin International Independent Film Festival
    Franklin, Tennessee
    United States
    August 15, 2019
    Tennessee Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    Brooklyn, NY
    United States
    Official Selection
  • World Music & Independent Film Festival
    Washington, DC
    United States
    January 5, 2020
    Washington, DC Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Nicola Rose

Born outside New York City and raised in Florida and Maine, Nicola has split her time between New York and Paris since graduating from Columbia University and the Sorbonne-Nouvelle. Originally trained in puppetry and theatre, she has now made four films: the webseries Callie & Izzy (2015), Creative Block (2017), In the Land of Moonstones (2018) and Gabrielle (due out 2019).

Nicola also works as an independent casting director in the NYC area. Particularly interested in youth casting, she has cast for such outfits as Teen Vogue and Allure, and the upcoming indie feature Asking For It, among numerous other projects. She also works as a freelance film editor.

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Director Statement

Everyone, or just about everyone, experiences a first love. "In the Land of Moonstones" is an ode to that moment in your life: when you're who you've always been, but teetering on the brink of who you're about to be. The "land of moonstones," for me, is that place where childhood and adulthood intersect, making our lives their most messy, vivid, interesting and deeply felt.