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A young man is stuck in denial as he repeatedly gets left on voicemail by his best friend, slowly growing closer to confronting his grief over a recent loss.
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Stephen NguyenDirectorGroup Study
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Stephen NguyenWriterGroup Study
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Stephen NguyenProducer
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Ben SteeleKey Cast"Jesse"Ice Cream Man
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Ayden Rosas-NguyenKey Cast"Mickey"
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Khang NguyenDirector of Photography
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Stephen NguyenEditor
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Brendan KipronoMusic
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Dominik WidyaratneAssistant Director
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Joaquin MainezAssistant Camera
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Connor BeasleyGaffer
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Emily RoseMakeup Artist
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Diego SalinasScript Supervisor
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Ruben AnguianoSound Mixer
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Evan PolasekColorist
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Drama
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Runtime:6 minutes 42 seconds
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Completion Date:December 4, 2025
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Production Budget:10 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:2:39:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - The University of Texas at Austin
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
Stephen Nguyen is a 20-year-old filmmaker studying Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. While new to filmmaking, Stephen has always wanted to be a storyteller through any medium imaginable. He often creates stories that act as character studies in the context of relationships, whether it’s in friendships, romance, or family. His most recent work is his directorial debut horror short, Group Study.
What was initially just a final project for my Intro to Film Production class at UT-Austin became one of my favorite things I've written. I wanted to create a grounded short that takes its time, reveling in how uncomfortable it is to watch someone stuck in the denial stage of grief. I couldn't have made this to its fullest potential without the crew and cast I had the honor of directing, all of whom are my friends who just so happen to be fellow filmmakers of varying specialties.