Experiencing Interruptions?

Needle in the Hay

Brandon Moore once had everything—a hit album, critical acclaim, and a promising future. Now he's trapped in a cycle of addiction, isolation, and suicidal despair. As Brandon drifts further from the music that once defined him, his manager Gary must decide whether to remain a professional observer or become personally involved in a fight he may not be able to win. Needle in the Hay is a raw drama about friendship, mental illness, and the difficult choices that arise when someone you care about is slipping away.

  • William Hurst
    Producer
    Producer
  • Derek Thomas
    Producer
    Executive Producer
  • Daniel Hulker
    Producer
    Executive Producer
  • Adelaide Johnson
    Crew
    1st AD
  • Shanti Herzog
    Crew
    2nd AD
  • Niki Orndahl
    Crew
    G&E Coordinator
  • Diego Ramos
    Crew
    G&E Swing
  • Oscar Aramburu
    Crew
    Sound Engineer
  • Emma Carter
    Crew
    PA
  • Clara Ungaro
    Crew
    PA
  • Ken Howl
    Above the Line
    Editor
  • Amelia Jauregui
    Above the Line
    Director of Photography
  • Mickey Galié
    Key Cast
    "Gary Blayde"
  • Kelly Meyersfield
    Key Cast
    "Juliet Montague"
  • William Hurst
    Key Cast
    "Brandon Moore"
  • William Hurst
    Writer
  • Lucy Page
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 4 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 5, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Lucy Page

Lucy Page completed principal photography on the project. This festival run and all associated press are represented entirely by the production team. For insights into the making of the film, please see the Producer's Statement below.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Needle in the Hay explores a difficult boundary: the line where our responsibility to the people we love ends, and our own survival begins.

Instead of relying on tropes associated with addiction and depression, We tried to ground this film in the reality of spiraling to ground zero, the deep dark, way down. It’s a place where the easiest of tasks requires an immense energy to perform. It gnaws at you until you’ve got nothing left to fight it off.
We focused on the Characters surrounding the artist in question and how they deal with watching him unravel. We asked the question, “When are things real enough to step in and do something? When do we hand-wave someone’s pain in lieu of our own, for our own protection?” After all, you cannot save someone who is not ready to be saved.

As producers, our mission was to protect the integrity of this story from script to final cut, to keep things focused. We present Needle in the Hay with pride, and we hope it sparks honest conversations about the truer nature of friendship, depression, and responsibility.