Experiencing Interruptions?

Providence

On a day trip to the “Mini Grand Canyon of the South,” a couple of college kids discover something unnatural about this wonder that even the perfect selfie can't capture.

  • Chad Zemel
    Director
  • Chad Zemel
    Writer
  • Stephen Beehler
    Producer
  • Robert Solomon
    Key Cast
    "Crush"
  • Leah Merritt
    Key Cast
    "Jacky"
  • Chad Zemel
    Executive Producers
  • Sunny Lee
    Director of Photography
  • Chris Wells
    VFX Supervisor
    Looper, Hot Summer Nights
  • Shane Morton
    SPFX Artist
    Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell
  • Aroon Narayanan
    Editor
  • Brendan Squires
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Drama
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 4, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    9:16
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Chad Zemel

Chad Zemel is a gay writer-director-producer who tells empowering queer stories in refreshing genres. He is a blossoming young filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist whose work has been presented internationally. His most recent film, PROVIDENCE, premiered at Social World Film Festival in Italy and won Best Horror Film at a Georgia Film Festival. He has a number of LGBTQ+ projects in development.

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Director Statement

"I love my phone." Those are the words that started me on the path to "Providence" - a made for mobile short film. Growing up in the age of smartphones, I wanted to explore my addiction to technology and how it affects my mood, relationships, and connection to the world around me. I found that I will put off almost anything to respond to notifications, so I set out to capture every digital distraction on camera.

With all of this information coming at us, it's hard to even keep up with our current state of environmental destruction. Providence Canyon State Park is a living example of how only a few decades of bad farming practice can create massive trenches in the Earth. I wanted to give the canyons a chance of speaking to how our disconnect from the outside world is at the heart of the issue, so I brought Mother Nature to life.

There's only so long we can stay plugged in before the world makes us listen. "Providence" is her wake up call.