Private Project

Serial

Desperate for connection, questioning aromantic Nora dips her toes into the waters of romance at a speed dating event. She hits it off with fellow cynic Joe, but he may be much worse than she fears.

  • Sydney Relihan
    Director
  • Sydney Relihan
    Writer
  • Shannon O'Shea
    Producer
  • Ishini Gammanpila
    Key Cast
    "Nora"
  • Andrew V. Lorenzen
    Key Cast
    "Joe"
  • Adam Shulman
    Key Cast
    "Vassilios"
  • Joshua Akinwumi
    Key Cast
    "Spud"
  • Anna Beth
    Key Cast
    "Taylor Bazos"
  • Shannon O'Shea
    Sound
  • Joelle Ramson
    Sound
  • Joelle Ramson
    Intimacy Coordinator
  • Sydney Relihan
    Score
  • Stewart Thorndike
    Special Thanks
    Lyle, Eyes Wide Shut
  • Randy Hendrickson
    Special Thanks
  • Cornell Department of Performing & Media Arts
    Special Thanks
  • Mackenzie Relihan
    Special Thanks
  • Taliyah Trueheart
    Special Thanks
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Comedy, Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 17, 2021
  • 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:
    Yes - Cornell University
  • Centrallly Isolated Film Festival 2021
    Ithaca, New York
    United States
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sydney Relihan

Sydney Relihan is a writer, director, and film composer from Naperville, Illinois, currently studying at Cornell University. With her films, Sydney often discusses themes of platonic love, identity, and mental health, and has a particular interest in exploring how people relate to one another in the context of their environment.

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Director Statement

Self-described as an anti-romance rom-com, Serial explores and critiques romance culture through a combination of dark-comedy and horror. Romance dominates and dictates much of today's western society, and often times that intense focus and expectation can isolate those who fall outside the norm. As an asexual and aromantic filmmaker, Sydney looks at romance in media through a different lens and hopes to give representation to a group so rarely positively depicted on screen if even present at all.