Private Project

Snatched

After coming out as gay, a 15-year-old boy must fight for his life when his parents react with otherworldly acceptance.

  • Michael Schwartz
    Director
  • Michael Schwartz
    Writer
  • Nilou Safinya
    Producer
  • Michael Schwartz
    Producer
  • Tatiana Maslany
    Key Cast
    "Dana Capgras"
    She-Hulk, Orphan Black
  • Brendan Hines
    Key Cast
    "Rob Capgras"
    The Tick, Locke & Key
  • Misha Osherovich
    Key Cast
    "Joey Capgras"
    Freaky, The Girl In The Woods
  • Jack McDonald
    Director of Photography
    Coffee Shop Names, Gaffer on The Rider, Good Time
  • Mike Patterson
    Editor
    Bros, Feud: Bette And Joan
  • Michael Kramer
    Composer
    Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Thor: The Dark World
  • Valerie Steinberg
    Executive Producer
    Hair Wolf, Blocks, War Pony
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 37 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 16, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 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 - Michael Schwartz

Michael Schwartz is an award-winning writer, director, and producer - equal parts Queer from San Francisco and Jew from New York City. A graduate of USC film school, Michael mixes heart, smarts and dark humor, then adds a fizz of moral ambiguity to tell topical stories where relatable characters are thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

Favorite cocktails include the Disney produced SNATCHED, starring Emmy Winner Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk), Brendan Hines (Locke & Key), and Misha Osherovich (Freaky), streaming now on Hulu, and the award-winning MONTANA, starring Jennifer Mudge (Somebody Somewhere) and Chris Henry Coffey (Trust), streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. His latest film, STRANGERS ON A BEACH, produced by Academy Award winning Producer Andrew Carlberg and Gotham Award winning Producer Nilou Safinya, features cinematography from Sundance award winner Matthew Pothier, music by Grammy Award Winner Andrew Dost of fun. and stars Jelani Alladin (Fellow Travelers), Zane Phillips (Fire Island), Juliana Aidén Martinez (Griselda) and Jack Falahee (How To Get Away With Murder.)

His TV concoctions, filled with sharp cultural commentary and thought-provoking flavors, have been featured on The Red List, and his scripts have placed as finalists at Sundance (2x), Final Draft (Top 5), Coverfly (Top 1%) and SeriesFest. As an award-winning theatre maker, he has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at Lincoln Center, his creative direction for large-scale events include The Tony Awards events, The Golden Trailer Awards, and Art Basel Miami, and his debut novel, Project Wild, was recently named by Launch Pad as one of the best unpublished manuscripts in the world.

Additionally, Michael has an extensive background in social impact. In 2013, he launched ALL STAR CODE, a leading tech inclusion and education non-profit that bridges opportunity gaps for young men of color nationwide. And in 2008, he created THE TOMMY AWARDS, an evening of celebration, philanthropy and performance that continues to be held annually Off-Broadway in honor of the cultural contributions made by USC alumni.

A lifelong vegetarian and a cultural carnivore, his work has been covered by Vanity Fair, Vogue, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. For all the latest recipes and more, visit WhoIsMichaelSchwartz.com.

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Director Statement

I was inspired to write Snatched last Spring after reading public statements made by various politicians and corporate leaders regarding the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. They were filled with such hollow virtue signaling, devoid of any meaningful action, that after an initial reaction of shock and fear for my LGBTQ+ community, I couldn’t help but laugh. So on a day when the world felt particularly upside-down, I decided to write a story where everything was inverted. The result is our wild rollercoaster of a film – Disco Horror I like to call it. We hope it provokes both outrageous laughter and meaningful conversation, prompting us to question what actions make us the most powerful allies.