Experiencing Interruptions?

TIGRESS

Under the rule of her strict "Tiger Mom," Annie lives in a constant state of fear driven by the need to be perfect. Latching onto a lovelorn friend, she finds an opportunity to escape her past but must involve herself in a risky deal with some shady characters. With everything on the line, Annie's memories -- and mother -- continue to resurface, drowning out her chance of freedom.

  • Sasha J. Manning
    Director
  • Zaayiah Rogers
    Writer
  • Mireille M.J. Ntab
    Writer
  • Sasha J. Manning
    Writer
  • Sasha J. Manning
    Producer
  • Roby Marcondes
    Producer
  • Shuhan Yu
    Producer
  • Jessica Chang
    Key Cast
    "Annie"
  • Rachel Chin
    Key Cast
    "Tammie"
  • Kainoa McFadden
    Key Cast
    "Sammy"
  • Catherine Mairena
    Director of Photography
  • Cesar Sarmiento
    Editor
  • Zaayiah Rogers
    Art Direction
  • Luke Franc
    Original Music
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Thriller, Horror, Family Drama, Asian, Asian American
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 25, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,300 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, RED Dragon, 6K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Miami
  • First-Time Filmmaker Sessions
    England
    United Kingdom
    March 22, 2020
    Online Screening
    Official Selection
  • Portland Unknown Film Festival
    Portland
    United States
    September 30, 2020
    American Northwest Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Her International Film Festival | KYF
    Kerry
    Ireland
    October 10, 2020
    Irland Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Student Los Angeles Film Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 20, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale
    United States
    November 6, 2020
    American Southeast Premiere
    Official Selcetion
  • The Horror Movie Awards
    Seattle
    United States
    December 31, 2020
    Online Screening
    Semi-Finalist
  • Canes Film Festival
    Coral Gables, Floida
    United States
    May 1, 2021
    Best Sound Design - Undergrad Film
Director Biography - Sasha J. Manning

Sasha J. Manning is a recent graduate from the University of Miami. In summer 2019, she worked on the SYFY channel for NBCUniversal at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. As a Creative Marketing and Production Intern, she assisted on shoots for their online platform, SYFY Wire. Additionally, she edited numerous social media videos for their well-known series, "The Magicians."

She has directed several short films, including her senior film TIGRESS (2020). In her junior year, she directed and wrote a drama entitled ARTIE. (2019). The film received awards from the 2019 Canes Film Festival, including Best Intermediate Film, Production Design, Editing, Sound Design and Original Music.

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Director Statement

The idea for TIGRESS was born while I was abroad in Italy during the spring of 2019. During this time, I was extremely stressed. I was balancing classes with finding an internship and after not getting any offers the previous summer, I was very afraid to fail again.

To cope with this stress, I watched a lot of overly-dramatic crime videos on YouTube. One case that caught my attention was of Jennifer Pan, an Asian-American girl who hired hit-men to kill her very strict parents. Then it hit me. Although it seems so obvious, parents really do shape their children. Bad parenting can create stress, fears, anxiety, revenge...and I thought, what if I make a film depicting this topic?

I think some of the most thrilling and terrifying films are the ones that resemble reality. Growing up with an Asian mother, I did feel a little anxious about her expectations with my success. She was nowhere near a "Tiger Mom", but she was academically strict. To me, she was my hero because she shaped me in the best ways. However, in some cases, parents are the villain in their children's lives. Watching some friends suffer under their strict parents, I could see why they detested them. Rightfully so, they attributed their anxiety and depression to their parents.

Not only did I want to depict parents shaping their kids, I thought this was a great opportunity for more representation. To be quite honest, I was tired of seeing people of color always playing supporting characters. How many American films have an Asian-American lead? I simply wanted a film that showed different faces. I'm proud to say that all my actors and the majority of my crew were minorities.