Thank You for Being Here

Tensions arise between a pair of roommates while awaiting the result of a pregnancy test.

  • Elizabeth Archer
    Director
    Jail Bird, Special Teams
  • Nick Pugliese
    Writer
    Dramarama, 13 Reasons Why
  • Danielle Kay
    Writer
    Dramarama, Artificial
  • Nick Pugliese
    Producer
    Dramarama, 13 Reasons Why
  • Danielle Kay
    Producer
    Dramarama, Artificial
  • Elizabeth Archer
    Producer
    Jail Bird, Special Teams
  • Nick Pugliese
    Key Cast
    "Jude"
    Dramarama, 13 Reasons Why
  • Danielle Kay
    Key Cast
    "Michelle"
    Dramarama, Artificial
  • Harley Astorga
    Cinematography
  • Christopher Kalil
    Editor
  • Christopher Kalil
    Music Composition & Sound Design
  • Cullen Herron
    Production Sound
  • David Alvarez
    Production Sound
  • Keelan Williams
    Font Design
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, drama, lgbtq
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 4, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 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:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Frameline
    San Francisco
    United States
    June 10, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Outfest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    August 13, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Providence
    United States
    August 13, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Film Shortage

    February 8, 2021
    Online premiere
    Daily Short Picks
  • Beyond the Short

    February 10, 2021
    BTS Selects
  • Shorted

    Short of the day
  • LA Film Fest
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 6, 2021
    Best Actor / Official Selection
Director Biography - Elizabeth Archer

Elizabeth grew up in a small town in Northern California and from an early age wanted to become an actress but when she was cast as Nun #4 in the Sound of Music she realized she should probably scrap that whole musical theater idea so she moved to Los Angeles to study film and discovered she is allergic to peanuts and accidentally stabbed her leg on a fence.

Based in Los Angeles, Elizabeth is the director, writer and producer of award-winning short films, commercials and music videos. During her time in Los Angeles, she has worked for companies such as Hello Sunshine, 20th Century Fox and Netflix. Elizabeth currently works as a treatment designer at PRETTYBIRD, a production company in Culver City. In 2019, Elizabeth qualified as a finalist for SeriesFest x Shondaland's Women in Directing Mentorship.

She is currently a member of Free The Work and has joined Hooked as a freelance writer for their Fiction Program. Her latest work can be found in Uber’s “Thank You For Not Riding” Coronavirus Ad and Facebook Groups “Rainbow Hunt.”

Elizabeth captures surreal, abstract worlds and has a funny bone for offbeat, dark-humored storytelling.

When she isn’t writing her bio in third person, she enjoys listening to true crime podcasts, Irish-exiting birthday parties and involuntarily visiting urgent care.

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Director Statement

“Thank You For Being Here” is a film about honesty.

When my roommate Nick (who plays Jude) sent me the script, I was immediately drawn to its familiar dialogue and the unique character our location played in the film. My challenge as a director was an important one, how can we utilize such a small space to make it both visually interesting and tonally dynamic for twelve minutes? Since we were limited to shooting during a specific time of day where the sun went through our window, my focus in pre-production was blocking rehearsals. I wanted to make sure each character’s movements were motivated and mirrored their dialogue while creatively using every square space of the bathroom.

Having lived with a various number of roommates the past few years, I saw myself in this friendship and connected to its rollercoaster of dialogue between Jude and Michelle. It’s a relationship that’s honest: comedic, argumentative, gentle, abrasive, empathetic.

For me, this film felt reflective of our current environment. Navigating friendships, especially during the pandemic, hasn’t been easy. We’ve been forced to confront our feelings with close friends and family members while in close quarters. “Thank You For Being Here” showcases that despite our disagreements, we can still take care of one another.