Private Project

The Badger

The Badger is a short comedy that answers the question, “If I’m on vacation, why the hell can’t I relax?”

Sheila has rented a charming mountain cottage all to herself for the weekend so she can empty her head and rejoin life renewed. But it seems the world - far and near - is scheming to turn her reverie into a series of battles, and her peaceful private getaway is increasingly under siege.

  • Celia Schaefer
    Director
    First Time Director
  • Celia Schaefer
    Writer
    First Time Screenwriter
  • Celia Schaefer
    Producer
    First Time Producer
  • Celia Schaefer
    Key Cast
    "Sheila"
    The Blacklist, The Path, The Incoherents, Heterosexuals, Thirsty, Detachment
  • Robert McCaskill
    Key Cast
    "Smith"
    Wild Nights with Emily, Flatbush Luck
  • Shelly Shenoy
    Key Cast
    "Margie"
    Charming (Voice), The Otherword (Voice)
  • Robert McCaskill
    Crew
  • Celia Schaefer
    Crew
  • Celia Schaefer
    Post
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Rom-Com
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 8, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9 & 1.85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Celia Schaefer

Celia Schaefer is a first-time self-taught baby-boomer filmmaker based in New York City. After honing her comedic sensibilities as a member of the Chicago City Limits Improv touring company, Schaefer went on to found New Avenue Theatre Project in NYC, created to promote the work of first-time playwrights. As an actress she has appeared on television (most recently on NBC's "The Blacklist"), film ("Heterosexuals," "Thirsty," "The Incoherents" and "Hungry"), and theatre (most recently in Tennessee William's "The Rose Tattoo" at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey).

She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts drama program.

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Director Statement

This film, my directorial debut, was a labor of love.

Seriously. My love and I labored like donkeys to get this done.

Let me explain. We were on vacation at a beautiful peaceful mountain cottage, and I turned to my (sainted) husband and said, "Ya know, we could make a film here. Just the two of us. Acting, crewing, everything! It could be FUN!" Three trips to the mountains, two Sony A Series cameras, two Sony UX560 digital voice recorders, and hundreds of hours of shooting and editing later, we have parented my first film as a director: "The Badger."

The themes of the film are deeply important to me. As we return, post-pandemic, to the old rhythms of life, many are realizing that feeling overscheduled and indispensable at work has become an addiction: one that is socially-encouraged and rampant. We long for play, peace and a deeper connection to nature, but when we head into the wild, we bring our addictions with us. "The Badger" is one woman's recovery story, framed as a romantic comedy.