The High Life

THE HIGH LIFE is a half-hour serialized dramedy exploring a mixed-religious family, when their black sheep daughter moves back home and tries to find God out of her childhood bedroom. The Pilot follows the Gold family as they reunite upon the mysterious death-request of their wealthy Aunt Linda, where everyone is forced to look at their lives with a little more honesty, revealing no one is who they pretend to be.

Based on a Real-Life Co-Ed Naked Family Funeral.

  • Stephanie Sanditz
    Writer
    SteSTEPHANIE SANDITZ is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker from BROKEN HEART, MISSOURI, the subject of her feature film, LEGENDS ONLY that won a Tribeca All Access Award for New Voices in Screenwriting set to be her directorial debut. She recently wrote Lesbian-Viking Epic, HEATHEN, based on the Vault Comic, with Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT) set to direct. Her Female Boxing Feature, PERFECT ADDICTION she wrote for Constantin Films (RESIDENT EVIL) and ENDEAVOR CONTENT just released #1 on Amazon World Wide.  She just got hired to adapt MY LAST SKIRT - the sweeping bio pic exploring fascinating Petticoat Civil War Soldier, Jennie Hodgers/Albert Cashier with 10-time Tony and Grammy Winning GrandSlam Productions. Currently developing a feature film EVE:THE ESCAPE FROM EDEN with DiNovi Pictures (HEATHERS) She also just wrote buddy comedy, TALKING TOM, with Raja Gosnell (SMURFS) directing for Marla Studios (ASSASSINS CREED) and optioned her body-positive dance-comedy feature, DANCE PARTY to AGC Studios (MOONFALL) with Queen Latifah producing and starring.  In TV, she sold an original comedy pilot, PYRAMID, to FX with Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny, Mythic Quest) Executive Producing. She also sold a pitch to Mila Kunis’ (BAD MOMS) Orchard Farms Productions, and ABC Signature (SMILF), then wrote, starred, directed and produced her autobiographical pilot, THE HIGH LIFE pilot, starring opposite Amy Landecker (Transparent) and Jesse Garcia (Flamin Hot), winning multiple awards at the Austin Film Festival, Hollywood Reel Independent, Dances With Films and Bentonville Film Festivals.  She has adapted over 12 books to features including GOD ON A HARLEY for Mimi Gitlin (THELMA AND LOUISE), erotic comedy BEAUTIFUL BASTARD for Lionsgate, and INFERNAL DEVICES, the prequel to the MORTAL INSTRUMENT SERIES, that was distributed by Sony and Screengems. She also wrote, produced and showran short form series Chat. Like. Love. to Dreamworks' AwesomenessTV. Stephanie has performed in many series and films, and is the co-star of Amazon's, 37 PROBLEMS and the upcoming Universal Feature, THE LIST. She is the Co-creator of the Womxn's Hollywood Happy Hour, and an active organizer for Planned Parenthood, The ACLU, and The Ferguson/St. Louis Library Foundation that she started with Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men). NYU BFA Tisch School of The Arts Dean's Honors Scholar.  The Arlook Group, Paradigm and Myman Greenspan Legal.phanie Sanditz is a writer/actress/director/producer from BROKEN HEART, MISSOURI - the name of her feature screenplay that won a Tribeca Film Festival All Access Award for New Voices in Screenwriting. Is currently writing HEATHEN a 60 million dollar lesbian viking movie based not the Vault Comic with Catherine Hardwick (TWILIGHT) Directing and Joey King Starring. As well as TALKING TOM a buddy action flick for Marla Studios (ASSASSIN’S CREED) with Raja Gosnell directing (SMURFS) and her edgy Female MMA Romance PERFECT ADDICTION is shooting this fall for Constantin Films (RESIDENT EVIL). She recently sold her original series, PYRAMID, to FX, with Rob McElhenney (IT’s ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA) Executive Producing, and developed it with Nick Grad, and Kate Lambert (Atlanta, Fargo). She also just sold a feature she co-wrote, DANCE PARTY a body – positive family dance comedy, to AGC Studios (Midway, Moonfall) which is now negotiating Queen Latifah to star and Roxanne Dawson directing. She wrote, sold and produced edgy romantic series CHAT. LIKE. LOVE. to DreamWorks’ AWESOMENESSTV and co-wrote two episodes of Hulu’s LOVE DAILY – a digital anthology series nominated for both a 2019 WGA AWARD and DAYTIME EMMY. She’s adapted 6 books to features for studios, including controversial sex comedy, BEAUTIFUL BASTARD and Fantasy Thriller, INFERNAL DEVICES, (prequel to Sony’s THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS) for Constantin Films and Lionsgate, and God on a Harley for EP Mimi Gitlin (THELMA AND LOUSIE). Her feature, MOVING PICTURE, which was a Gotham International Film Festival Semi-Finalist. As an actress she is currently co-starring in 37 PROBLEMS, which was just bought by Amazon Prime, Xfiniti, and Elizabeth Banks, Whohaha, and was accepted in the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival New Media category. She also wrote and starred and produced short film, SNUGGLE BUNNY, along with Zosia Mamet from GIRLS, which was showcased by Funny or Die and purchased by Tribeca Film’s Tribeca Picture Show. She got her start on Strangers With Candy starring opposite Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert. She is an NYU Tisch School of the Arts Drama Honors Scholar. She's actively raises money for the St. Louis Library ForWord Fund Literacy Foundation in response to the Ferguson riots, which she created with her father and friends Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Beau Willimon (House of Cards).
  • Stephanie Sanditz Creator
    Director
    STEPHANIE SANDITZ is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker from BROKEN HEART, MISSOURI, the subject of her feature film, LEGENDS ONLY that won a Tribeca All Access Award for New Voices in Screenwriting set to be her directorial debut. She recently wrote Lesbian-Viking Epic, HEATHEN, based on the Vault Comic, with Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT) set to direct. Her Female Boxing Feature, PERFECT ADDICTION she wrote for Constantin Films (RESIDENT EVIL) and ENDEAVOR CONTENT released world wide at #1 on the charts of Amazon Globally. She just got hired to adapt MY LAST SKIRT - the sweeping bio pic exploring fascinating Petticoat Civil War Solider, Jennie Hodgers/Albert Cashier with 10-time Tony and Grammy Winning GrandSlam Productions. Currently developing a feature film EVE:THE ESCAPE FROM EDEN with DiNovi Pictures (HEATHERS) She also just wrote buddy comedy, TALKING TOM, with Raja Gosnell (SMURFS) directing for Marla Studios (ASSASSINS CREED) and optioned her body-positive dance-comedy feature, DANCE PARTY to AGC Studios (MOONFALL) with Queen Latifah producing and starring.  In TV, she sold an original comedy pilot, PYRAMID, to FX with Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny, Mythic Quest) Executive Producing. She also sold a pitch to Mila Kunis’ (BAD MOMS) Orchard Farms Productions, and ABC Signature (SMILF), then wrote, starred, directed and produced her autobiographical pilot, THE HIGH LIFE pilot, starring opposite Amy Landecker (Transparent) and Jesse Garcia (Flamin Hot), winning multiple awards at the Austin Film Festival, Hollywood Reel Independent, Dances With Films and Bentonville Film Festivals.  She has adapted over 12 books to features including GOD ON A HARLEY for Mimi Gitlin (THELMA AND LOUISE), erotic comedy BEAUTIFUL BASTARD for Lionsgate, and INFERNAL DEVICES, the prequel to the MORTAL INSTRUMENT SERIES, that was distributed by Sony and Screengems. She also wrote, produced and showran short form series Chat. Like. Love. to Dreamworks' AwesomenessTV. Stephanie has performed in many series and films, and is the co-star of Amazon's, 37 PROBLEMS and the upcoming Universal Feature, THE LIST. She is the Co-creator of the Womxn's Hollywood Happy Hour, and an active organizer for Planned Parenthood, The ACLU, and The Ferguson/St. Louis Library Foundation that she started with Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men). NYU BFA Tisch School of The Arts Dean's Honors Scholar.  The Arlook Group, Paradigm and Myman Greenspan Legal.
  • Amy French Director
    Director
    Amy French -Director. Amy is an actress, writer, and director from Los Angeles, California. After getting a BFA from Emerson College, Amy spent a decade writing, directing, and performing theater and sketch comedy in LA and NY. She wrote and directed the original musical comedy El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Lopez, Executive Produced by Norman Lear and George Lopez. Amy then went on to the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, where her short film Hold For Laughs, won the Jean Firstenberg Award. Most recently, Amy directed five episodes of the first season of Hyperlinked, a tween sitcom from YouTube Red and Disney, starring the girl group L2M. Amy has written and directed branded web content for The Skimm, Umami Burger, Aetna Insurance, NickMom, and the Santa Monica Museum of Art. She and her TV writing partner, Kerry Carney, with whom she created and starred in the web series, Ladies in Waiting, have had deals at Lionsgate and Warner Brothers, and recently wrote a live action feature script for Nickelodeon. Amy is currently attached to direct The Chattahoochee Hoes, by screenwriter Alice Johnson Boher. She is represented by Haven Management and Verve.
  • Mary Rohlich
    Producer
    Mary Rohlich is a Japanese American Executive Producer. Credits include ATypical, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief, Baywatch, Sneaky Pete, The Goldbergs Past festival participation includes: Tribeca 2015 Let's Not Panic Sundance 2016, SXSW 2016 for GLEASON Sundance 2015 Finders Keepers - won Cinema Eye Honors  SXSW 2014 Print the Legend - won Special Jury Award Sundance 2011 Excuse Me MLAFF 2010 Excuse Me
  • Kimberly McCullough
    Producer
    Kimberly McCullough is a Mexican American, Emmy-winning Actress turned director and Executive Producer. Directing Credits include: The Connors, One Day at a Time, Roswell, Pretty Little Liars, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Past Lab Participation includes: AFI Women’s Directing Workshop Fellow ABC-Disney Diversity Directing Workshop WB Diversity Directing Workshop DGA Directing Fellow. 
  • Shannon Riggs
    Producer
    Shannon Riggs, Executive Producer. Credits include: Gleason, Innocent Man (Netflix), The Smartest Kids in the World, Wedding Crashers, Cloverfield Past festival participation includes: Tribeca Film Festival 2009 8% Winner - Delta Fly-In Movies Award Doc NYC 2018 The Smartest Kids in the World ]Sundance 2016 SXSW Sundance 2016 Gleason Sundance Female Filmmakers Initiative Financing Intensive  2015 Austin Film Festival 2015 Father's Day Sundance Lab project 2013 Producer on THE INCIDENT AFI Fest 2012 Storage
  • Stephanie Sanditz
    Key Cast
    "Evie Gold"
    It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 37 Problems, Law and Order, Young and the Restless, Sweet Illusions, Strangers With Candy, Snuggle Bunny
  • Amy Landecker
    Key Cast
    "Aunt Linda"
    Transparent, Handmaids Tale, Sneaky Pete, Little Birds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, House of Lies, House MD, Revenge, Under a Rock With Tig Notaro
  • Ron Perkins
    Key Cast
    "Levis Gold"
    The Prestige, Veep, Spiderman, Ronin, Don't Worry He Won't Get Far on Foot, Brockmire, Longmire, Scandal
  • Jesse Garcia
    Key Cast
    "Gabriel"
    Mother, Narcos, Flamin Hot, From Dusk Til Dawn, You're the Worst, Sons of Anarchy, East Los High, El Asesino, Quincenera
  • Linda Purl
    Key Cast
    "Jane Gold"
    24, The Office, Homeland, Code Black, The Oath, Designated Survivor, Mighty Joe Young, Matlock, Love Boat, Happy Days
  • Jeremy Glazer
    Key Cast
    "Billy Gold"
    Modern Family, The Good Fight, Rust Creek, The Fosters, Scandal, Devious Mades, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother
  • Christopher Mychael Watson
    Key Cast
    "Jackson"
    Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History, Seal Team, Jane The Virgin, Good Girls, Resident Evil
  • Jonathan La Vallee
    Key Cast
    "Hunter"
    Casual, Shameless, Agent Carter, BET's Incubator Series, Boost, Avenge of the Crows
  • Christian Herrerra
    Cinematographer
    SnowFall, Shameless, Pretty Little Liars, Soy Improvisao, Justified, Taqdeer Al EhtiyajApocalypto, Manson's Lost Girls, The Last Ship, Famous in Love
  • Jessica Sherman
    Casting
    Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Bates Motel, The Strain, Skin, Warm Bodies, Super 8, Roadies, Believe, Person Of Interest
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Dramedy
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 7, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 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
  • Bentonville Film Festival
    Bentonville Arkansas
    United States
    August 5, 2021
    In Competition, Official Selection
  • Dances With Films
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 5, 2020
    Winner Best Pilot Selection
  • Austin Film Festival
    Austin
    United States
    Best Pilot Finalist
  • Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    February 15, 2020
    Official Selection, Best Comedy Pilot
  • Golden State Film Festival
    Hollywood
    United States
    March 1, 2023
    Winner Best Pilot Audience Award
  • We Make Movies International Film Festival
    los angeles
    United States
    Work in Progress Close Limited Screening
    Best Script Stephanie Sanditz, Best Actress Stephanie Sanditz
  • IMDB International Independent Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    No Public Screening Internal Award.
    Gold Award, Best Pilot, Stephanie Sanditz, Best Director Amy French,Best Actress Stephanie Sanditz
Director Biography - Stephanie Sanditz Creator, Amy French Director

Stephanie Sanditz is a filmmaker from BROKEN HEART, MO. The name of her feature screenplay that won a Tribeca Film Festival All Access Award for New Voices in Screenwriting set to be her directorial debut.

THE HIGH LIFE is based on her real life struggles with faith, family, addiction, childhood trauma and the real-life COED NAKED FUNERAL she went on with her family.

Stephanie recently wrote Lesbian-Viking Epic, HEATHEN, based on the Vault Comic, with Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT) set to direct. 

Her Female Boxing Feature, PERFECT ADDICTION she wrote for Constantin Films (RESIDENT EVIL) and ENDEAVOR CONTENT just opened NUMBER ONE globally on Amazon.

She was recently hired to adapt MY LAST SKIRT - the sweeping bio pic exploring Petticoat Civil War Solider, Jennie Hodgers/Albert Cashier with 10-time Tony and Grammy Winning GrandSlam Productions.

She is currently developing a feature film EVE:THE ESCAPE FROM EDEN with DiNovi Pictures (HEATHERS) She also just wrote buddy comedy, TALKING TOM, with Raja Gosnell (SMURFS) directing for Marla Studios (ASSASSINS CREED)

And she optioned her body-positive dance-comedy feature, DANCE PARTY to AGC Studios (MOONFALL) with Queen Latifah producing and starring. 

In TV, she sold an original comedy pilot, PYRAMID, to FX with Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny, Mythic Quest) Executive Producing. 

She also sold a pitch to Mila Kunis’ (BAD MOMS) Orchard Farms Productions, and ABC Signature (SMILF), then wrote, starred, directed and produced her autobiographical pilot, THE HIGH LIFE pilot, starring opposite Amy Landecker (Transparent) and Jesse Garcia (Flamin Hot), winning multiple awards at the Austin Film Festival, Hollywood Reel Independent, Dances With Films and Bentonville Film Festivals. 

She has adapted over 12 books to features including GOD ON A HARLEY for Mimi Gitlin (THELMA AND LOUISE),  edgy romantic comedy, BEAUTIFUL BASTARD for Lionsgate, and INFERNAL DEVICES, the prequel to the MORTAL INSTRUMENT SERIES, that was distributed by Sony and Screengems.

 She also wrote, produced and showran short form series Chat. Like. Love. for Dreamworks' AwesomenessTV. 

Stephanie has performed in many series and films, and is the co-star of Amazon's, 37 PROBLEMS and the upcoming Universal Feature, THE LIST.

She is the Co-creator of the Womxn's Hollywood Happy Hour, and an active organizer for Planned Parenthood, The ACLU, and The Ferguson/St. Louis Library Foundation that she started with her good friends Beau Willimon (House of Cards, Andor) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men). 

NYU BFA Tisch School of The Arts Dean's Honors Scholar. 

The Arlook Group, Paradigm and Myman Greenspan Legal.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was introduced to this project through my AFI Women's Directing Workshop for Women colleague, powerhouse Kimberly McCullough. After reading the script, which was as shocking as it was hilarious as it was evocative and touching, I knew I wanted to meet the writer/producer!

Turned out that Stephanie Sanditz, who was inspired to make this based on her real-life family experience, is a massive creative force and singular voice, and I was thrilled when she offered me the job of directing her pilot.

As a director, I am frequently drawn toward stories like this one - character driven comedies tackling religion, family, addiction and the multigenerational quest for meaning in the world. Also, anything showing female leads who are battling their demons while making us laugh - simply put, we need more of those!

I helped to gather the best possible cast and we really did luck out with this amazing ensemble. The DP, designers and I created a visual world which is equal parts fantasy and reality, to mirror the themes so beautifully woven into the script.

I think this series is exactly what the world needs in a post covid world. We all were forced to look at our lives and choices on a new level. And i think the depth and the humor of this series can allow us collectively do that. But let Evie and the Golds make all the mistakes for us.

My hope is that this launches an incredible series, as well as hard conversations about faith, family, religion, politics, sexuality, race and addiction in a totally fresh, scathing, but grounded way.... through the exploits of Evie and her family.

Stephanie's goal is that Evie will move back home and continue to explore and review multiple religions (just like she previously reviewed bars) while trying to find herself. And her family reluctantly forced to do the same.