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The Next Contestant

After losing her driver's license, a half-blind retired lunch lady
makes a risky trip to fulfill her dream of becoming a contestant
on The Price is Right when a wrong turn leads her to Compton.

  • Molly Davis
    Director
  • Molly Davis
    Writer
  • Braeden Orr
    Writer
  • Mahalia Latortue
    Producer
  • Natasha Sequiera
    Producer
  • Bonnie Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Millie Vanderhill"
    The Punisher, Big Fish, Sleeping with the Enemy
  • Ja'Corey Jones
    Key Cast
    "Jurod"
  • Samuel Salary
    Key Cast
    "Christopher"
  • Megan Dominy
    Key Cast
    "Sandra Leach"
  • Christa Sparks
    Key Cast
    "Britney"
    O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Weightless, Skye of the Damned
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 29, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Molly Davis

Molly Davis is a director and editor from Knoxville, TN. She attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN and received a B.A. in Mass Communications with a concentration in Radio/TV/Film. While attending ETSU, Molly served as Station Manager for BucTV and Vice President of the university’s Broadcasting organization, Alpha Sigma Iota. She gained a passion for filmmaking while at ETSU and had short films shown at Made In East Tennessee Film Festival and First Friday in downtown Johnson City. Molly continued her education at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA and earned an M.F.A. in Film and Television. During her time at SCAD, she created short films including Blind (2017) and The Next Contestant (2019). In 2018, she cofounded BAM Video and provides video services for clients throughout the southeastern United States. Molly currently works for WarnerMedia Studios in their Creative Services department as an Edit T3 Trainee and works with partners such as Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, TBS, truTV, and TNT.

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Director Statement

Eleven o'clock in the morning on weekdays means different things to different people, but as a young child, that time meant The Price is Right was just starting on CBS. My Nana and I had a schedule that we would stick to every day before my older sister got home from school, and watching The Price is Right was one of our scheduled activities. I loved hearing Rod Roddy's calling up the first contestants as audience members cheered waiting for Bob Barker to appear on stage. I always loved Plinko and Cliff Hangers. You know, the one with the yodeling man who would fall off a cliff if you guessed too high? I've never attended a recording of the show, but I plan to someday.

It was summer of 2017 when I was laid off from my job. I was usually always at work at 11AM during the week and was never able to watch The Price is Right, so I had to take advantage. The summer continued, and I made a habit to watch The Price is Right every day. I started watching Let's Make A Deal at 10AM everyday too because, let's be honest, Wayne Brady is amazing. Eventually inspiration struck, and I knew I wanted to write a story involving The Price is Right. In the early stages of writing, the story began as a drama with a middle-aged woman as the protagonist. My co-writer, Braeden Orr, and I started throwing ideas back and forth at each other and we realized that the protagonist either had to be young and just starting out in life or old and just beginning life post-retirement. We knew almost instantly that it had to be a sweet, old lady. Thus, The Next Contestant was born.

I made this film for all The Price is Right lovers out there. For all the people who have spent most of their lives working. For all the elderly people who are disrespected and forgotten. Most importantly, I created this film for myself. I have put so much time and love into this story and it means everything to me. Being on set with my cast and crew was an absolute dream. Everything went so smoothly, and I couldn't have done it without them. I'm so excited to share our hard work with the world!

I hope my Nana would be proud of this one.