Private Project

The Phoenix

After successfully acquiring superpowers, a young girl attempts to fix her parents’ marriage. In the end, she learns that superpowers can't fix everything.

  • Regina Pigsley
    Writer
    Face Value, Matched, Witching Hour
  • Regina Pigsley
    Director
    Face Value, Matched, Witching Hour
  • Melody Carey
    Producer
  • Jack Berkenfield
    Producer
  • Audrina Miranda
    Key Cast
    "Charlie"
  • Liza Stephanian
    Key Cast
    "Meg/Mom"
  • Mike Ward
    Key Cast
    "Jeff/Dad"
  • Danielle Mercado
    Key Cast
    "Teenage Charlie"
  • Danielle Diaz
    Editor
  • Avery Chung-Melino
    Marketing
  • Carlos Gonzalez
    Cinematography
  • Cheyenne Milne
    Production Design
  • Jan Willem de With
    Score
  • Devon Lui
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Regina Pigsley

Regina Pigsley is a Bay Area-born, Los Angeles-based writer and director. She holds a degree in film at UC Berkeley, where she was the first female and BIPOC president of the Berkeley chapter of Delta Kappa Alpha, the professional cinema fraternity, leading the fraternity to win five national awards. She specializes in narrative filmmaking and music videos, and has experience with a diverse array of genres, from action to musicals to science fiction.

Her most recent short film “The Phoenix” (2022) has been accepted into 32 festivals and counting, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Drama Short, Outstanding Director, and Outstanding Screenplay at Film Invasion Los Angeles.

Regina spent the past two years working full time as a coordinating producer and associate producer at Fortress Entertainment, a production company that specializes in broadcast, livestream, and music. In her time at Fortress, Regina was part of the core team that helped grow the company from doing completely virtual livestreams to landing in-person, massive productions that broadcast to major platforms such as Hulu, Veeps, and Twitch. Some broadcasts include Outside Lands, Life is Beautiful, EDC Mexico, EDC Vegas, Ye’s Sunday Service, Welcome to Rockville, Okeechobee, Governors Ball, Bonnarroo, and many more.

Regina recently transitioned to a freelance role at Fortress, taking on the major festivals, while also pursuing her creative projects. She is currently working on developing her first narrative feature. Regina can be hired as a producer, director, or writer for music videos, commercials, live broadcasts, or eng/host segments.

Regina hopes to continue to tell stories that empower, uplift, and challenge the norm. She loves working with others and encourages people to reach out to collaborate on projects.

Website: https://www.reginapigsley.com/

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Director Statement

When I started writing this story, it wasn’t meant to be autobiographical. Yet my subconscious mind had a story to tell, and writing this story was hugely therapeutic.

The protagonist’s story mirrors my own upbringing closely. My parents constantly screamed at each other, at me, and fights would often escalate into threats or thrown objects. The only friends and role models I had were in books and movies, and I was terribly lonely. Like Charlie, I desperately wanted superpowers—I wanted to save the world! I wanted to save my parents! I never wanted anyone to feel the same way as I did.

I never got ‘superpowers,’ but continued to try and help my parents, always to no avail. As soon as I helped my dad clean the house and throw away the things he’d hoarded, it would revert back to disaster within weeks. No matter how many ways I helped my mom, or how many times she would apologize for her actions, she would always revert to calling me a useless bitch. It wasn’t until after college, after a series of particularly bad incidents, that I finally realized that no matter what I did, I could not save them. I could not save them, because their actions were never my fault. And thus, the heart of The Phoenix was born.

Though I no longer wish for a physics-bending magical transformation, I do still believe I have the power to create mass positive change. My superpower is my voice. My superpower is my drive, determination, and hard work to create stories that inspire and uplift.