They Don't Leave
A divorced alcoholic seeks refuge in a remote ancestral cabin only to be confronted by demons that have haunted her family for generations.
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Caz McGovernWriter
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Caz McGovernDirector
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Nancy Ann BevinsProducer
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Harrison ScoreProducer
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Emeline O'HaraKey Cast"Carly Brooks"
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Mary RiitanoKey Cast"Jolene Brooks"
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Astrid MaslenKey Cast"Catherine Brooks"
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James P. HarteKey Cast"Detective Wilson"
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Jeff MedleyKey Cast"Francis Brooks"
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Rachel PetiteKey Cast"Ruth Scott"
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Lucas E.V. MillerDirector of Photography
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Horror, Drama
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Runtime:25 minutes
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Completion Date:April 26, 2023
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Production Budget:33,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, 6K Black Magic
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Aspect Ratio:1:90:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Caz McGovern is a writer, director and producer. She has just finished They Don't Leave, a short horror which has been awarded the Big Sky Film Grant and was sponsored by From The Heart Productions. They Don’t Leave has been screened at 12 festivals and won multiple awards for Best Suspense short. She is ranked in the top 15% on Coverfly for her first feature length screenplay, The Stray. It has been described by industry insiders as "A strong and confident thriller that successfully delivers all the elements of an engaging film: great plot, compelling mystery, strong lead characters and enjoyable dialogue."
The Stray has won awards at The Outstanding Screenplays Competition and Page Turner Screenplays; it was also a quarter finalist at The Stage 32 Feature Screenwriting Fellowship. She also runs her own video editing business and has edited videos for London Fashion Week, Google and The United Nations. She was mentored by Susan Shilliday, Baba Hillman and Polina Barskova at Hampshire College where she studied filmmaking and philosophy.
Survivors of childhood abuse have disparate stories, so uniquely specific and subjective to the survivor in question. However, the one thing that unites them is that they are all excellent at keeping their stories close to themselves- we do not speak about these things freely. And what happens when we don't? The horrible thing you're carrying around with you becomes heavier and heavier.
When I wrote They Don't Leave, my main goal was to explicate what happens when we allow generational trauma to rot at the root of who we are. Montana is a place of untold natural beauty, and the sweeping landscapes leant itself well to this concept of "mountains" that we climb throughout our lives; the aspects of our lives that take time and courage to confront and conquer.
We need to believe in a world where we can be vulnerable and open about that which we have survived and overcome. We need to celebrate the fact that if we're still here, if we're still trying, we have already won the battle. We need to explore the unfamiliar but very true sentiment that whatever was done to us need not define us - and that while it isn't our fault, we are responsible for ourselves and the stories that we inherit. What we do with our lives is ultimately down to us. Because of our desire to elevate these narratives and explore these issues, we believe this is a story worth telling.