Private Project

To the New Girl

A bold anthology film following 10 women scorned who tell their ex's new lovers exactly how it is during an open mic night in Los Angeles.

• ZOE: A young lady in a kinky relationship finds out that there's more than one woman in her town willing to diaper a grown man.
• MIRIAM: A Jewish grandmother finds out at Passover that her husband has fallen in love and is getting married to a Catholic girl he met on a business trip.
• BETHANY: A "good Christian girl" discovers her pastor husband's love for a man could threaten his televangelism career.
• SHEILA: A woman who is unable to conceive her husband's child finds out that his mistress is pregnant with twins.
• FAYE: The naive wife of a felon writes his new girlfriend to ask for her engagement ring back...or else.
• ALEXIS: A woman with a waning sense of self tells her daughter's nanny that her husband's advances are all a part of her household responsibilities.
• KAREN: A teacher tells the student who is sleeping with her husband how (and why) she should make his favorite pork chops.
• MELANIE: Wielding a meat cleaver, Melanie warns her abusive husband's mistress to stay far, far away from her.
• ELISSA: Her husband's old flame threatened the sanctity of her home and marriage to the point of no return.
• HARRIET: Recounts the story of her marriage to a woman in a nursing home who is in love with her severely ailing husband.

Based on the critically-acclaimed play of the same name by Samantha Macher, this film was made by an all-female cast & creative team.

A truly independent, microbudget project made for less than $20K, shot on location in Los Angeles over a three day period.

  • Aurora J. Culver
    Director
    The Cloned Orphan
  • Ambika Leigh
    Director
    Happy Hour
  • Adriana Gonzalez-Vega
    Director
    Frente al mar
  • Samantha Macher
    Writer
    Last Pyramid
  • Laura Hunter Drago
    Producer
    Lenox Avenue
  • Emilia Mendieta Cordova
    Cinematographer
    AKA Amber
  • Hillary Wills
    Editor
    The Orville, Masters of Sex
  • Maria Molinari
    Composer
    End of Days, Inc., Comedy Bang! Bang!
  • Skyler Vallo
    Key Cast
    "Bethany"
    True Blood, The To Do List, Bones, How I Met Your Mother
  • Leslie Simms
    Key Cast
    "Harriet"
    Jane the Virgin
  • Mara Klein
    Key Cast
    "Karen"
    Casual, Fresh Off the Boat
  • Alexandra Boylan
    Key Cast
    "Alexis"
    Bellflower, Catching Faith
  • Dawn Noel
    Key Cast
    "Melanie"
    Men in Black 3
  • Lavetta Cannon
    Key Cast
    "Sheila"
    All My Children, Medium
  • Kelly L. Goodman
    Key Cast
    "Miriam"
    Married with Children
  • Charlotte Evelyn Williams
    Key Cast
    "Zoe"
    NCIS, Wicked Enigma
  • Lauren Emily Castle
    Key Cast
    "Faye"
  • Samanta Carro
    Key Cast
    "Elissa"
    Lions For Lambs
  • Sadie Albert, Costume Designer & 1st AD
    Crew
  • Francesca Martin, Makeup Department Head
    Crew
  • Marisa Ewing, Sound Mixer
    Crew
  • Elisabeth Schmid, Sound Recordist
    Crew
  • Brien Chatfield, Dolly Grip
    Crew
  • Halyna Hutchins, Gaffer
    Crew
  • Kaela Rae Jensen, Second Assistant Camera
    Crew
  • Andrea Gonzalez Mereles, Key Grip
    Crew
  • Tara Violet Niami, Swing
    Crew
  • Jessica Pantoja, First Assistant Camera
    Crew
  • Ashton Rae, Gaffer
    Crew
  • Maria Eduarda Alguin Simoes, Swing
    Crew
  • Joy Hampton, Production Assistant
    Crew
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 21 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Golden State Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    February 28, 2020
    Festival Premiere, TCL Chinese 6 Hollywood & Highland
    Gold Award Winner: Best Feature (First Time Filmmaker) & Best Writer / Silver Award Winner: Best Actress (Skyler Vallo) / Honorable Mention: Best Editing (Hillary Wills)
  • FEMINYSTA Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Queen Palm International Film Festival
    Palm Springs, CA
    United States
    Winner Gold Awards for Best Feature (First Time Filmmaker) & Best Writer (Samantha Macher), Silver Award for Best Actress (Skyler Vallo), Honorable Mention for Best Editing, and Nomination for Best Producer
Director Biography - Aurora J. Culver, Ambika Leigh, Adriana Gonzalez-Vega

Creative Director, Adriana Gonzalez-Vega: Adriana González-Vega was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. In 2012, she received a BFA in Film from Syracuse University. She also studied abroad at the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in the Czech Republic where she directed her first 35mm narrative short film. Her film and entertainment experiences have included internships at Mandalay Entertainment Group, the sitcom “Rules of Engagement,” Badillo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, “Fast and Furious: Fast Five” and Paradiso Films. Her short film FRENTE AL MAR (OCEANFRONT) won the David Orlin Prize for Outstanding Capstone Project at Syracuse University, Best Student Film at Carmel Art and Film Festival and Best Actress at Cinefiesta, and was an official selection at the Montreal World Film Festival. In 2015, she graduated with a MFA in Film Directing from the American Film Institute with her thesis film AKA AMBER and became the first fellow to receive the Time Warner Fellowship.

Aurora J. Culver, Director of Performance: Aurora J. Culver (Director) Founder of company On the Edge Theatre Productions (www.otetheatre.com). She has directed shows such as INTO THE WOODS, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and THE 39 STEPS. Other favorite projects include directing for Unbound Productions in Alta Dena, co-founding a live radio play series inspired by the podcast Earbud Theater, and directing her first feature film TO THE NEW GIRL.

Ambika Leigh, Director of Performance: AMBIKA LEIGH is an award-winning director, editor and producer who has created hundreds of hours of film and digital content throughout her multifaceted career. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2007, she has worked with Apple, Sony Pictures, PBS, RED Digital Cinema, CNN, National Geographic, DirecTV, Microsoft, Nu Boyana Studios, and New Form Digital Studios as well as with Emmy-nominated director Stephen Gyllenhaal, actress/producers Lisa Kudrow, Gabrielle Anwar and Catherine Oxenberg, and Grammy award-winning musicians India.Arie, will.i.am and John Legend.

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Director Statement

To the New Girl was created with the intention of highlighting women both in front of and behind the camera. Keeping true to the script's origins as a play, this 81-minute anthology style film feels part stand up special, part experimental film, part filmed theatre. 10 powerhouse actresses are featured in unique stories, complemented by individualized lighting, music, and tone. We're thrilled to share this project with audiences, and think it will be a fun and unique watch for festival-goers.