Private Project

Vessel

Log Line: Haunted by dreams, Molly tries to convince her family that something is wrong with her pregnancy, but no one heeds her warning.

Summary: Pregnant Molly has more than the natural amount of anxiety regarding her unborn twins. With her husband stationed overseas, she must rely on her mother to help her get through her chronic nightmares and hallucinations. It not until she meets a strange, somewhat familiar woman in the waiting room that Molly wonders if something more nefarious is at hand. keywords: Experimental. Alien movies, alien-human hybrids, cloning, twins, experiments, dream, sleep paralysis, female directors, female writers, all female cast

  • Stephanie Yuhas
    Director
    Moot, Nerd vs. Geek, Dialogue Tree
  • Stephanie Yuhas
    Writer
    Moot, Nerd vs. Geek, Dialogue Tree
  • Sarah Braun
    Key Cast
    Molly Osver/Carolina (Vessel), Heather (Moot), Apple (Nerd vs. Geek)
  • Karla Shantz
    Key Cast
    Ildie Osver/Alien-Human Hybrid (Vessel)
  • Melissa O'Donnell
    Key Cast
    Doctor Idegen/Alien-Humn Hybrid (Vessel)
  • Rachel Keefe
    Key Cast
    Lee Sisyphus (Vessel)
  • Matt Conant
    Producer
    Moot, Nerd vs. Geek, Dialogue Tree
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    sci-fi, mystery, women, female, science fiction, horror, experimental, weird, aliens
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    1080P
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:4:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Hudson Valley International Film Festival
    Monroe, NY
    United States
    August 27, 2016
    New York State Premiere
    Winner: Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Keefe)
  • Trenton Art All Night
    Trenton, NJ
    United States
    June 19, 2016
    World Premiere (New Jersey)
    Winner: Best of the Fest
  • Red Ditch Halloween Film Festival
    Redditch
    United Kingdom
    October 31, 2016
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Västerås Film Festival
    Västerås
    Sweden
    September 28, 2016
    Sweden Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kinosmena Short Film Festival
    Kinosmena
    Belarus
    October 22, 2016
    Belarus Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Katra Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    September 24, 2016
    NY Premiere
    Official Selection
  • PopUp Anthology
    Trenton
    United States
    May 19, 2017
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    January 27, 2018
    Best Science Fiction Short
  • First Take Shorts Series
    Ambler
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Texas Terrors Film Festival
    Dallas
    United States
    Texas Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Philadelphia Film Festival, Local Showcase
    Philadelphia
    United States
    Pennsylvania Premiere
    Official Selection
  • New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival

    Official Selection
  • Mindfield Film Festival

    Winner: Bronze Award
  • Marquee on Main

    Official Selection
  • Caribbean Film Festival & Market

    Winner: Semi-Finalist
Director Biography - Stephanie Yuhas

Stephanie Yuhas is an award-winning creative whose projects have been screened at dozens of international film festivals. She graduated with honors from the Philadelphia University of Arts with a BFA in Animation.

Yuhas is a professional writer and producer at Cinevore Studios (Nerd vs. Geek, Dialogue Tree) and Crystalline Studios. She does outside production consultation (#BringBackMST3K, Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie). Her debut book, American Goulash, was published by BookTrope in November of 2014.

She is also the founder and Executive Director of Project Twenty1, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that runs programs for emerging filmmakers, including the 21-Day Filmmaking Competition and annual Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival. She is the co-founder of Norristown Arts Hill where she focuses on economic development through the arts.

Yuhas gives lectures and participates in panels at universities, conferences, and conventions on the topics of independent film production, comedy writing, and crowdfunding. In her lifetime, she has killed over 100 houseplants and fish.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Vessel" is my directorial debut, starring an entirely female cast. The film is based on a nightmare - a fear of pregnancy, restraint, and society's disbelief when it comes to health problems ("hysteria"). Although it is only 5-minutes long, the story is a layered tale of abduction-induced amnesia, alien-human hybrids, cloning, and family genome tracking. The project has underlying themes about women's bodies and health. It is a proof-of-concept for a feature, so any exhibition increased my odds of funding the full-length project.

This film was almost lost due to a violent home invasion during the last night of production. After ransacking our home, the robbers stole our car, which contained many horrific props from this shoot. The robbers were so alarmed when they found the pig uterus in the backseat that they ditched it on the side of the road - complete with all of the footage and equipment they stole. So in other words, the home invaders were defeated by our "alien" invaders.

Sincere thanks for your consideration,
Stephanie Yuhas