Here is the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2024 Short Film Video Q+A with Seeing Other People Director AJ Prager, Weiner Director Natalie Peracchio, Innocent Observer Director Evelyn Reese and Festival Director Al Nigrin.
Innocent Observer – Evelyn Reese (Bridgewater, New Jersey) Innocence, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what happens when the eye is blind to wrongdoing? If all is fair in love and war, then who's to say one has gone too far? Who's to blame when a person is fighting against standards seemingly unattainable, yet so painfully in reach? Innocent Observer follows the rapid decaying of one girl's sanity as she pursues her "true love" without limitations. Her crooked mind lends to violence yet avoids liability. She grapples with her practical perception of her life, though it is quieted behind the desperate thoughts driving her desire. Her wish to be cinematic like the ones she watches quickly turns her feelings of guilt into those of worthiness., though others may not agree. Her quandary is simple: does he love her; does he love her not? 2023; 7 min.
Seeing Other People - Amanda Prager (Los Angeles, California) A woman trapped in a toxic relationship scrambles to find a way out. Anne and Jesse are celebrating their anniversary. However, Anne quickly realizes there is something unusual about this bar... in fact, it seems like Jesse has some sort of mind control over the patrons... but when Anne tries to break up with him, he reveals the true extent of his power. He escalates with charm, using his hivemind to try to convince her to stay with him. Then, he gets violent, blocking all chances of fleeing. Can she survive, or will she give in rather than reveal her truth? This film is a metaphor for living in an emotionally tumultuous relationship, and how difficult it is to escape from the hold it has on your friends, family, and mind. It's a metaphor about relationships, why we're in them, and what we get out of them. 2023; 9 min.
Wiener – Natalie Peracchio (Los Angeles, California) A meaty comedy about a college admissions tour gone wrong. 2023; 16 min.
Seeing Other People, Weiner and Innocent Observer will be playing as part of the Spring 2024 New Jersey Film Festival Shorts Program #3 on Friday, February 9, 2024 – Online for 24 Hours TODAY and In-Person at 7PM! For more info and tickets go here.
