written, directed, and produced by CHRIS SHIMOJIMA
director of photography CORY DROSS
original music THOMAS VANOOSTING
editor CHRIS SHIMOJIMA

STARRING
JENNA D'ANGELO as Maddy Z
CHRIS HENRY COFFEY as Elliot Snow
KELLY WALTERS as Janet Laverty

THIS IS

a short film about phones, modern-day celebrity, and ultimately, that strange feeling you get from watching two people communicate who can't really "see" each other.  You can watch it now above. Or visit maddyz.com

We knew tackling a 15-minute phone call would be dialogue-heavy, but there was something cinematic about seeing characters connected through modern-day technology, but trapped in their own environment.  It was something to think about in our own lives -- how many times there's something just out of reach.

We were no more than a 5-person crew on each of our days, working with minimal resources and locations.  We pulled together about $7,000 of our own money to make this happen, but now that post-production is over and the film is live, we need some help covering the costs of getting our work seen, and this means 

FILM FESTIVALS

Shorter lengths automatically get the advantage, being easier to fit in to a program.  At 16 min 45 seconds, we're not too long, but there are plenty of shorter works.  And filmmakers frequently say you have to know someone to get accepted, or that there are too many festivals to choose from.  It's a tough process, but it's always rewarding to play in front of a large audience, and being there to watch the reaction.

There are shorts that can only work as shorts. They're crafted in a way that you can only watch them in the short form.  Then there are shorts that play like mini-features, and this is what we've been trying to do.  Feature-length films are what we want to make.  The support we get on this short would not only bring us to theatrical venues and audiences; it would lead us to larger-scale projects that are entertaining, intense, and thought-provoking.

SO MADELEINE ZABEL...

... is now up (WATCH NOW) for you to like, love, hate, comment on, spread around. What this means is, before you decide on any contribution, you can see what you think of our work.  The money will go to promotion, festival costs, and screenings.

can be about $50 per festival.  With $1500, we can cover expenses for nearly 30 submissions, with any remaining amount going toward promotion and screenings.  Even though you can see the film you're supporting, there's still a risk.  On average, only about 1 out of 5 festivals will accept a film.  But we've done our research, we'll post updates, and hopefully we'll get to some good ones.

Chris Shimojima is an awarded editor and filmmaker based in New York City.  He is the director of photography and editor of the acclaimed web-series Downsized, which was one of YouTube's Top 10 Made-for-the-Web Shows 2010. chrisshimojima.com

For more on the film and makers, including a teaser, posters, behind-the-scenes photos, and the director's statement, visit:

maddyz.com

facebook.com/madeleinezabelfilm

and email:

maddyzfilm@gmail.com