Lovers on a Beach is a silent, visual short that follows a young, charmingly awkward man and a quirky, enchanting woman navigating parallel, comically frustrating beach experiences. Set against an overexposed, dreamlike Los Angeles beach, the film highlights the awkwardness of leisure—burning sand, torturous sun, stubborn umbrellas, failed relaxation, and the relentless lure of the crashing waves.

Though they remain physically distant for most of the story, their actions mirror one another in rhythm and tone, building a subtle connection through a shared solo beach-day outing. Moments of vulnerability—sunburn, hunger, and loneliness—bring them closer in spirit before they ever lock eyes.

The film culminates in a small but meaningful encounter when they simultaneously reach for a perfect sand dollar, their first and only interaction. In this brief exchange, the chaos of the day resolves into something simple and sincere: a shared laugh, a spark of recognition, and the quiet suggestion of romantic possibility.

Why This Film

The idea for Lovers on a Beach was born during Morel's time in graduate school at USC, after being inspired by a French film that demonstrated how much emotion and story could be communicated through character, movement, music, and visual composition rather than traditional dialogue or forms of storytelling.

That experience sparked the desire to create a film that could live in that same visual language. Rather than building the story around dialogue, Lovers on a Beach is motivated by music, physical comedy, carefully crafted visuals, and the small behavioral details that make people feel recognizable and human.

The film is also deeply personal in its collaborative spirit. Morel wanted to create something alongside her sister and the friends and fellow creatives she has met since moving to Los Angeles. The project is an opportunity to bring together a group of people she loves and trusts to make something playful, visually distinctive, and unique.

At its heart, Lovers on a Beach is about the strange, funny, and often beautiful experience of being alone while still longing for connection. It is a story told through glances, gestures, rhythm, and coincidence—a small romantic moment emerging from an otherwise ordinary day.

Why Support the Film

Supporting Lovers on a Beach means helping bring a highly visual, collaborative film to life. The project is built around the belief that a short film doesn't need extensive dialogue or a large-scale premise to create an emotional experience. With the right performances, music, cinematography, production design, and attention to detail, even the smallest moments can become meaningful.

This film is also an opportunity to support an emerging group of Los Angeles-based filmmakers and creatives as they come together to make something original. Contributions will help us create the polished visual world the story calls for.

Most importantly, your support helps us make a film that is meant to be felt as much as it is understood: funny, romantic, visually playful, and a little bit awkward—just like the people at its center.

The Characters

The Man

A charmingly awkward man inspired by Monsieur Hulot. Think Napoleon Dynamite meets Nacho Libre.

The Woman

A quirky, enchanting woman with an alluring spirit. Think Amélie meets Suzy Bishop.

The Team

Morel Malcolm — Writer / Director

Morel is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and visual storyteller with a Master's degree in Film Production from USC. Her creative practice extends beyond filmmaking into writing, block printing, photography, and other hands-on creative outlets. Across these disciplines, she is drawn to creating distinctive worlds and finding visual ways to tell stories.

Finan Malcolm — Cinematographer

Finan, with a masters from the Royal School of Arts,  brings a visual eye to the project, shaping the film's dreamlike Los Angeles beach aesthetic through composition, light, and camera movement.

Charlie Kornblum Berntsen — Male Actor

Charlie, a talented musician and actor,  brings the film's charmingly awkward male lead to life, embodying the physical comedy and vulnerability at the heart of the character.

Andy Leon — Female Actor

Andy, a skilled performer and entertainer, plays the film's quirky and enchanting female lead, bringing warmth, personality, and a captivating physical presence to the character.

Mitzi McKinnon — Camera Crew

Mitzi supports the camera department and helps bring the film's carefully crafted visual language to life.

Blaize Fobbe — Camera Crew / Editor

Blaize, a highly skilled DP, Director and editor,  shapes the rhythm and pacing of the film in post-production, bringing together performance, imagery, and music to create the film's unique visual storytelling experience.

Jack Weinberger — Script Supervisor / Production Assistant

Jack supports the production team across the many moving pieces of bringing Lovers on a Beach from concept to screen.

At its core, Lovers on a Beach is a film made by friends, family, and fellow creatives who share a love of visual storytelling. Each member of the team brings a unique perspective to the project, helping create a world