Observance illustrates a nuanced portrayal of the Jewish experience, and humanizes Jews from all backgrounds. It's a story that takes an empathetic approach to both observant and secular Judaism, and shows the vital role women play in the Jewish religion. The script is uniquely sympathetic towards observant Jews in a time when religious Jews are often depicted negatively in film and literature. There are significantly more stories about people looking to leave the religious community than those looking to join it, and we frequently see heartbreaking stories about intolerable behavior in these communities, specifically towards women. Observance, on the other hand, is a favorable portrayal of Judaism in all forms, and illustrates the reasons why a woman would find meaning and joy in becoming more observant.

It is a poignant story that also handles grief, love, growth, and friendship.

The pilot is meant to resonate with audiences today and for generations to come.

We hope to sell our pilot to a major streaming platform like Netflix or HBO.

We plan to sweep the film festival circuit and reach Oscar-Qualifying festivals. 

The pilot is adapted from Trust’s play of the same name that had award-winning run and earned rave reviews at FringeNYC and Planet Connections Theatre Festival in 2018. The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh occurred exactly one week after our last performance at Fringe. Since that time, antisemitism in our country has skyrocketed. This past year alone, antisemitic incidents have risen 400%. We believe that the time for this story is now.

Elyssa Nicole Trust (Writer) is an actor, screenwriter, voiceover artist, playwright, and children’s book author. As a theatre actor, she's worked off-broadway and regionally, and is active in the indie-film circuit. As a playwright and screenwriter, her work centers on themes of Judaism, women's issues, and sustainability. Her plays have been produced in New York and across the country, with Theatre Ariel and Divine Riot set to present her work later this year. She is an alum of The Workshop Theatre Writers Group and the Alliance for Jewish Theatre’s Macher PlayLab. Trust is also a writer for an upcoming children's narrative series on the Growth Podcast Network. Her children's book, "Daisy Moves to America," was a 2021 Indies Today Semi-Finalist. She's a proud member of Actors Equity Association, The Dramatists Guild of America, The Authors Guild, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. In addition to her work on the stage and screen, she is a co-host of Positive Creativity Podcast. @elyssanicoletrust

Emily Lerer (Director) Directors Guild of Canada award-nominated director, and award-winning writer raised in the midwest by an empathetic special education teacher and charismatic rabbi. Her work explores the messiness of humanity and seeks to elevate under-represented characters. She is a two time audience award winner for "T-Minus", her trans-abortion-road-trip film (Out On Film, Newfest). Her films have screened at Fantasia, AMC, and Laemmle. Emily’s TV work includes: "Shameless" (Showtime), "Twenties" (BET), and "Pretty Little Liars-Original Sin" (HBO). She is a proud alumna of the Sundance Directing TV Intensive, AWD Directing the Actors Lab, and AFI Directing course. She is a member of Array Crew, The Television Academy and the Producers Guild of America. @emilyjlerer

Carrie Morgan (Director of Photography): Carrie Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles where she has shot more than two dozen narrative projects screened in Oscar-qualifying and Canadian Screen Award-qualifying festivals. She is a proud member of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 (ICG), International Collective of Female Cinematographers (ICFC), and Society of Camera Operators (SOC). Her highlights include Fantastic Fest, Cleveland, and Palm Springs (“Ding Dong”), Hollyshorts, Fantasia (“Punch Drunk”), and the LA International Short Film Festival (“The Fix”). Commercial work includes : L’Oreal, Intel, Pinterest, Honda, Old Navy and Petsmart. Her debut feature, “Resisting Roots,” premiered on Passionflix. She’s the winner of the Best Cinematography Award at the Hatay Independent Film Festival for “Pointless Hello”, and has been nominated for Best Cinematography at the San Diego Film Awards and the New Jersey Film Awards. Additionally, she’s a two-time nominee at the Idyllwild International Film Festival.

Please help us make this series a reality!

Do you ever wish that there was a more positive representation of Jews from all background on tv/film?

Do you want to see more Jewish people creating stories about Jewish people?

Do you love to watch content that make you laugh AND cry?

Do you want to support work created by women? (Our producers, director, writer, and DP are all women!!!)