Nic Anstett’s short story Wildman was first published in the literary journal Outlook Springs Issue 7 in December 2020.  It tells the story of Amy: a trans woman who reunites with her estranged father when he claims to have shot the aforementioned Bigfoot.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nic Anstett is a writer, editor and storyteller from Baltimore, MD who specializes in the bizarre, spectacular, and queer.  Sher received her Creative Writing MFA at the University of Oregon in 2021, and is now adjunct faculty at Stevenson University.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

The beginning of my filmmaking life began with shorts I made with my friend Nic almost ten years ago.  Since then, I’ve moved to film as she’s gone toward fiction writing.  In those years, I saw my friend transition, and saw a side of her I hadn’t before.  I’ve wanted to work with Nic again in some capacity for a long time, and to celebrate the person my friend has blossomed into.  That led me to her short stories.  Wildman was concise, funny, emotional, and hooked you from the beginning: just like a good short film.  It also told a story about a trans woman in a way I hadn’t seen before, and in the spirit of giving voice to to those who struggle to be heard, I wanted to use my platform to tell that story.

-Austin Lewis

DIRECTOR

Austin Lewis is a Richmond-based producer, director and editor.  He completed his B.A. in Drama and Art and Art History from Washington College and plans to complete his M.F.A. through Maryland Institute College of Art with Wildman as his thesis film.  His previous credits include producing, writing, and directing People Don’t Die in the Comics Anymore, writing and directing the existentialist horror sitcom Oh You!, and producing and co-directing the currently-in-post feature film Shanidar.  Austin also runs his own video production company Remember Tommy Productions, with clients including Modlin Center for the Arts, VCU Health and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

TONE

The tone will mirror modern-day fable stories told through comic surrealizm, much like Atlanta, Man Seeking Woman, and Tales from the Loop.  Surrealism allows us to use visual metaphors in a way that is both funny and disarming.  The world of the film is strange to us, but the emotions are all too familiar.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Drawing from the work of DPs Christian Sprenger (Atlanta) and Thimios Bakatakis (Master of None), the cinematography focuses on wide, intricately composed shots that give a lived-in, voyeuristic feel, where a house isn’t a home.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Emily Marquet has an MA in Filmmaking from the London Film School.  Previous cinematography credits include Play On! Official Selection Earl’s Court Film Festival).  Producer credits include Solid 8 (Webseries), Skarnen (Short, LFS) and Shanidar (Feature Film).  She is the owner & Creative Director of Mudroom Creative.

LOCATIONS

We have the privilege of shooting at Richmond staple Chadwick & Son’s Orchids greenhouse in Powhatan, VA.  It’s an expansive cabin, shop, barn, and woods where we’ll shoot 90% of the film.  We’ll shoot the last 10% in downtown Richmond, where Amy and Josh don’t have to stray far for convenience.  Amy has sought out the city in an escape from her rural upbringing.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The look of the film will focus on the natural vs the supernatural, and thestrangeness of bodies through both monster mythology and flora/fauna.  Most of our design budget will go towards the construction of our very own Bigfoot!

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Jenna Giannini brings many years of experience working in all aspects of production.  She has sharpened her design skills on numerous award-winning short films, music videos, and commercials as well as two feature films, My Brother’s Crossing and The Swerve.  With an eye for detail and a love for creating meaningful and beautiful visuals, Jenna is very excited to join this crack team to help tell the story of WILDMAN.  Visit her on Instagram @everscape_design.

PRODUCTION SOUND

Jonathan Hardison is a filmmaker, educator and actor based in Richmond, VA.  He has an undergraduate degree in acting from the University of Richmond, and is a veteran of the local Richmond stage, having worked as an actor since 1994.  He started making short films in 2001 and has been working in different film roles ever since, including acting, directing, writing, and sound.  He also teaches filmmaking with SPARC and teaches communication to medical students at Virginia Commonwealth University as part of their standardized patient program.  Recently Jonathan worked with Forsyth Vignette Films on Hawks Ridge (Production Sound).  Jonathan is excited to return for his third collaboration with Remember Tommy Productions, after working on The Ballad of Ruby Vigorosa (Production Sound, Colorist) and working a very brief stint on Shanidar (Production Sound).

PRODUCER

Sophie Blumberg (she/her/hers) is a creative producer who is thrilled to be producing her first short with Remember Tommy Productions. Her work has been seen with Octopus Theatricals, TeatrStudio (Warsaw, Poland), Edinburgh Fringe Festival, REDCAT, The Civilians, BAM Next Wave Festival, Goodman Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and the Orchard Project. Sophie was the Associate Producer at the CalArts Center for New Performance for three seasons, where she produced domestic and international world premiere productions. In her spare time, Sophie runs programs for Producer Hub, a virtual space for independent and creative producers. Sophie is a Creative Executive with Littleton Road Productions and holds an MFA in Creative Producing from California Institute of the Arts.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

We will be testing and using protocols on set in accordance with local health and SafeSets guidelines, which we have a certified COVID-19 Safety Officer for.  

THE CHARACTERS

BAILEY POPE

Bailey Pope (She/Her/Etc) is a New York City based Comedian, writer, and actor. She has shared stages with Roy Wood Jr, Sam Jay and Mark Normand. Bailey has also been featured on Roku as well as festivals all over the country including World Comedy Expo and Limestone Comedy Fest. 

JODY MATZER

(Wildman) is a SAG-AFTRA actor with extensive experience in film and television. He has a background in theater and improvisational comedy. Jody was in fact a member of the very first improv comedy troupe in Richmond, Virginia. His feature film debut, Lizzie, was featured as one of the Top Ten Most Anticipated Films at The 2018 Sundance Film Festival. He has won various awards for his work in festival shorts, most notably 2016’s Ring Rust which garnered him a Best Acting Award. He has just completed his first feature film script and is in the process of shopping it around to various companies. Jody most recently booked roles on the feature film Wicked Games (2021) and the critically acclaimed Dopesick (2021). He is passionate about his craft and continues to pursue roles which challenge and stretch him as an actor/artist. 

ANDREW BRYCE

Andrew Bryce (he/him) is an AEA actor, director, and educator. As an actor Andrew's stage credits include La MaMa, Hartford Stage, the Metropolitan Playhouse, the Majestic Theater, and others. He can be seen in television series, web series, and short films such as America's Hidden Stories, Bloodlines, Cardinal, and True Terror with Robert Englund. Andrew is the Theatre Arts Director at Colonial Heights High School and has previously been a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Hampden-Sydney College and an Adjunct Instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Brightpoint Community College. www.andrewbryceactor.com

WHY CONTRIBUTE?

This is a story about nature, identity and reconciliation; the kind of queer story that is vital in a time when the rights of trans Americans are under attack on a daily basis.  Though this is a student film, we value our artists so much that we are paying them a full rate.  Which is why 75% of our total budget is going to the artists who are making it happen - in fact our whole crowdfunding goal and then some! 

All that’s left is you - we need your help to make it a reality!  And in the end, the beautiful thing about crowdfunding is becoming part of something bigger.  Which is why we don’t just want you to donate - we want you to join us on the adventure, all the way from here to the theater as OUR movie pops up on the screen. 

SPREAD THE WORD

Sure, we would love for you to contribute to our film, but we'd love for you to share it just as much!  The wider reach we get, the better chance we have of making it happen!  Here's some copy/pasteable text if you're struggling to come up with what to say:

Amy gets a call in the middle of the night.

It's her father.

He's shot a Bigfoot in his backyard.

So begin's Nic's Anstett's WILDMAN: a comic surrealist look at the experience of a trans woman reuniting with her father over a dead mythical creature.  We're looking to turn this short story into a short film!  

Queer stories by queer authors are vital in a time when the rights of trans Americans are under attack on an almost daily basis. Comic surrealist stories allow us to use metaphors in a way that is funny, strange and disarming; creating a mirror to reflect back on reality. We're here to do both.  

Come join us and check out our Seed&Spark page where we pitch you our movie in ONE minute!