SYNOPSIS
As Janie recovers from a violent psychotic break, she’s subjected each day to a bizarre holistic health and wellness regimen designed, and enforced, by her lifelong nanny and caretaker. But when she develops an obsession with a stranger, Janie’s buried demons begin to surface.
PANELISTS BIOS
Ben Cresciman, writer, director
A Los Angeles native, Ben directed his first feature film - the crowdfunded relationship drama NEGATIVE SPACE - in 2011. Soon after production wrapped, he was accepted to the graduate program for Screenwriting at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he received his MFA. His latest film - the psychological thriller SUN CHOKE - has received rave critical reviews crisscrossing the festival circuit, and will be released in August 2016.
Georg Kallert, producer
Georg hails from Miami Beach where he started in TV production at the local ABC affiliate. After working at Warner Home Video, he founded Lodger Films with Rob Schroeder in 2006. Lodger reached critical mass producing music videos, shorts, web series and commercial branded content for major studios, brands, and media partners. In addition to commercial work, he went full zombie with DOC OF THE DEAD and continues with genre inspired fare with psychological thriller SUN CHOKE and the absurdist comedy UNCLE KENT 2. Up next is the fantasy series HERO OF THE PROPHECY. He and his team have produced all four seasons of Variety Studio: Actors vs. Actors, which just won its second LA Area Emmy. Georg is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.
Sarah Hagan, actor
Sarah is a professional actress who has appeared in numerous television shows and films. Living in Houston, Texas, at age 6, Sarah started musical theatre and instantly became obsessed with the thrill of performing. With a strong theatre background, Sarah decided to move to Los Angeles at 14 to pursue acting for television and film. She started her career with her role as “Millie Kentner” on Judd Apatow and Paul Feig’s cult series FREAKS AND GEEKS. Since then she has appeared on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, BOSTON PUBLIC, GREY’S ANATOMY, 90210, and NCIS, to name a few. She was excited to play a supporting role in the Warner Bros. female comedy SPRING BREAKDOWN alongside Saturday Night Live cast members Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch. Sarah can recently be seen in the lead roles of the Sundance selected indie, JESS + MOSS, and the AFI selected indie THE MOST FUN I’VE EVER HAD WITH MY PANTS ON. Currently, Sarah stars in the indie psychological horror film called SUN CHOKE which WON her the award for Best Performance in a Feature Film from the Knoxville Horror Film Fest, 2015. She can also be seen in the short film DOGWALKER which premiered at Sundance 2016.
Moderator - John Bucher, filmmaker, film professor
John is an award-winning writer and creator. He is a frequent guest on the podcast circuit, appearing on shows such as The Watch and Talk Podcast and The Vertigo Lounge (DC Comics Podcast). He is the author of several books including Master of the Cinematic Universe: The Secret Code For Writing in the New World of Media and the upcoming Storytelling For Virtual Reality. His writing work can be seen regularly on LA-Screenwriter.com, in MovieMaker Magazine, and on HBO.com. He co-hosts The Inside Out Story Podcast, the Watching Westworld Podcast, and currently teaches at the LA Film Studies Center. A popular speaker, John has given talks on story on five continents and in his spare time is pursuing a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology.
