“Abetted by the committed performances of his leads, Juan Felipe Zuleta brilliantly manages a delicate balance in his first feature between absurdist comedy and a moving story of unexpected friendship between an ebullient but fragile sex worker and an introverted, grief-stricken dwarf. The jury awards an Honorable Mention to
— San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle,
ABOUT THE FILM
LOGLINE
An uptight dwarf and his free-spirited, alien-obsessed neighbor hit the road on a border-defying search for their place in the universe.
LONG SYNOPSIS
Peter is a misanthropic dwarf hiding from the world in his shabby New York City apartment. But an unexpected visit from his upbeat—and possibly unhinged—neighbor Winona forces him out of his shell and onto an impromptu road trip. Their destination? What she believes to be the site of an upcoming alien visitation in the wilderness of rural Canada. On their increasingly surreal odyssey, Peter and Winona will encounter bickering lesbian cosplayers, shroom-addled survivalists, and even extraterrestrial highway cops. But the further they go and the more their trauma comes to light, it becomes clear that the only thing more nerve-wracking than being abducted is being alone in the universe.
Director Juan Felipe Zuleta
Writer Leland Frankel
Producers Juan Sebastian Jaimes, Matthew August Jeffers, Juan Felipe Zuleta, Masha Leonov, Sarah Hay, Leland Frankel and Ramfis Myrthil
Executive Producers Brandon Boyd, Julieth Restrepo, Adam Piotrowicz, Sebastian Zuleta, John Busch, Vincent Davino, Amory Hollis, Mat Hollis, David Leidy, Chad Shields
Director of Photography Camilo Monsalve
Production Designer S a r a M i l l án
Music Sebastian Zuleta
Cast Sarah Hay, Matthew August Jeffers, Roberta Colindrez, Tara Pacheco, Hamish Allan-Headley, Kerry Flanagan
FESTIVALS
2022: InsideOut Toronto (World Premiere), Frameline46, Outfest, Fantastic Fest
AWARDS
Outstanding First Feature—Honorable Mention (Frameline46), Audience Award—Narrative Feature (Outfest), Grand Jury Prize—Outstanding Performance, North American Narrative Feature, Matthew Jeffers (Outfest); Grand Prize for Best Feature (Flickers' Rhode Island)
AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World
EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download