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Logline

When a miserable mother of three boys is presented with the once in a lifetime opportunity to completely start over, she considers taking it.

Synopsis

Patty’s Last Resort is a dark comedy about a Midwestern mother full of regrets, living in quiet desperation. She has three unruly boys, and a husband oblivious to her needs. Her only friend in the world is Rhonda, her candid co-worker at the local hair salon. Patty has been unhappy for quite some time, but sees no other choice to but suffer silently. Her family is dismissive whenever she offers her opinion, and she has to be the “bad guy” disciplinarian because her husband is so passive. She gets a robe every Christmas and roses each Mother’s Day.

A cloud of desperation hangs over the house so lived in, it feels like home. Until one day she’s presented with the once in a lifetime opportunity after an airplane crash leaves her family thinking she’s dead. Will she go for it? Patty’s Last Resort explores one of the last true taboos -regretting motherhood. But it does so in a world full of deadpan humor and exaggerated misery. Patty’s life is so absurdly grim, it leaves our audience with no other choice but to root for her escape from domestic life and run towards freedom.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Bethany Michalski — Director/Cinematographer
Bethany Michalski is a Los Angeles & Baltimore-based cinematographer and director. The instincts from her street photography days and MFA training from the AFI Conservatory (MFA Cinematography 19′) have shaped her focus today. Michalski embraces her naturalistic sensitivities and interest in blending the narrative & documentary worlds focusing on queer and female lead productions and stories.

Most notably, Bethany’s directing and cinematography work have premiered at SXSW, DGA, Vimeo Staff Pick, Nobudge, Camerimage, Outfest, and Cinequest. At SXSW 2025, the TV Pilot, Denim, she lensed won a SXSW Special Jury award. The feature film She’s the He she lensed was also one of four feature films chosen for SXSW “Buzz Screenings 2025”.

Kale Davidoff — Producer
Kale Davidoff is an independent film producer and industry coordinator based out of LA, whose nearly 20-year career in the film industry spans all types of sizes, genres, and experiences. He has worked on big-budget Hollywood tentpoles—like Batman v. Superman, Transformers, Iron Man 3, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avatar: Fire and Ash—and has produced scrappy short films and line produced low-budget features for Tubi. His first feature as producer, New Money, was released by Gravitas Ventures in 2019. New Money premiered at the Black Nights Film Festival in 2017 and won the Audience Choice Award for Narrative Features at the 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival. A short film he produced, The Chosen One, played over a dozen festivals in 2023 including Dances with Films and The Newport Beach Film Festival. Most recently, Kale was line producer on the upcoming independent feature Stranglehold, directed by Clark Duke, starring Ashley Benson, Jake Lacy, Justin Long, and Ron Perlman.

Ivana Kingston — Producer
Ivana Kingston is a dynamic Serbian-Canadian film producer known for effectively managing ambitious projects from inception to completion. Her professional roots in project management across advertising and medical device industries have honed her meticulous attention to detail and strategic planning skills, ensuring the successful delivery of complex film productions.

Ivana’s debut feature, Kitty Mammas (2021), won Most Electrifying Feature Film at the Hamilton International Film Festival and featured Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Ashoka, Avatar: The Last Airbender). Currently, Ivana has two feature films nearing completion: the romantic comedy-drama Sydney Vs. Sean, starring Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars), T.R. Knight (The Flight Attendant, Grey’s Anatomy), and Ryan Powers (She-Hulk), and the inventive horror-comedy Death Grip.

Ivana Kingston’s proven ability to manage intricate projects, combined with her visionary storytelling instincts and commitment to excellence, positions her as a rising force in the film industry and a highly valuable partner in creative investments.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.