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Logline

It’s 2008 and Maxine’s sanity is crashing almost as fast as the economy. She always imagined that at 24 she’d be climbing the ladder towards success, but her reality is far from that. It will take an unexpected mission involving a hamster named Donut to change her life forever.

Synopsis

In the midst of the 2008 economic collapse, 24-year-old Maxine is suffocating in a job that promises nothing but frustration: working as a faceless assistant for a wealthy family who barely notices her existence. For years, she’s kept her head down, stifled her emotions, and pretended to be someone she’s not, in the hopes of landing her “dream job” — a role that would finally make her feel like her life had purpose. Now that that dream seems to have popped with the housing bubble; she’s relegated to menial tasks, unnoticed and underpaid… Maxine’s monotonous life takes an unexpected turn when her boss tells her to take their hamster, Donut, to the vet. What starts as a seemingly trivial errand quickly spirals into a journey of self-discovery. As Maxine struggles to navigate her increasingly chaotic mission to save the hamster, she is forced to confront the fears, insecurities, and unspoken desires she’s been avoiding. In the process, she learns to assert herself and reclaim control over her future. With both her sanity and the hamster’s life on the line, Maxine realizes that saving Donut might just be the key to saving herself.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Ari Basile — Writer/Director
Her recent projects include adapting the novel, THE WORLD ON BLOOD into a television series for Gravel Entertainment (Jay Carson, The Morning Show/Lije Sarki, Peanut Butter Falcon), producing SWEET DREAMS a comedy feature for Paramount starring Johnny Knoxville, Mo Amer, Bobby Lee, and Gata, executive producing KEEP THIS BETWEEN US, a four-part Docu Series for Freeform/Hulu, writing for and producing the award-winning iHeart podcast WAS I IN A CULT?!?

Troian Bellisario — Producer
Troian Bellisario is an actor, writer, director and producer. Recently starring in the dramedy, DOULA produced by Universal Studios, she also appeared opposite Cate Blanchett in the Annapurna feature WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE, directed by Richard Linklater. She wrote and starred in the film FEED for SONY pictures, and has directed several episodes of television for GOOD TROUBLE, FAMOUS IN LOVE, and PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. She has also written and produced the short film, POPPET for Hulu as a part of their Huluween special and received a 2024 AMBIE award for Best Fictional Writing on a podcast for the 9 part series, AD LUCEM, which she created and directed for QCODE studios, starring Chris Pine and Olivia Wilde. Troian is best known onscreen for appearing in seven seasons of the smash-hit PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, and is now the lead of the new Amazon Prime show, ON CALL, premiering in the new year. Troian is repped by GERSH and ENTERTAINMENT 360.

Cheryl Nichols — Producer
Cheryl Nichols is a Director, Writer and Producer. In 2015, she produced and starred in the independent feature film MY GOOD MAN’S GONE, which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival. She made her feature directorial debut with CORTEZ, at the 2017 Slamdance Film Festival, then continued a successful festival run, collecting honors for cinematography at the Ashland Independent Film Festival, Best New Mexican Feature at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival and the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the Atlanta Film Festival. Cheryl’s second feature, DOULA, produced by Barry Linen Motion Pictures was released by Universal Pictures in June of 2022. She is the Executive Producer of KEEP THIS BETWEEN US a four-part Docuseries with The Front and VOX Entertainment which premiered August 29th on Freeform and Hulu. Cheryl is repped by UTA and REWIND ARTISTS.

Anabella Casanova — Producer
Anabella Casanova is a seasoned Executive Producer and Line Producer with a proven track record of delivering high-quality content across all platforms. From documentaries and feature films like Doula and Thieves Highway to viral digital series and commercials, she’s worked with a diverse range of talent, from President Obama to Beyoncé and Elon Musk. Her collaborations with major brands like Google and Coca-Cola have resulted in impactful campaigns that resonate with audiences worldwide. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Anabella excels at managing complex productions, fostering creative collaboration, and delivering projects on time and within budget.

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Contact

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