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Logline

During a heatwave in New York City, a car insurance adjuster spends her last day collecting statements in person before her position goes virtual.

Synopsis

Happy Accidents is a character-driven dark comedy set over the course of one sweltering summer day in New York City. The film follows Drew Bell, a car insurance adjuster in her thirties who spends her days visiting injured claimants and collecting their statements.

As the city strains under a historic heatwave, Drew moves through the city as both a witness and mediator. She listens to people’s stories, records their pain, and translates human experience into liability and fault.

The narrative unfolds episodically, structured around a series of encounters Drew has on her final day out “in the field” before her job becomes virtual. She interviews Antonio, a young Italian-American soccer player, whose family’s warmth contrasts sharply with the outcome she must deliver. She spends time with Effie, an elderly woman battling loneliness, and Dot, her irreverent best friend. She navigates a hostile phone relationship with Harris, a man convinced the justice system has betrayed him, and meets Graham Redford, a successful business owner whose faith in the system reveals how differently the world works when one is protected by money and power.

Outside of work, Drew’s personal life is at a standstill. She lives with her aging parents. Her brother experiences a rare professional win that throws Drew’s stagnation into sharper contrast. A tryst with a coworker offers brief comfort, but Drew remains guarded.

Running parallel is Ana’s story, a young woman recovering from a car accident that resulted in her mother’s death. When a blackout cuts their meeting short, the two women find unexpected solace in one another, revealing Drew’s own struggle with personal loss.

By the end, meaning emerges through connection. Drew’s arc is subtle but profound, moving from detached to hopeful. She acknowledges that showing up for people, however you can, will always be worth it.

Meet the Filmmakers

Jennifer Ward — Writer/Director
Jennifer Ward is a New York based writer-director. Her latest short film, JULES, screened worldwide and was an official selection of the BAFTA and BIFA qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival. The film centers around a teenager struggling to cope with her mother’s bipolar disorder. Her short film, GOBLIN, about two sisters grappling with grief in different ways, was selected for the Portland Film Festival, Jennifer’s hometown.

Previously, she co-wrote and starred in the comedy musical WHOOPS, WE JOINED A CULT! which played to sold out audiences at the historic New York off-Broadway theater, The Duplex. She was also the creator and co-host of the Los Angeles stand-up variety comedy show SWEET & SOUR COMEDY HOUR, which featured notable comedians, including Primetime Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder (HACKS). She is the founder of the production company Malibu Creative.

Alex Swickard — Producer
Alex Swickard is a Cuban-American producer based out of Queens, NY. He began his film career as a PA at fast-paced Los Angeles production companies like Mythical Entertainment, AwesomenessTV, SoulPancake, and Participant, going on to produce a wide-ranging body of work. Most recently, he’s produced the stand-up comedy special FRESHMAN FIFTEEN for Emmy-nominated writer and THE DAILY SHOW host Josh Johnson. He is currently producing Johnson’s next HBO comedy special, SYMPHONY. He also produced the experimental documentary feature film NO MIDNIGHT by writer-director Laura Terruso (FITS AND STARTS, ABOUT MY FATHER, HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS).

As producing partners, Alex Swickard and Jesse Bontreger first collaborated together on the narrative feature, THE CALLING WITCH. The screenplay was a quarterfinalist in the Nicholl Fellowship, while the production of the film was supported by the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant. The feature was sold to Vantage Media and is currently available on various PVOD platforms. He and Jesse were finalists for the 2025 PGA Create Labs, Scripted Cycle as a producing team.

Jesse Bontreger — Producer
Jesse Bontreger is an independent producer and based in Los Angeles. He began his career as an assistant and coordinator on high-profile features, including ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (dir. Quentin Tarantino), VICE (dir. Adam McKay), THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH (dir. Joel Coen), C’MON C’MON (dir. Mike Mills), NOPE (dir. Jordan Peele), and JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (dir. Colin Trevorrow). He has also worked on acclaimed television series such asWESTWORLD, BIG LITTLE LIES, and PENNY DREADFUL.

Independently of his work on larger studio projects, Jesse has produced and assistant directed several short films and music videos. SWEET HEART, a short film he produced alongside director Madeline Mack, premiered at HollyShorts Film Festival in 2019 and was awarded a post-production grant through The Future of Film is Female. He is also an active writer and performer in Los Angeles’ comedy scene, through both The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade.

Jesse currently assists writer-director Jared Hess (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, NACHO LIBRE, A MINECRAFT MOVIE).

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.