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Logline

Rita, a loan officer at a bank, has a secret. She is a biological clown, born with white skin and a red-button nose. Everyday she wears concealer to be taken seriously. On a fateful night, she spills all her concealer on her ‘normal’ clothes. She must rush to the laundromat, forced to confront the world as her true self.

Synopsis

Rita works as a loan officer at a bank, meticulous and dedicated to the rules. One afternoon, a customer comes in pitching a quirky idea. Challenged by the customer’s strange presentation and unwavering self assurance, Rita reacts poorly ,denying her the loan. Back home, Rita enters her bathroom and removes her make up, revealing her secret: she was born a biological clown, with porcelain white skin and a cute red button nose. Rita conceals her identity everyday to appear as ‘normal’, and most importantly, be taken seriously. In a twist of fate, Rita spills the concealer atop the heaping piles of dull work clothes. She makes a run for the nearest laundromat, where the various customers and owner will take Rita on a journey towards self acceptance.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Julia Freij — Writer/Director
Julia Freij is an award winning American-Palestinian director and writer based in Salt Lake City Utah. Freij Graduated from the American Film Institute (AFI) in 2023 as a Directing Fellow. Freij’s thesis film JAMILA is an award winning film, having won Best Emerging Storyteller at the Imagine This Women’s Film Festival and runner up for Audience Choice at the MENA Film Festival. She has written and directed several self-funded short films and music videos. Freij’s commercial-fashion work has been featured by the groundbreaking brand PAT MCGRATH LABS. While a Utah native she’s worked at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL for several years. Freij currently works as an Assistant Director on commercials and the Angel studios series Homestead. Her work often seeks to show the intersections of gender, societal expectations & culture through examining the gray areas in our world with compassion and candor.

Mon Castro — Producer
Mon Castro is an award-winning Mexican filmmaker based in Los Angeles. After earning her MFA at the American Film Institute Conservatory, she has produced numerous narrative films and music videos, including Yugo BAFTA Longlisted and Imagen Foundation Award Nominee BAJO LA TIERRA; Mexican-American Film and TV Awards nominated THERE’S A DEVIL INSIDE ME; Owen Roizman ASC Winner IM FINSTERN; and Spotlight Dorado Finalist CUANDO VOLVIMOS A LA TIERRA. Most recently, she coproduced the feature film ME, AFTER YOU, set to release in 2027. Mon holds a special affinity for all things horror, genre and camp. She is also interested in feminism, LGBTQIA+ stories, animals, and changing her hair color.

Haley Min Young Kreofsky — Cinematographer
Haley Min Young Kreofsky is a Korean American cinematographer with a passion for stories about flawed humans trying to navigate the world. Driven by her interest in visual storytelling, Kreofsky received her MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute. Beginning her film career in the grip and electric departments, Kreofsky has since worked on documentary films and branded and commercial content for Levis, Venmo, Shutterstock, Cutter, Repel, and Alo Yoga. She has been awarded for her work on numerous narrative projects including her MFA thesis film A Butterfly Vanishes was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Student Heritage Award. Her extensive skill set and diverse work experience has given her expertise in shooting on both motion picture film (Super 8, 16mm, and 35mm) and digital formats.

Camila BR Grisi — Production Designer
Camila BR Grisi is a Uruguayan born, she is currently based in Los Angeles, California and works in the entertainment industry, leading Art Departments in narrative and commercial productions. She has an MFA in Architecture from FADU (Uruguay), and an MFA in Production Design from the American Film Institute Conservatory (USA). She is a 2023 member of the Production Design Initiative at the Art Directors Guild, and has designed many awarded short films and music videos. She has also assisted in Art Departments of productions such as “The Rookie” (Paramount TV show), and “Gin & Juice” (Snoop Dogg commercial and Hardy music video).

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact [email protected].