A woman who's not an artist attends an artist retreat. Allison Johnston directs “Artist Retreat,” a comedic character study and lighthearted satire written by and starring Sara Hennessey. The Maple Farm’s Mindful Women’s Artist Retreat is now in its second year — there are some familiar faces from last year, and some new ones, like our non-artist protagonist. How she ended up here, who knows, but she tries to strong-arm her way into the group dynamic through brute presence and problematic ideas (she brings a bag of multicolor feathers to make headbands). Asked about her main project, she can’t come up with a coherent response, which alienates her from the serious-minded colleagues who can clearly detail their art’s themes, working materials, and motivations. After a solo walk in the woods, she gets lost and tries to muster a connection with nature and some navigation skills (“Which way is North?…Why do I think North is the right way?”) to reunite her with the others. Hennessey is hilarious as the odd woman out, the type to scroll to the end of a guided meditation podcast, or burst into toxic energy (“no one wants us to fucking make anything!”) in a safe, supportive space. -KA.
Directed & Edited by Allison Johnston. Written by & Starring Sara Hennessey. Featuring Hannan Younis, Jackie Pirico, Steph Kaliner, & Dawn Whitwell. Director of Photography: Dan Tahmizian. Sound Design: Matt Beckett. Producer: Jake Rehorst, Sara Hennessey & Allison Johnston.
A holistic healer and a hip hop producer cross paths. Led by two very funny performances from Blair Socci and Tynan DeLong, “Beats” is a dry comedy about the ways we attempt (and fail) to achieve mental wellness in the modern world. Responding to a targeted Facebook ad, Derek shows up to the apar...
A burly stranger looking for a place to lay his head arrives at the home of a newly single mother renting out her guest house. “Rebound,” written by Wes Haney and directed by NoBudge Hall-of-Famer Doron Max Hagay, is pure comedy gold, built with priceless performances from Katy Fullan and George ...
New movies by director Doron Max Hagay are always cause for celebration here at NoBudge. Today we’re happy to present a “Doron Double Feature” — also featured “Improv is Love” — to highlight an artist we consider an unsung hero of American indie film. Specializing in ludicrous plots, absurdly qui...
