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Logline

Bettina, a recent LA transplant and struggling actress-turned-babysitter, must chauffeur precocious preteen Wynn, to a sleepover in Laurel Canyon. There’s just one problem — she barely knows how to drive a car.

Synopsis

Bettina, a New Yorker with dreams of becoming a successful actor, moves to Los Angeles and takes on a babysitting job. Having never driven a car in her life, she faces the challenge of transporting nine-year-old, Wynn, to a birthday party. Although Wynn appears wise beyond her years and more capable than her new babysitter, she also has a fear that she is reluctant to face.

As Bettina navigates the unfamiliar world of Los Angeles, she finds guidance in Wynn, who teaches her all the LA How To’s like parallel parking, driving on Mulholland and anti-aging treatments. Their bond grows stronger when Bettina gets a call from her neurotic mom, who reveals that a friend’s daughter with no acting experience has been signed by a big Hollywood agent. Bettina reaches peak anxiety and almost crashes the car, which Wynn of course saves her from.

During their drive to the birthday party, Bettina starts to cry. Now, at her lowest, Wynn for the first time gets emotional, and yells at her to pull over. She reveals her fear of sleepovers and begs for them to skip the birthday party and go home. Bettina realizes this is her first chance to teach Wynn something, and suggests that they face their fears together.

Upon arriving at the party, they discover that the Elsa impersonator hired to perform is incapacitated due to an unfortunate encounter with a few-too-many shrooms. Bettina seizes the opportunity to save the day, impressing Sylvie, the glamorous mother hosting the event. As it turns out, Sylvie’s husband is the head of Universal Studios, providing Bettina with a connection in the entertainment industry. Wynn, though hesitant, decides to stay for the sleepover and Bettina drives the car home all by herself.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Bettina Bresnan – Writer/Producer/Actor
Bettina Bresnan is an actor, writer, singer, and director. Living in LA but born and raised in NYC, she is the creator of the cringey yet hopeful Instagram series, The Boyfriend Monologues, as well as two TV projects, Resort, and Heidee. She has been seen in TV shows such as CW’s Gossip Girl, The Carrie Diaries, and films like The Last Five Years and Vamps. Theater performances include, The 24 Hour Plays, Signature Theater, New York Fringe, REV Theater Co, amongst other productions and readings. This year she made her directorial debut with her short A Killer Secret. Festival highlights include, The Palm Springs International Film Festival, Hollyshorts, Austin Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival.

Tyler Cunningham – Director
Tyler Cunningham is a queer filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Obsessed with duality, his visuals are the intersection of fantasy and reality: dreamlike with a raw, gritty edge. Tyler’s distinct voice approaches polarizing issues with empathy, aiming to extend an olive branch between different schools of thought. He prides himself on being able to laugh and cry at the same time and his work’s biting sense of humor embodies that same spirit. Tyler got his start in music videos and commercials, working with clients like Condé Nast and Capitol Records before writing and directing his first narrative film I Was Wrong, which premiered on Film Shortage and has become their most-viewed release to date.

Tallulah Dirnfeld – Producer
Tallulah Dirnfeld is a writer, producer and artist based in Los Angeles. With a passion for storytelling and a creative drive, Tallulah has worked on a range of projects in film and television and is currently in production on several short films. With a background in development and production at companies such as Blumhouse Productions, HBO, WME, NBCUniversal, and Tribeca Film, Tallulah has gained valuable experience and insights into the industry. Tallulah graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where she honed her skills and developed a strong foundation in the film industry.

Brittany Suzanne Kelly – Producer
Brittany Suzanne Kelly is a writer and producer born and raised in The Cayman Islands, who prioritizes amplifying lesser known narratives. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, Brittany used her degree to work in a prison as a counsellor, a case aide at a child advocacy center and as a special needs teacher chasing students eloping from the classroom. Breaking into film in 2014, Brittany found her calling in narrative storytelling when attending London Film Academy. From 2014 to 2016 Brittany worked with Black Bicycle Entertainment Group in Los Angeles on content and script development. In 2016, after five years as a Digital Media Manager at a Cayman-based events and marketing firm, Brittany transitioned to freelance film producing and script doctoring full-time. Since then Brittany has developed and produced narrative and commercial content in the UK, the US and throughout the Caribbean. She has produced on a dozen short films, two feature films, produced over a dozen music videos and multiple short form documentaries.

Jackson Rickun – Producer
Jackson is a writer, actor, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. Since 2017, he has created an array of short films, screenplays, and engaging social media content. Jackson’s writing draws from his personal experiences with mental health and sexuality, and his passion for diverse subjects such as music, cryptocurrency, drug history, and science. As a queer man who has faced anxiety and depression, Jackson is devoted to championing mental health and amplifying the voices of the underrepresented.

Emily Cohn – Assistant Director
CRSHD, Emily’s debut feature film, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and is currently available on Tubi and other online movie places. The NYTimes included her as one of 9 filmmakers who should be on your radar. Her short films have played and won awards at a number of festivals. She recently directed season one of Sloppy Jones, a slasher-comedy web series featuring Linda Kash and Colin Mochrie, and the pilot episode of St. Marks, a Crown Heights set broad comedy. Outside of writing and directing, Emily has worked as a 1st AD on two independent feature films as well as several commercials and shorts and, from 2018 – 2022, as a part time personal assistant to Wes Anderson, among other film industry jobs.

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Contact

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