Zugzwang

Zugzwang is a situation found in chess in which a player must make a move that puts them at a serious, often decisive disadvantage.

Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Writer/Director: Bridget Stokes
Producer: Erin Owens
Producer: Katie Taylor
Director of Photography: Kevin Atkinson
Casting: Erica A Hart

Email:
murphystokes@gmail.com

Website: zugzwangfilm.com
 
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Logline

A private detective takes a job, hoping for redemption, and finds herself in the midst of an ever-expanding world of corruption.

Synopsis

Novo Estado is a fictional coastal city on the continent of Eden, where our story begins. Lady used to work for The Guard but was forced out and became a private investigator. She makes a living scrounging up dirt on the lovers and enemies of government officials until a young officer begs for her help in uncovering corruption in The Guard. Maybe Lady wants revenge on the institution that ousted her or maybe she’s tired of the morally questionable work she’s been doing, but she ultimately accepts the job. As she digs, she begins to realize the corruption is deeper than she could have ever imagined and affects her personally in ways that will pull her inextricably into a web of politics and greed, where she will have to risk everything to find the truth.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Bridget Stokes – Writer/Director
Bridget Stokes’ masterful direction won her an Emmy for HBO’s, A Black Lady Sketch Show, making her the first woman to win in the category. In addition to her win, Bridget has received four Emmy nominations for her directing work on Apple’s Hello Jack and producing work on A Black Lady Sketch Show. Stokes received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing on ABLSS and won the award for producing. As a feature director Stokes’ second feature, Boy Genius, starring Rita Wilson and Miles Brown was an award winner at Bentonville and Newport Film Festivals before being acquired for domestic theatrical distribution and streaming as well as selling internationally in Africa, Asia and South America. Stokes has directed two feature films and 30 episodes of television in addition to helming the award-winning short film, Think Fast. As a producer, Stokes has co-executive produced seasons 1 & 2 of Hello Jack and seasons 3 & 4 of A Black Lady Sketch Show, as well as six feature films, including Netflix’s The Lost Husband and documentary, The Rachel Divide.

Erin Owens – Producer
Erin Owens is a seasoned producer with credits that span across a multitude of comedic genres in both TV and film. Whether it be scripted television in A24s Moon Base 8 and Comedy Central’s Another Period, sketch comedy with History of the World Part 2, HBO’s Black Lady Sketch Show and Kroll Show or live television with Pod Save America: Four State Tour during the 2018 midterms, Erin’s career is steeped in any and all things comedy. Additionally, Erin has ventured into short-form content and branded comedy with her involvement in several Quibi, Adult Swim, and College Humor productions, as well as commercials for brands like Adidas, Visa, Chevy.

Katie Taylor – Producer
Katie Taylor is an Executive Producer at The Corner Shop in Los Angeles.

Prior to joining The Corner Shop, Katie Taylor has had a 20-year career in film, television and commercial production. Having graduated from Auburn University as a 24-time All-American and a 2-time International gold medalist for swimming, she began her career at Fox Sports where she earned an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement: Television Program Series as a segment producer for SEC-TV. Taylor was most recently a part of the producer team on the feature film Dark Asset staring Byron Mann. As an EP at The Corner Shop, Taylor is fortunate to work alongside powerhouse directors such as Peter Thwaites, Ellen Kuras, Malik Vitthal, Bridget Stokes and many of the award winning emerging young talent such as Varun Chopra, Luigi Calabrese, RELTA and BAFTA winning Sindha Agha. Working across television commercials, branded content, scripted film and TV and documentary, Taylor’s experience and understanding of different mediums and ability to work with budgets, big and small is her superpower. She is a member of the Television Academy and the Producers Guild of America.

Kevin Atkinson – Director of Photography
History of the World Part II: Hulu – Mel Brooks – Directed Alice Mathias, David Stassen, Nick Kroll 2023
A Black Lady Sketch Show: HBO – Robin Thede – Directed Bridget Stokes 2022/2023
Murderville: Netflix – Directed Iain Morris, Brennan Shroff 2022
Family Squares: Amazon – Directed Stephanie Laing 2022
Bless This Mess: Hulu/ABC/Fox – Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures/Lake Bell 2020
Dollface: Hulu/ABC Signature Studios 2019
A Stupid and Futile Gesture: NetFlix – Directed David Wain 2018
Alone Together: The Lonely Island/Freeform 2018
Detroiters: Comedy Central/Broadway Video 2018
The Bust Down: Hulu/Broadway Video – Directed Richie Keen – Pilot 2018
Wet Hot American Summer, Ten Years Later: NetFlix – Directed David Wain 2017
Fox Late Night, Party Over Here: The Lonely Island – Directed Danny Jelinek 2016
Nobodies: Directed Ben Falcone/Melissa McCarthy – pilot 2016
Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal Funny or Die – Directed Jeremy Konner 2016
Over Analyzers: Comedy Central – Directed Brian Poyser 2015
Wet Hot American Summer, First Day of Camp: NetFlix – Directed David Wain 2015
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver HBO – Directed Alex Fernie 2014
Other Space: Yahoo – Dir. Paul Feig 2014
Checked Out: Comedy Central – Pilot – Directed Matt & Oz 2014
Saturday Night Live: NBC/Universal – Directed Matt & Oz 2013
Childrens Hospital Seasons 5,6: 2013

Erica A Hart – Casting
Erica has cast films that screened at Tribeca, SXSW, Outfest, Cinequest, and Cannes. The Surrogate (a film she cast as well as associate produced) was a Variety Critics Pick, and earned Erica her first Artios nomination and win. She has cast commercials for brands such as Maybelline, Gillette, Hasbro, and Delta and cast H.E.R’s music video for Fight for You (Academy Award-winner for Best Original Song). Her credits include both seasons of That Damn Michael Che (HBOMAX), Jodie produced by Tracee Ellis Ross, Black Mirror (NETFLIX S6), Black Don’t Crack (pilot for ABC), Bust Down (PEACOCK), The Girls on the Bus (HBOMAX), and A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBOMAX S4). Hart made her Broadway debut casting Chicken & Biscuits and Pass Over. She co-cast the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman and MTC’s Broadway production of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. She has cast productions for THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE and THE DRAMA LEAGUE. Hart is on the Board of Governors for Casting Society and member of the Television Academy. She teaches auditioning techniques at universities including Harvard and NYU’s Grad Acting Program.

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Contact

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