I am expanding my repertoire to include scripted films. In that spirit, I’m excited to be in pre-production on a scripted short film adapted from a feature screenplay by Susan Klos. “Voices” is based on Susan’s life experience of her teenage daughter’s life-altering schizophrenia diagnosis. It’s an intimate, difficult, and ultimately deeply human story.
What continues to move me about Voices is its portrayal of a mother’s love for her daughter, imperfect, strained at times, but enduring. It speaks to something I think we’re all craving right now, authentic connection, and the courage to stay present for one another through the hardest moments.
As a society, we’ve largely turned away from those living with severe mental illness. The subject is still so stigmatized that many families feel they have to hide what they’re going through, which only deepens their isolation and leaves them without the support they need. This film is a small but sincere attempt to open that conversation. My hope is that it will help people feel less alone and shine a light on the gaps in mental health care in this country.
I will be directing, and Alessandra Pasquino will be producing this film. Award-winning Director of Photography Matthew Wilder (Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, The Cheech) will be bringing his gorgeous aesthetic to the production.
We’ve locked our locations and are just beginning our casting process.
Voices will be an entertaining and engaging film that supports meaningful dialogue intended to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness, provide a sense of connectedness and community for families facing mental illness, and shed light on the need to reform our current mental health care system.
Big thanks to our Executive Producers, Ann Evans, Pierre Hauser, & Patrick S. Bennett.
Voices films early summer, 2026.