FOR ALL THE TROUBLE WE'VE MADE
Short Film | In Pre-Production
to be shot in Asheville, North Carolina in Fall '21
Detailed by her chaotic diary entries, 14-year-old Jo gets lost in a
forbidden love with the boy across the street right under her parents'
noses all while her mother digests a tragedy of her own.
Writer/Director: Maggie Briggs
Producer: Amanda Freedman
Co-Producer: Zachary Warren Briggs
Cinematographer: Cedric Cheung-Lau
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
As much as I've asked time to slow down, it simply won't.
When March of 2020 hit, I was a part of the mass exodus of people from NYC seeking refuge in our hometowns near and far. Suddenly, for the first time in a decade, I found myself living back in my childhood bedroom right across the hall from my parents. (Something I swore to my 18-year-old self would never happen again.) But I changed my tune when after only a month at home, my mother suddenly fell ill with non-Covid related health issues and spent two, lonely months in the hospital. The only reason I can consider this year of COVID a blessing is because when mom did finally come home, we were all able to be by herself to start on the long road to recovery .
Over my year at home, I was able to repay at least a small fraction of the love and care my mother has given me over my 29 years of life. This year, it was my turn to crawl into bed with her when she was anxious at night; my turn to make her breakfast; to drive her to appointments; to hug her when she needed it; and to remind her of the strength inside her when she was discouraged, like she's always done for me. It's been a year to reflect on time and on the circle of life... As silly as that may sound.
In May of this year, mom fell ill again and quickly passed away. And again, my life was flipped upside down.
I can't explain it, but two weeks before she got sick this year, I was overcome with an irrational fear that my own death was fast-approaching. Driving alone eastbound on I-40, I found myself weeping, short of breath, afraid of nothing but a feeling in my gut. That’s all. When I think about it now, that feeling wasn't wrong. Not at all. My mom and I share an unknowable connection. Contrasting but intertwined. Separate but one. I think we all do with our moms.
That feeling led me to write this short film.
And its title was born from its dedication:
For all the trouble we’ve made;
For the moms who love us despite it;
For Sheila, Leon, and Justin;
And for my mom, my light, Mary Darlene Edmundson Briggs.
CREATIVE TEAM
Maggie Briggs, writer/director
Maggie Briggs is a screenwriter, director, and producer currently based between her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina and New York City where she received her MFA at Columbia University. Her short film, To Sonny, has screened at festivals around the world including Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Champs-Élysées Film Festival, BOGOShorts, Busan International Short Film Festival, and was awarded Best International Film at the Still Voices Film Festival in Ireland. As a producer, her work has shown at festivals including TIFF, Palm Springs, and Nordisk Panorama.
She is in development on her first feature, PRONE TO WANDER, which has been supported by Tribeca Film Institute and The Gotham. She is currently co-writing the second feature for Samir Oliveros, in development with Fabula and the first feature by Saim Sadiq who directed the short film DARLING that won the Best Short Film award at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
w. magsbriggs.com
imdb.imdb.com/name/nm8663897/
Amanda Freedman, producer
Amanda is a Canadian producer and a recent graduate of AFI’s MFA in Producing. She’s committed to making female-focused work that explores the morals and values of our generation. Her produced shorts have screened at prominent festivals including Talia Zucker’s CHILD, which played at BFI London, and Charlotte Benbeniste’s BYE BYE, BODY, which was a Filmmaker Favourite at Palm Springs Shortfest and Vimeo Staff Pick. Her thesis film TAPE, directed by Jojo Erholtz won Special Mention at Palm Springs and Outfest. She was selected to participate in Tribeca’s 2020 TFI Network with Maggie Briggs’ debut feature, PRONE TO WANDER, and is on the writing team for Samir Oliveros’ second feature film in development with Fabula. She is currently producing Tomas Gomez Bustillo’s first feature, CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT.
We'll be offering film credits in exchange for donations:
$15-500 - Very Special Thanks
$501-1000 - Associate Producer
$1001 & Beyond - Executive Producer
(I promise it's super cool to see your name scroll across the screen at the end of a movie you helped make happen.)
FOR ALL THE TROUBLE WE'VE MADE is a first step into my exploration of what it means to be a girl (and woman) in the American South in preparation for my first feature, PRONE TO WANDER. Developing this short has already pushed me to think about my feature in new ways creatively. And, even practically, it will serve as early casting sessions for the feature and help me in making industry connections in the Southeast.
The project is going to be funding completely out of pocket. A labor of love as tends to be my style. Whether your family, friends, family friends, or a stranger, having your support on this creative journey would mean more than I can say.