20 Weeks is a romantic drama about love, science and how prenatal and genetic testing impact everyday people.
The Story
A Los Angeles couple, MAYA CLOSSON and RONAN
BAINES, 30s, must decide on whether or not to move forward with their
pregnancy after their baby is diagnosed with a serious health issue at the 20-week scan.
Their doctor advises them of their
options: they can terminate by week 23 or continue with the pregnancy. But
before making any further choices, they are advised to undergo genetic testing
to see if the issue is associated with any genetic syndromes.
The couple can’t
think straight. While they're in love with their baby, they're divided on what his quality of life will be, and immediately, there is a huge wedge in their relationship.
What follows is a roller coaster of highs and
lows, and a very difficult set of decisions that have to be made.
The Movie, Style and Tone
20 Weeks will use intimate, subjective shots to tell the
story from Maya’s point of view. It also integrates abstract, scientific images of the
fetus to show Maya's anxiety about the baby. The film will
be shot using loose camera movements that will allow the actors freedom in movement
and some improvisation. 20 Weeks also will have a surrealist feel with beautiful locations and a unique color palette.
The Cast
ANNA MARGARET HOLLYMAN AS MAYA
Anna Margaret Hollyman is an
indie film powerhouse with two movies in the 2016 South by Southwest Film
Festival including Clair in Motion
and Before the Sun Explodes. She’s
been in numerous independent films, and was recently in the hit movie, Sleeping with Other People. In
her starring role as Suzanne in Zach Clark’s White Reindeer, Anna
Margaret received notice from The New Yorker for her “poised radiance”
and a “calmly dominating performance…that brings a hint of a young
Kathleen Turner,” the Village Voice for her “virtuoso lead performance,”
and the Los Angeles Times for a “quietly brave, revealing ride
of…genuinely unforced and unexpected emotion.” As Sarah in Small, Beautifully Moving Parts she earned praise from the Village Voice for
her “understated sensitivity” and from Roger Ebert for her “lovable
screen presence…(and) the sort of charm we felt from the first films of
Sandra Bullock or Greta Gerwig.” Her
other film credits include Mojave, Summer of Blood, Social Butterfly, Funny Bunny, Seven Chinese Brothers, Gayby, The Color Wheel,
Somebody Up There Likes Me, The Outfit, The Mink Catcher, Woman of the World, Movement and Location, Adelaide, and Anna.
AMIR ARISON AS RONAN
Amir Arison is widely known for his
extensive film and television work. As an actor, Amir is currently a series
regular as fan favorite 'Aram Mojtabai' on NBC’s hit series The Blacklist,
opposite James Spader. Notable recurring roles in television include
HBO’s hit show Girls,
the Emmy Award-winning Homeland, Zero Hour, Law &
Order: SVU, Dallas, and
State of
Georgia. Notable guest star appearances include American Horror
Story, ABC’s
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Major Crimes, The Mentalist, Marvin Marvin,
Medium, Undercovers, NCIS, Law & Order: CRIMINAL INTENT, and more. Recent
film credits include Jane Wants a Boyfriend, Before the Sun Explodes, Big Words, Tom McCarthy's The Visitor, and many more. Amir is also a prolific
theater actor and has been featured in numerous off Broadway hits.
SUJATA DAY AS RUBY
Sujata Day is a pioneering South Asian actress in the world of comedy.
She plays CeCe in the popular Shorty Award-winning web series, Awkward Black Girl, and will also be part of Issa Rae Presents upcoming #HBO series, #Insecure.
Sujata is a multi-talented performer/writer who hails from the black ’n
yellow suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. She produces, writes, and stars in
the comedy sci-fi web series, Larry & Lucy.
Sujata also produces, writes, and sings in the music videos of her
indie band, Naked Hipster Project. She is a graduate of the Upright
Citizen’s Brigade Theatre improv program. Recent TV/Film credits include
Hello Again, The Grinder, and 9 Rides. Sujata is repped by 3 Arts
Entertainment, TalentWorks and Myman Greenspan.
MICHELLE KRUSIEC
Michelle is best known for her starring
role opposite Joan Chen in the romantic comedy Saving Face, directed by
Alice Wu. The role garnered her a Best Actress nomination for the Golden Horse,
the Chinese Language Oscar. On stage, Michelle starred in the International
Broadway tour of David Henry Hwang’s play Chinglish (Berkeley Rep/South
Coast Rep/Hong Kong Arts festival). Michelle wrote and performed her
tour-de-force solo show Made in Taiwan, which premiered at the 2002 HBO
Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, the 2003 LA Women’s Theatre Festival, the 2005 New
York Asian American Theatre Festival, and the 2010 New York International
Fringe Festival and Fringe Encores. Michelle’s selected film credits include The Invitation, Saving Face, Far North, A Helping Hand, Henry Poole Is Here, Knife Fight, Nanking, Nixon, Pumpkin, Sweet Home Alabama, What Happens in Vegas, Zoom Hunting (Taiwan).
In TV, Michelle starred in the series One World and Travelers,
and she currently recurs on Hawaii-5-0. Other appearances include MacGuyver
pilot, Getting On, Longmire, Damien, Blue Bloods, Community,
Dirty Sexy Money, Fringe, Grey’s Anatomy, Mind of the Married Man, Monk, Nip/Tuck, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Touch, and Weeds. You can find her online
web-series Nice Girls Crew. Additional info can be found at www.michellekrusiec.com
The Crew
Leena Pendharkar, Writer/Director Leena recently wrote/directed the short film,
Dandekar Makes a Sandwich,
which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los
Angeles and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. Her feature screenplay,
Days with Dandekar,
was workshopped in the FIND Screenwriter’s Lab, and awarded a Tribeca
All Access grant. She also directed the feature film,
Raspberry Magic,
which played in over 30 festivals, and is on Starz TV, as well as on Amazon, Hulu and a number of other platforms.
She has also worked extensively in new media, and
started the YouTube channel
So Natural TV.
Her short films and sketches have been featured on Hello Giggles, Funny
or Die, Comediva and many other places. She also teaches film
production at Loyola Marymount University.
OTHER WORK FROM WRITER/DIRECTOR LEENA PENDHARKAR
Dandekar Makes a Sandwich, Vimeo Staff Pick
Jane Kelly Kosek, Producer
Has produced a number of shorts, including Dandekar Makes a Sandwich and The Frolic, and feature films including Pitching Tents, Straight Line, Tennessee, Not Since You, Take Me Home, and The Diary of Preston Plummer. She has also been a producer on several documentary features, including Industrial Light and Magic, Citizen Hearst, and The Imagineering Story. She was also a producer on the documentary short Pipe Dreams, which was shortlisted for an Oscar. Her films have screened in numerous festivals and aired on TV via Starz, Netflix, Hulu and more.
Renuka Pullat, Executive Producer A serial entrepreneur, Renuka has been involved in both movie
production and distribution of Bollywood films. She has played key roles
in raising financing, planning shooting schedules, fulfilling shooting
requirements and coordinating the post-production of numerous films. She
has an extensive background in the development of feature
films, having produced and distributed many major commercial Indian
films including Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav, Sarkar, and Dus. She has
founded two companies - Kria Entertainment
in the US and Siren Media Company in Cambodia. She is the Executive Producer of Miss India America,
an independent film produced in California and released theatrically in
2016 and the drama/short film Dandekar Makes a Sandwich which
released in 2015. She is currently involved in two
tech start-ups and is also planning a live-action film with a
diversified cast that will have worldwide appeal. Renuka graduated from
the University of Bombay with a BA in Economics and Statistics and has
an MBA from Seton Hall University.
Daud Sani, Director of Photography Born in Pakistan
and raised in the US, Daud Sani brings a personal touch to everything
he shoots. With a bachelor's degree in film, Daud has shot short films,
commercials, music video, features, and reality content for networks
such as Style, PBS, E!, and Bravo. Passion for telling stories in the visual medium helps Daud strive to cultivate his talent while always
looking for innovation in an ever-progressing film industry.
Adri Siriwatt, Production Designer
She began her
career production designing independent films and commercials. She has
been awarded Best Production Design for her film One Small Hitch
and nominated for a Sports Emmy for Best Production Design for her NBA
Draft Commercial. She is a member of the ADG 800 and IATSE 476. She
has worked in all areas of the Art Department and is known to make the
impossible possible. Her most current project was as an Art Director for
Southside with You, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Rachana Sukhadia, Costume Designer
Translates her
fascination with storytelling by connecting the audience to the
characters in unique and believable ways. She enjoys the subtlety in
detail and collaboration process with the actors and film crew in
narrating the true authenticity of the characters. Rachana has traveled
and studied indigenous textile designs while working alongside
marginalized artisans in India. With her rich cultural roots and
experiences she brings an unconventional perspective to costume design
in the film industry. She has worked as a costume assistant and designer
on a number of independent films, commercials and television shows.
Mariyam Mahbub, Associate Producer
Earned her MFA in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University in
2014 where she honed her storytelling abilities and mastered her
editing skills by cutting several sitcom pilots as well as promotional
spots for the university. Her thesis film, Be Your Hero is her first mockumentary short and homage to her favorite romantic comedy TV shows. She is a prolific short filmmaker with a varied portfolio of projects, including various genres such as silent films, The Librarian, family dramas Remember Me Still, and romantic comedies, Be Your Hero.
Mariyam is passionate about independent filmmaking and has been working
at IM Global, a leading independent film sales agency and production
company since finishing her graduate degree. She is currently developing
a web series, Meet Cute, which will begin principal photography in Fall 2016.
The Inspiration
In the summer of 2014, when I was pregnant with my second
daughter, you can imagine my and my husband's surprise when the doctor
came into the room and told us that our baby's mandible bone wasn't
measuring correctly. We were honestly confused because it just didn't
seem right.
And while
the doctors knew her mandible bone wasn't measuring correctly, they told
us there was a range of what her exact issues could be. We had to
undergo genetic testing, and we were
forced to come in and do sonograms every couple of weeks to make sure
her growth was on a typical curve. It was a very difficult experience.
In
October of 2014, my daughter was born with a serious, but treatable
health condition called
Pierre Robin Sequence. Going through this experience, I was struck by
the marriage of science and ethics, and how fragile the
balance really is. Sitting in the room, looking at a sonogram, the
doctors ask you to make decisions that are tough, that have you question
what's right or wrong, and for which you need to go on faith to move
forward. It was this experience that inspired me to tell this story.
In Partnership With
We have partnered with Make-a-Wish Greater Los Angeles to help raise money for families in need as we raise funds for our feature film, 20 Weeks.
Make-a-Wish Greater Los Angeles grants the wishes of Children with Life-Threatening medical conditions. By
contributing to our campaign, you will help grant the wish of a
child as we will donate a portion of every dollar we receive to Make-a-Wish Greater Los Angeles. Our goal is to tell moving stories while also giving back to our
community.
The Costs
We believe in the power of independent cinema, and movies like ours couldn't get made without the support of contributors like yourself. All of the funds will go towards making the movie. Raising these funds will allow us to go right into post production.