The Story
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1976: The average house costs $40,000, wood paneled everything is in vogue, and same-sex marriage legislation is still 28 years away.
Amidst the era of classic rock and Gerald Ford, a deeply personal conflict heats up one chilly upstate cabin. Sammy Anderson, a radio host, kills his boss, Ken Reese, in a bid to keep his affair with Corey Louca under wraps from his wife. When he stops at his family cabin on the way to dispose of the body, his mind conjures up disturbing and emotional images and conversations that force him to face the situation at hand. No one is morally pure and no one can hide from the evil they have done.
Kill The...What?
Before the instant pregnancy test became standard, one method of determining if a woman was pregnant was to inject her sample into a rabbit. As the story goes: the pregnancy hormone's presence in the sample would cause the rabbit to die. A pregnant woman was described to have "killed the rabbit."
The irony of the phrase is that the doctor would have to kill the rabbit either way in order to find out whether the rabbit’s organs had failed--indicating pregnancy--or if the rabbit would have been fine.
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The title functions on multiple levels: It touches upon Hannah’s miscarriage, which caused distance between her and Sammy, as well as the fact that Sammy kills Ken--not because of what he has done, but because of the possibility of what he could do.
The Crew
Melina Nakos - Writer & Director
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Melina Nakos is a screenwriter, playwright, and director who was raised in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. Her interest in film came from a deep desire to tell dynamic and diverse stories that give room for the unconventional. She believes that the root of change is empathy, and uses her stories as a way for audiences to open their mind to groups of people often ignored. She is deeply excited to take on production of "Kill the Rabbit," a story she has already spent a great deal of time with as a play, and is ecstatic to see it transform for the screen.
Ian McQueen - Producer
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Ian McQueen is a director and producer, currently in his last year at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He's worked on the production team of numerous student and independent films. He produced “Spare Change,” which screened at Tribeca Film Festival’s “Our City, My Story” in 2016. When he’s not on set or furiously catching up on missed TV shows—of which there are quite a few—you’re likely to find him taking family portraits, or at a Broadway show!
Tayler MacMillan - Director of Photography![]()
Tayler is a third-year student studying Film and Television at NYU Tisch Student of the Arts. With experience in narrative, experimental, and episodic storytelling, Tayler's diverse production background has always held a common thread - a passion for empowering the stories of others. She has worked with Melina in the past on Reverse, a short film for the Boston 48 Hour Film Festival, and is very excited to work with her again on Kill the Rabbit.
Kate Remelius - Line Producer
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Kate Remelius is a sophomore at NYU Tisch studying Film/TV Production where she has directed and produced several short films, audio books, plays, and music videos. Kate is very excited to be a part of “Kill the Rabbit” as this is a chance to work with a group of very talented people on an insanely cool story. Kate also makes a pretty good grilled cheese sandwich and finds it awkward to write about herself in the third person.
Claudia Rose - Production Designer
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After transferring to NYU as a Sophomore, Claudia took her first leap into production design and the art department when she was in charge of wardrobe for an intermediate production. In the following intermediate season, she was the production designer for 7 different Intermediate Narrative projects. Both her background in portfolio art and lifelong interest in visual design for the stage have aided her new focus on film.
The Cast
Charles Manning - Sammy
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Charles Manning discovered his love of acting in 2017, after a successful career in publishing. Since then, he has made acting his primary focus and performed in a number of off-Broadway productions and student films.
Imani Tahira Williams - Hannah
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Imani Tahira Williams is an American actress, model, dancer, and creative producer from New Jersey. Imani has performed on various stages and appeared in several web series to date.
Ivan Greene - Ken
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Ivan Greene was born and raised in New York, where he studied Music and Art at LaGuardia High School and developed a passion for rock climbing and the outdoors—becoming a world-class professional rock climber by age 21. While on a climbing trip in Red Rocks, NV he was discovered by a commercial TV producer who cast him in his first commercial. After being featured in several TV commercials and print campaigns, he further developed his acting skills by studying Meisner Technique and Shakespeare with Deborah Headwell, NYC. He is also a singer, musician and songwriter with the emphasis on rock and roll, reggae, funk and soul, and is currently working on finishing his first album.
What We Need, and What's In It for You!
This story is near and dear to all of our hearts, but to make it come to life on the screen, we need your help. Making a film of any length is a labor of love, and while our cast and crew are generously giving of their time, there are still plenty of expenses that come into play. Our production's biggest costs lie in bringing us back to the 1970's. This includes carefully curated costumes and locations, as well as some special props and design elements. In addition, we'll be housing and feeding a cast and crew of 20 for three days--that's more than a few air mattresses, and quite a bit of food!
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This is where we're counting on you--so fear not! Your contributions will not go unnoticed: reward your good deed with everything from a signed thank you note to some industry insider credentials! Every dime gets us closer to our goal of making this project its wonderful best!