Esther is back in her rural Utah hometown with one intent only: to break into her parents' house. She desperately needs her identifying documents in order to legally change her name and gender before it’s made illegal. Along the way she recruits her old friend and only ally in town - Markus - to assist her. Between the break-in and navigating Markus's intentions, she doesn't intend to stay long.

Some Other Place was a finalist in NFFTY's 2020 Story Starts Here competition. 

At its heart, Some Other Place is a story delving into relatively unexplored parts of the trans experience in America. It's not about coming out, keeping secrets, or even about outright bigotry, It's after all of that. It's about the people in the middle, years later, the ones who leave you questioning: "Does this person accept me, or are they just non-confrontational?"

For trans folks, these are the people who are the most confusing, and they're also the majority. Navigating the intentions of friends and family in our lives is an exhausting endeavor, and one that rarely results in clear answers. It's also scarcely portrayed on screen.

Some Other Place explores the alien landscape surrounding the Great Salt Lake. A large, pinkish, saline body of water surrounded by desert. Towered by the Rocky Mountains to the east, and endless desert to the west. This is rural Utah, peppered with small, rusting towns slowly turning to dirt. 

There's an inherent stillness to this place. A Painful, exhaustive stillness best captured via the awe-inspiring field of view only anamorphic lenses can offer. Full of desaturated blues, greens, and sandy browns as far as the eye can see. 

The cinematography, inspired by this stillness, follows in the footsteps of Kogonada's Columbus, and Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. Shots are geometric in nature, often framed within the overwhelming weight of the landscape surrounding our characters. 

SOLSTICE HARRIS - Writer, Director

Solstice is an LGBTQ Writer/ Director who primarily tells stories in the queer space. often favoring a neo-realistic style to explore who queer identities exist in the real world. Some Other Place will be the sixth short film she's written, directed, and produced that's run on the festival circuit. It's also the most personal story she's written. 

BRENNA EMPEY - Director of Photography

Brenna Empey is an up-and-coming cinematographer with nearly a decade of experience in the film industry and a driving passion to put unique, compelling stories on the screen. She has shot four feature films, several commercials, and Some Other Place will be her third short film. 

CODY MONDALE - Producer

Cody is a movie lover with a soft spot for animation and sci-fi. She has a BA in Media Arts Studies, and since graduating has cultivated a background of set operations and advertising. As a part of the LGBTQ community, this story is near to her heart, and she's also excited to see her love of the Utah Desert and the Great Salt Lake shine through in this film.