WEST COAST PREMIERE
As a sugar baby, Danielle is financially pampered by her sugar daddy Max in exchange for companionship and sexual favors. While she navigates her senior year of college and a lack of plans for the future, she grows into a mild obsession for Max. One morning, shortly after leaving his house, she joins her family at a shiva - the week-long mourning period that follows the burial of a first-degree relative - and her day takes an unexpected turn: apparently against all odds, she runs into Max with his accomplished wife and crying baby. In a rapid twist of mood, Danielle has to perform multiple roles: keep up her facade as a good Jewish daughter, entertain small talk with various estranged relatives, play it cool with her ex girlfriend Maya, all the while trying to finish her bagel and fending off pressure from Max’s worried gaze. Covering the course of a day, this snarky comedy delivers laughs and tackles every young adult’s eternal conundrum: family and tradition or exploration and personal growth? Emma Seligman’s debut feature promises to be an excellent inspiration for our Next Wave community of Millennial and Gen Z film lovers, the more so at a historical time where friendship, love and sexuality are subject to restrictions all the while blossoming with new creative potential.
Followed by a live, virtual conversation with filmmaker Emma Seligman lead actress Rachel Sennott, moderated by Margherita Ghetti, Next Wave Programmer.
This digital screening is presented free of charge, courtesy of JFI. Reserve your space now by booking a ticket. A link to watch will be sent to you prior to the start date. Viewing will be enabled between Thursday, July 16 12:01am – Sunday, July 19, 11:59pm. The film will be followed by a live, virtual Q&A.
Following suggested 6pm PST start time, is a live, virtual Q&A at 7:30pm PST on Friday July 17th with filmmaker Emma Seligman and lead actress Rachel Sennott, moderated by Margherita Ghetti, Next Wave Programmer.
EMMA SELIGMAN is a filmmaker from Toronto and based in New York. At NYU’s Undergraduate Film & TV program, she wrote and directed Shiva Baby, the short film, upon which the feature is based. It premiered at South by Southwest in 2018, went on to Woodstock Film Festival, TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest and is now a Vimeo Staff Pick.