WRITER/DIRECTOR: Alex Heller
PRODUCERS: Eugene Sun Park and Erica Duffy
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Jasion Chiu
COMPANIES: Full Spectrum Features, Camera Ambassador
GENRE: Comedy
FORMAT: Short Film
STATUS: Festivals

SYNOPSIS:

Grizzlies is a comedy about animal instincts to protect family. On a mundane suburban day, both Nancy and her adult daughter Allison have reached their breaking points with their respective groups of bullies. Starting with teenagers at Dairy Queen and ending with boomers at book club, this mother and daughter must find the courage to fiercely protect each other.

This project is supported by the Illinois Arts Council.

ABOUT THE CREATOR

Alex Heller is a 27-year-old mentally ill filmmaker, who recently moved out of her mom's Chicago basement and into Los Angeles.

Her short film "Grizzlies" stars her aforementioned mother, and is her second collaboration with cinematographer Jason Chiu (Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks With You). In 2020, "Grizzlies" has so far been an official selection of the Chicago International, Edinburgh International, and Maryland Film Festivals. Alex's short film "24 and Pregnant" premiered on the front page of Elizabeth Banks's comedy site, Whohaha.

Alex's upcoming work includes her first feature film, "The Year Between," a comedy about bipolar disorder that is being produced by Alex Dinelaris, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “Birdman.” In addition to being selected for the TFI Network, “The Year Between” was one of five projects selected for AT&T Presents: Untold Stories, the million-dollar pitch at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Alex is a 2020 Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Fellow. In 2018, she was named by Vulture as one of their "Rising Filmmakers Every Cinephile Should Have on Their Radar."

Follow Alex on Instagram at @thementallytrillest (40,000 followers strong) for daily mental illness memes and musings.