Audience, Withoutabox

Waking Dreams U S A

Directed by: John Daschbach
Written by: John Daschbach
Starring: Ben Shenkman, Tina Holmes
Country:U S A
Created:2004
Runtime:24 min.
Member: mirrormovies




Film Description:

Synopsis

Is the office temp psychic or crazy? A corporate executive (Ben Shenkman) is shaken out of his humdrum existence and forced to ponder his fate when an enigmatic temp (Tina Holmes) enters his life. She requests a private meeting in his office and announces a recurring premonition that his upcoming tropical vacation will end in bloody carnage. A playful relationship develops between them as he gently but firmly resists her persistent efforts to persuade him to cancel his trip. But will his refusal to heed her urgent advice drive her over the edge?

Forms: Narrative Fiction, Short
Genres: Drama, Independent

Screenings & Events

Florida Film Festival
Film Festival
Orlando, FL, U S A
March 2004

Newport Film Festival
Film Festival
Newport, RI, U S A
June 2004

Waterfront Film Festival
Film Festival
Saugatuck, MI, U S A
June 2004

Melbourne Int'l Film Festival
Film Festival
Melbourne, Australia
July 2004

Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival
Film Festival
Providence, U S A
August 2004

LA Int'l Short Film Festival
Film Festival
Los Angeles, U S A
August 2004

Silverlake Film Festival
Film Festival
Los Angeles, U S A
September 2004

Independent Film Festival of Boston
Film Festival
Awards: Audience Award for Best Short Film
Boston, U S A
April 2005

Empire Film Festival
Film Festival
Saratoga Springs, NY, U S A
May 2005

Winnipeg Int'l Film Festival
Film Festival
Winnipeg, Canada
June 2005

Visionfest
Film Festival
Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Short Subject Filmmaking
New York, NY, U S A
July 2005

HypeFest
Film Festival
Awards: D.I.Y. Award - Honorable Mention
Los Angeles, CA, U S A
July 2005

Tahoe/Reno Film Festival
Film Festival
Tahoe/Reno, U S A
August 2005

Gotham City Short Film Festival
Film Festival
New York, NY, U S A
September 2005

Calgary Int'l Film Festiva
Film Festival
Calgary, Canada
September 2005

Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
Film Festival
Birmingham, U S A
September 2005

Northampton Independent Film Festival
Film Festival
Northampton, MA, U S A
October 2005

IFP Buzz Cuts
Theatrical
New York, NY, U S A
December 2005

World Cable TV Premiere on HBO Latin
Cable/Satellite
Argentina
December 2005

Cast & Crew

Production

Daryl Roth (Executive Producer), John Daschbach (Director), Susan Leber (Producer)

Writing

John Daschbach (Writer)

Performance

Ben Shenkman (Lead Actor), Kevin Lageman (Supporting Actor), Stephanie McVay (Supporting Actor), Tina Holmes (Lead Actor)

Camera

Joe Foley (Cinematographer/DP)

Art Department

Jory Adam (Production Designer), Michael Bevins (Costume Designer)

Post Production

Anthony Litton (Sound Editor), Sebastian Knight (Picture Editor)

Music

Brent Lord (Original Music/Composer), Michael Shaieb (Original Music/Composer)

Buy "Waking Dreams" May 08, 2007 08:59PM
"Waking Dreams" is now available on DVD here.
Official "Waking Dreams" Website Nov 17, 2006 12:49PM
Visit the official "Waking Dreams" website here.
Review: DVD Talk (from review of "Celebrity Mix" DVD collection) Nov 16, 2006 11:33AM
"The Rundown: A temp timidly walks into the office of an executive she's only met in passing and drops a bombshell: you're going to die. Suddenly. Violently. He calls her back in, convinced...or perhaps trying to convince himself...that it's a joke. The more she says about her premonition, the more intense Charles' reaction becomes. It's neither anger nor fear...more of a combination of being unsettled and intrigued...unsure if she's out of her mind but not quite ready to completely discount the possibility. The fascinating thing about Waking Dreams is that it's not about whether or not Charles is going to be mauled by sharks in the Caribbean. That question is answered, but it's the conversations between Charles and Becky...the way they see each other as some sort of amorphous concept and strive to understand...that's far more interesting than stock thriller clichés. Even though the names might not stack up to the 'celebrity mix' concept, the performances are outstanding and utterly convincing throughout. I was especially pleased to see Becky presented as a shrinking violet who's trying to do the right thing, even if she's not entirely sure what that is, rather than some ominous voice of doom. This is by far the most substantial of the shorts on this collection."

Read the full review by Adam Tyner.
Review: Entertainment Insiders review of Visionfest screening in NYC Nov 16, 2006 10:24AM
"A welcome piece of restraint and subtlety, this short generates a quiet power and manages to reflect complex questions about ourselves and fate and destiny, while employing a simplicity allowing the ideas to flow. A corporate executive is shaken out of his day to day when the troubled, yet enigmatic temp reveals to him that she has visions that he will die on his upcoming vacation. Initially dismissive of her and her warnings, they do still affect him deeply; they have several more halting, uncomfortable, conversations, all the while yearning to understand the other's point of view. Possibly the two best performances in the festival from Shenkman and Holmes, only equalled by Karen Black's dual roles in Firecracker."

Read the full review by Adam Barnick.

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