A Million Miles Away by Jennifer Reeder

 A Million Miles Away, a short film by Jennifer Reeder.

 Shorts sometimes get lost in the shuffle of effects laden blockbusters and great feature length films, and sometimes evolve to become great feature length films. Let's hope that's the case with director Jennifer Reeder's entertaining short A Million Miles Away.

Please don't mistake this as a pretentious piece to dismiss the value of a good old fashioned summer blockbuster, because after all they do a good job of entertaining the masses. Nor am I dismissing the value of eye candy when you want to see something featuring people with ridiculously unattainable good looks. Sometimes though, like you and your favorite taqueria, the palette gets a hankering for something just a little bit different. That's where directors like Jennifer Reeder come to your rescue.

Reeder's short reminds you (in case you forgot) that film is art. And art is subjective. Perhaps it doesn't all work for you, or perhaps it hits you differently one day than another, or effects different people or different sexes in different ways. The latter may be the case for this film. The director and all of the actors (and singers) are female. The story climaxes with a female teenage choir singing an interesting version of a Judas Priest classic metal hit. And it delivers a message to women in the languages of different ages and different stages in life in coded and non coded ways.  On a personal level it hit me in the gut in the way Miranda July sometimes does successfully.  When I first saw the short there were rumblings that a full length was underway in Chicago. Well, after a long hiatus on my part it appears the rumors have come to fruition. If that sounds interesting to you here's a teaser:

A MILLION MILES AWAY - teaser from Jennifer Reeder on Vimeo.


I'm assuming the title is a reference to The Plimsouls amazing 80s anthem of the same name.

A Million Miles Away
27:50 - HD
2014
An adult woman (the conductor) on the edge of failing and a pack of teenage girls (the choir) simultaneously experience a supernatural version of coming-of-age. The transformation is equal parts tense and tender. It unravels patiently to the infectious beat of an 80s era heavy metal anthem rearranged as a lamentation.
Writer/Director: Jennifer Reeder
Producer: Steven Hudosh
Director of Photography: Chris Rejano
Editor: Mike Olenick
B Camera Operator: Herman Asph
Sound Recording: Paul Dickinson
Boom Operator: Cameron Gibson
Key Grip: Ed Dignan
Digital Transfer: Matt Shaw
Music arrangement/Conductor: Jenne Lennon
Additional music: Sunn O))), Ulrich Schauss, Brian McBride, Arms and Sleepers, Haki
Featuring:
The Conductor:
Jennifer Estlin
The Choir:
Amaya Lorick
Crystal Staley
Grace Davies
Grace Etzkorn
Isabella Ciampa
Kara Ryan
Kasey Busiel
Kasia Wilson
Kelsey Ashby-Middleton
Kristyn Zoe Wilkerson
Kyrie Courter
Margaret O'Connell
Marissa Castillo
Morgan S. Reesh
Reilly Golden
Rubey Mendoza
Sydney L. Cusic
Talie Leeb
Emma Seslowsky
Ultra-Violet Archer