Caged
When a young woman finds herself in a hostage situation, she must find common ground with her captor in order to secure her freedom. A dark comedy about the ties that bind us. Or you know, unbind us.
Interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Brittney Bertier
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wrote Caged out of my love for Italian culture and humor, and to empower myself as an actress to create more of my own material, but also to show that two seemingly polar opposite strangers can still find some common ground.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To laugh and be entertained!
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Caged came to me almost in a fever dream. It poured itself onto the page at once. When I brought it to fellow Italian American Jeff Perreca, he came up with an alternate ending that completely elevated the piece! We were also fortunate to have a talented director as our AD (shout out to Cate Fogarty!), as she came up with one of my favorite add-on lines during filming. I love collaboration, and our team truly understood the tone of the piece which made it all the better in the end!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I was initially told this film was too niche to be understood by the masses, but all of our feedback has been to the contrary! It turns out that Nicolas Cage is universal. Audiences have been laughing and commenting on the strength of the performances and tone!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has made me incredibly proud.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
My goal in life has truly become making people laugh, so if this brings more people to our film or our collective body of work and brightens their day, I'll be happy!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would love to bring this to even more festivals and have it featured on Omeleto!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for this film to strike people as well made and make them laugh. It should bring brevity while perhaps somewhere in the subconscious planting the seed that even the most opposite of strangers can find something in common. Once we realize that, we can see ourselves in others and the world isn't such a separated and polarizing place.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I executive produced and starred in a new indie feature, Instead, set for the film festival circuit later this year!
Interview: July 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Caged
When a young woman finds herself in a hostage situation, she must find common ground with her captor in order to secure her freedom. A dark comedy about the ties that bind us. Or you know, unbind us.
Length: 6:06
Director: Jeff Perreca
Producer: Brittney Bertier
Writer: Brittney Bertier
About the writer, director and producer:
JEFF PERRECA specializes in telling stories that have big hooks but with equally a big heart. Whether it’s laughter, fear, or a few tears, his work always aims to elicit emotion. He has a background in advertising where he worked as a writer/creative director for over fifteen years. Jeff has been a part of countless productions for some of the world’s biggest brands, like Chevy, Honda, U.S. Navy and Purina. He developed a TV Show with Blumhouse TV and Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions. His pilot Graphic was named a finalist in the trackingb.com TV Script Contest and the Grand Prize Winner of the WeScreenplay TV Contest. He co-wrote a feature that was named to the 2018 Hit List. That same year he was also named to the Young and Hungry list. In 2019, Jeff made his directorial debut with the short film, Talentless. It was named a winner of Stage32’s short film contest and debuted at Dances with Films. It also played in academy-qualifying festivals like HollyShorts and Raindance. In 2021, Jeff was a directing fellow for BlackMagic Collective’s First Frame Initiative. He is currently a fellow in the collective's Directing Actors Lab.
BRITTNEY BERTIER is an actress and writer based in New York City, best known for originating the role of Norma Jeane in Marilyn! The New Musical at The Paris, Las Vegas. She recently starred in the West Coast premiere of Lucas Hnath's ...Death of Walt Disney which was named one of the Top 10 Productions of 2022 by The LA Times. A skilled comedy writer, her debut film Doublemint Bitch screened at the Austin Comedy Film Festival, where she was awarded Best Acting Performance.
Key cast: Brittney Bertier (Amanda), Michael Gazin (Ronny)
Looking for: film festival directors
Instagram: @cagedtheshortfilm
Hashtags used: #nicolascaged
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
We screened opening weekend of Dances With Films at The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood!