Variations on a Theme

Jason Abrams and I have started a new YouTube channel: Variations on a Theme.

It is a collection of shorts exploring a theme. The current theme is MORALITY.

Each short is around 5 minutes, shot on an iPhone, has minimal dialogue, and a budget of less than $100.

Not to sound too cheesy, but we are making art for arts sake. New shorts come out every couple of months.

Check out the current published shorts below:

A thief is faced with a difficult question when a home invasion takes a surprising turn.

An EMT faces a difficult decision when confronted with saving her sister's abuser.

Yasha's Tapochki

three years ago today one of my closest friends took his life. i grieved him the only way i know how - with art.  marina & i wrote a short film, and with the help of a grant from @cojeco_ny we got to make it. 

the film played at a few festivals, and then we had an online premiere with a talk afterwards with Rabbi David Seth Kirshner - who lost a brother to suicide and is fighting to break the stigma inside the Jewish community.

if you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health, or with suicidal thoughts please call 988. help is available.

thank you to everyone that helped make this film. it was the greatest honor to get to direct it. it is now public on my vimeo for all to watch. you can find it in my bio.

rip thomas 🖤 5.10.90 - 11.29.20

___

director: 🙋🏼‍♀️

written by: 🙋🏼‍♀️ & @isthatmydaughterinthere 

DP: @barbieleungdp 

ac: @beatrizbarbiericosta 

gaffer: @clurrrwith3rs 

sound: @staticsiftingfilms 

ad: @tylermcclain 

scripty: @kristigunther 

bts & pa: @tenbroek.jpg @filmbyten 

edited: @shanecjensen 

color: @lostintime23 

sound design: @wet.crimps 

score: @doonbuggg 

poster: @austinkim90 

producers: 🙋🏼‍♀️ & @isthatmydaughterinthere & @tylermcclain 

Hungry Dog Blues wins BEST FILM!

Hungry Dog Blues has won Best Film at the New York No Limits Film Festival!

It was such a warm New York premiere on Sunday December 4, 2022, surrounded by friends and family.

Thank you so much to the festival & to everyone that came out!

Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties

Written by Jen Silverman
Directed by Brooke Aston

I’m back at the THEA-TAH, baby & beyond grateful to be playing the role of Betty 1 in the Wayward Artist’s Collective Rage. Happening over 3 weekends in Santa Ana, CA.

Get your tickets HERE

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Betty is rich; Betty is lonely; Betty’s busy working on her truck; Betty wants to talk about love, but Betty needs to hit something. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself she’s never examined. Five different women named Betty collide at the intersection of anger, sex, and the “thea-tah.”  The dark absurdist comedy for mature audience only is an evocative and explosive exploration of women, gender identity, relationships, and love.

STRONG ADULT LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL CONTENT!

TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS

We open Friday July 15th. You don’t want to miss it.

"Tapochki" short film wrapped

I had the honor of directing my first short film this past weekend, a short that Marina Gasparyan and I spent over a year and a half writing, producing and bringing to life.

And you know what the best part was? Getting to make it with an all female crew.

Oh, and getting to act with our actual mothers. (Talk about good casting!)

I am filled with gratitude for everyone that helped create this magical story.

Shoutout to Cojeco, there would be no movie without you.

Director: Irina Gorovaia
DP: Barbie Leung
Producer / AD: Tyler McClain
Producer/ Nina: Marina Gasparyan
AC: Beatriz Barbieri Costa
Gaffer: Claire Halloran
Scripty: Kristi Gunther
Sound: Teresa-Esmeralda Sanchez
BTS/PA: Samantha Mellina

Marina, Ella, Irina & Anna

Marina, Ella, Irina & Anna

The all female crew for “YASHA“

The all female crew for “YASHA“

Hungry Dog Blues wrapped and featured in Variety

Hello friends!

I hope you have been well, and I hope that you have made plans to, or have already voted.

Hungry Dog Blues has officially wrapped principal photography! We filmed for 16 days, and all stayed covid free and injury free. We tested everyone on our set 3 times a week, and complied with all CDC guidelines.

And! Some very exciting news- we had some press coverage in this week’s Variety: https://variety.com/2020/film/news/film-news-in-brief-18-1234815978/
(We are second under Friday October 30th.)

We just wanted to reach out and thank you all for contributing to our project and being so patient with us as we learned to adapt. 

Most of the cast and crew on our last day of filming Hungry Dog Blues at Tina’s house in Foristell, MO.

Most of the cast and crew on our last day of filming Hungry Dog Blues at Tina’s house in Foristell, MO.

Please follow along with us as the adventure into post production begins!
@hungrydogblues

Wishing you health and peace.

Irina

Fede Carestía x Cinefilos Oficial

Part two of my interview with Fede Carestía, this one about working on The Royal Tenenbaums, for his YouTube Channel, Mirá a Quién Encontré. Fede is a journalist with Cinéfilos Oficial, a magazine in Argentina.

In this interview I share a fun anecdote about Gene Hackman and also talk about how it was working with Wes Anderson as a 10 year old immigrant.

You can watch the full (6 min) video here:

Or, the 2 min clip on his instagram here:

Enjoy!

x

Fede Carestía x Cinefilos Oficial

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Fede Carestía about “The Butterfly Effect“ for his YouTube Channel, Mirá a Quién Encontré. Fede is a journalist with Cinéfilos Oficial, a magazine in Argentina.

I talk about being a teenager and dealing with the dark aspects of the film, and how an event on set made me quit acting for over 10 years.

You can watch the full (6min) video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpBWkqy5HIE&t=14s

Or you can watch a clip of it on his Instagram here:

Happy Mother's Day!

You know what’s funny about moms?

They’re all named mom.

Happy mother's day to all the moms out there.

i couldn't be with my mama today because of what's going on in the world, and i know a bunch of my friends couldn't either. and so we decided to try and honor them in the best way we could.

Here's a video I made - with my beautiful friends - just for our mamas.

Thank you for giving us life, and for shaping us (for better or for worse) into the humans we are.

We love you and miss you.

A Magnificent Gray is now streaming on Vimeo!

Hi friends,

Happy Valentines Day!

Our movie is now available for all to watch on Vimeo.

"A Magnificent Gray" - Written and Directed by Jason Millner. A Zona Pictures Production.

A priest and a nun run away together but are forced to question their decision in the face of what seems to be divine intervention.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

x

Irina

A Magnificent Gray x St. Louis International Film Festival

guess what people of the internet?

our movie, “a magnificent gray” is going to the 28th annual st. louis international film festival!! 

https://cinemastlouis.org/sliff/magnificent-gray

it’s truly an honor and i am the most grateful for everyone that was involved in making this movie possible.

THANK YOU jason & hushie & fig & marcos & claudia & mama & papa & simona & davy & brad & dave & mitch & eugene & val & chris & max & matt & matt & ricky & robert & all of you for the support always

p.s. this festival is oscar qualifying so you never know... your girl might be going to the oscars sooner than anyone imagined

"A Magnificent Gray" - Written and Directed by Jason Millner. A priest and a nun run away together but are forced to question their decision in the face of what seems to be divine intervention.

"A Magnificent Gray" - Written and Directed by Jason Millner.

A priest and a nun run away together but are forced to question their decision in the face of what seems to be divine intervention.

“A Magnificent Gray“ will screen on Thursday November 14th at 7:30pm

For tickets: https://dramashorts.bpt.me/

Бабушка | BAb(oo)shka is back!!

and in a full length version at the 14th Street Y!

this time Anna’s REAL grandmother & mother will be performing with us!

it’s a different show from the one we did at st. ann’s and i would love for you to see all the fun things we have in store for you wonderful humans!

For tickets: https://14streety.secure.force.com/ticket/#details_a0S1R000009gYI0UAM

Would love to see you there :)

In partnership with The Theater at the 14th Street Y, theater maker Anna Lublina presents the world premiere of her most ambitious project to date, Бабушка | BAb(oo)shka. In this new multidisciplinary performance, Lublina invites her Russian mother and grandmother (Babushka, who was once a Russian-English translator) onstage to recount their experiences of anti-semitism in the Soviet Union, in Russian. These stories of Jewish resilience transform into scenes with English-speaking actors, dance interpretations choreographed by Elena Rose Light, and a culminating folk tale melding puppetry by Lublina with Jewish Klezmer music by Juilliard-trained composer Julia Danitz.

Created and Directed by Anna Lublina
Choreographed by Elena Rose Light
Composed by Julia Danitz

Thursday, September 26, 2019
Friday, September 27, 2019
Saturday, September 28, 2019

Thursday, October 3, 2019
Friday, October 4, 2019
Saturday, October 5, 2019

All shows 7:30pm
14th St Y Theater | 344 East 14th St

Created in collaboration with: Tatiana Lublin, Marianna Baker, Julia Cavagna, Julia Danitz, Marina Gasparyan, Irina Gorovaia, Julia Gu, Julian Hernandez, Elena Rose Light, and lim mui

General Admission: $25
Students/Seniors: $15
Running Time: 65 minutes
No Intermission

BEST SHORT @ Northeast Film Festival

You guys!! Last night our movie, “A Magnificent Gray” won Best Dramatic Short at the Northeast Film Festival.

I was honestly not expecting this but it sure feels good!!

Pictured with Jason Millner in front of our poster.

A Zona Pictures Production Carmen: Irina Gorovaia Lawrence: Jason Millner Executive Producers: Marcos Topolos, Anna Gorovaya, Anatoli Gorovoi, Claudia Alexander, Alexander Hufschmid Producers: Irina Gorovaia, Jason Millner, Fig Chilcott, Davy Mel…

A Zona Pictures Production Carmen: Irina Gorovaia Lawrence: Jason Millner Executive Producers: Marcos Topolos, Anna Gorovaya, Anatoli Gorovoi, Claudia Alexander, Alexander Hufschmid Producers: Irina Gorovaia, Jason Millner, Fig Chilcott, Davy Mellado Co-Producer: Jason Friedman-Mendez Director of Photography: Alexander Hufschmid AD: Fig Chilcott Gaffer: Brad Morse Production Design: Davy Mellado Production Sound: Matt Barrera Sound Design & Mix: D. Chris Smith Production Assistant: Simona Blat Colorist: Max Myman "A Magnificent Gray" by Slow Meadow Written by Matt Kidd Courtesy of Hammock Music "Fall Becomes" by Ricky Lewis Written by Ricky Lewis Performed by Ricky Lewis


A Magnificent Gray x Northeast Film Festival

Our movie has been submitted to another film festival!

I am proud to announce that it will be screened at the Northeast Film Festival, happening September 6-8 in Teaneck, New Jersey.

A Magnificent Gray will screen on Saturday September 7, during the 6-8pm block.

The film was also nominated for best short, and I was nominated for best actress!

For tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4312286

I would love to see you there!

A priest and a nun run away together but are forced to question their decision in the face of what seems to be divine intervention. "A Magnificent Gray" - Written and Directed by Jason Millner. A Zona Pictures Production Carmen: Irina Gorovaia L…

A priest and a nun run away together but are forced to question their decision in the face of what seems to be divine intervention. "A Magnificent Gray" - Written and Directed by Jason Millner. A Zona Pictures Production Carmen: Irina Gorovaia Lawrence: Jason Millner Executive Producers: Marcos Topolos, Anna Gorovaya, Anatoli Gorovoi, Claudia Alexander, Alexander Hufschmid Producers: Irina Gorovaia, Jason Millner, Fig Chilcott, Davy Mellado Co-Producer: Jason Friedman-Mendez Director of Photography: Alexander Hufschmid AD: Fig Chilcott Gaffer: Brad Morse Production Design: Davy Mellado Production Sound: Matt Barrera Sound Design & Mix: D. Chris Smith Production Assistant: Simona Blat Colorist: Max Myman "A Magnificent Gray" by Slow Meadow Written by Matt Kidd Courtesy of Hammock Music "Fall Becomes" by Ricky Lewis Written by Ricky Lewis Performed by Ricky Lewis