Holding
NARRATIVE | 5 – 10 MIN. | COLLEGE AGE, HEALING AFTER LONELINESS, MENTAL HEALTH
When put on hold by a suicide hotline, Nick finds support through his neighbor and together they confront his ex-girlfriend and current boy toy leading to hilarious and ultimately cathartic results.
But What Does It Mean?
EXPLORE THE FILM'S MEANING →
Even when we feel that we have a sense of a film’s meaning, there is often more to uncover.
Watch this video to better understand the film and why we selected it for the festival.
CLICK TO EXPLORE THE FILM'S THEMES
Sometimes, we all need a reminder to get out of bed in the morning. Look through your photostream on your phone or go through an old photo album, and pick out the photographs that remind you of the reason why. Consider sharing the photo on your social network OR save it as your phone’s wallpaper. If it’s an old photo, consider displaying it prominently next to your bed.
Meet the Filmmaker
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Jon Zucker is a writer, director, comedian, and nice person. The short film he wrote and co-directed “Holding” was featured at 9 festivals – including Oscar-qualifiers Cinequest and the Santa Barbara Film Festival. It also took home the Audience Award at the Indie Street Film Festival and won Best Screenplay at the Hollywood Short Film Festival. You might be watching it right now!
As a comedian, he’s performed in Gilda’s Laughfest, Hell Yes Fest, the Sonoma Laughfest, and all over Los Angeles. As a playwright, he co-wrote a play called “Don’t Talk About It: A Story of Racism in Liberal California” that got produced at the UCB theater.
Every month, he co-hosts Arts and Crafts, a comedy show where an artist uses stand-up as inspiration to create unique pieces that are auctioned off for charity.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Jesse D. Turk is an LA-based filmmaker originally from Boston. He is a 2019 mentee of the Ryan Murphy Television Half Initiative. His most recent work includes festival-award winning shorts “The Takeback” and “Holding.” “The Takeback” is currently on the festival circuit and has won Audience Choice Award at Las Vegas Queer Arts Film Festival and was a finalist for Best Drama at Oregon Short Film Festival. “Holding” enjoyed a highly successful festival run as well garnering Audience Award at Indie Street Film Festival and Best Screenplay at the International Hollywood Short Film Festival and selections including Cinequest, Santa Barbara International Film Festival and many others. He is passionate about telling stories from unexpected and lesser seen perspectives, especially surrounding LGBTQIA+ characters and issues of mental health.
WHY THEY MADE THE FILM
“Often times when mental health is approached in film and TV, it’s with a heavy hand and melodramatic approaches. Even when looked at from a comedic lens, the strokes feel broad or sarcastic. We created this film to combat that narrative surrounding depression and suicidal thoughts. Experiencing these intense moments in life doesn’t fit neatly into one arena. Instead, real life is messy, quirky and even in its darkest moments, still kind of funny. We hoped to find a way to convey that idea through a specific story of two people just trying to make their way through a day and in doing so related our own struggles with depression through their voices without stigma or pretense.“
Your Turn: What did YOU think of this film?
6 Comments
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UnLonely Film Fest 4
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ABOUT THE UNLONELY PROJECT
The UnLonely Project broadens public awareness of the negative physical and mental health consequences of loneliness while also promoting creative arts-based approaches to reduce the burden. Click here for mental health resources.
It was an good example of if you are waiting a.long time on with you having a big issues and there no one to talk to but you have your nabour right next door to help you out then go to her an asking then if they have a chance to speak to them the problem they are going through for and to seek advice from them see if they are helpful to you on anyway.
LOVED this film!
Loved it!!!
This film reminds me of we are one phone call or one person away from feeling a human connection again..thank you for this wonderful insightful film
Loved the message!
This film is a good reminder that other people around you are probably experiencing the same thing or similar things as you are, and that you are not alone.