SYNOPSIS
THE BEND is a short film about a trans man migrating from Tennessee to the sanctuary city of Minneapolis. When he gets stranded and encounters a fisherman, he is unsure whether he is safe, and just wants to make it home to his chosen family.
Starring A.P. Looze (bottom photo) & Dan Dukich (top photo). With original score and composition by Rascal Miles.
Director’s Statement
We experience life through our own unique subjectivities, colliding with other subjectivities. As we project onto each other from our limited views, cinema has the power to illuminate our inner worlds and reveal our blind spots, so we can see each other and ourselves more truthfully. As we expand our capacity to imagine collectively into new worlds, we can live with more compassion and celebrate our unique differences and our shared common humanity.
-Sarah McCarron
Sarah McCarron is a queer Los Angeles and Minneapolis-based writer, producer, and director who works in television, film, and theatre. Current projects include: UNFOLLOW, in development at HBO; co-executive producer on Netflix’s forthcoming THE ABANDONS, starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey. Other TV credits include: HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated series STATION ELEVEN starring Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel; the single camera comedy MADE FOR LOVE, adapted from the book by Alissa Nutting and starring Ray Romano; adapting the best selling memoir UNTAMED with Glennon Doyle for Bad Robot and HBOMax, starring Emmy-winner Sarah Paulson; developing Apple TV’s LURE with Robert Downey, Jr.; developing Ink Factory's SECRETS WE KEPT; producer and writer on HALO Season 2 on Paramount. and writing for David Milch’s Redboard Productions on the HBO drama LUCK starring Dustin Hoffman. Sarah's original one-hour drama CRUDE, about the global blackmarket of oil extraction, sold to Film 44 and is in development with Uzodinma Iweala (Beasts of No Nation). Her comedy feature about queer marriage, D.I.Y., received a grant from the Duplass Brothers and is currently in development. Sarah holds an MFA in Ensemble Devised Physical Theatre from the London International School of the Performing Arts, in the movement-based pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq.
Press & Awards
Twin Cities Film Festival interview (BEST SHORT FILM AWARD)
Provincetown Film Festival Outtake Media Podcast
In this exclusive audio montage Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmakers at the 26th annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) press luncheon that took place at the Boatslip Resort & Beach Club in Provincetown, MA. First we talked to director Stephen Soucy about his documentary “Merchant Ivory” that pulls back the curtain on the fascinating lives of filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. Their unique partnership on and off the camera produced 43 groundbreaking films over 4 decades that left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ and arthouse cinema. The documentary features interviews with Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter and many others who were lucky enough to move in the orbit of Merchant and Ivory’s fabulous filmmaking. Next we chatted with director Fawzia Mirza and producer Andria Wilson Mirza about their feature film “The Queen of My Dreams”. The film is about a Pakistani Canadian woman who has had a strained relationship with her parents since coming out as lesbian and undergoes an emotional journey after the sudden unexpected death of her father. Her grief plunges her into a Bollywood-style examination of her family’s past and present. Then we talked with director Taylor James, actor Kanoa Goo and producer Katie White about their short film “ILY, BYE” about when an unemployed, down on her luck woman (Megan Stalter) gets a life-changing job opportunity but she can't seem to get her foot out of her mouth long enough to get her foot in the door.
Next we talked to Tyler C. Peterson about his short film “Stan Behavior” about a drag queen (Ginger Minj) embarking on a quest for better workplace rights but finds herself in a dicey situation when her new lawyer (Yvonne Zima) a tone-deaf straight woman is revealed to be a drag super stan. Then we talked with director Sarah McCarron and music producer Rascal Miles about their short film “The Bend” about a trans man migrating from Tennessee to Minneapolis who gets stranded in rural Wisconsin and encounters a fisherman. We then chatted with director Marco Calvani about his feature film “High Tide” that was shot in Provincetown about an undocumented Brazilian immigrant searching for purpose when he encounters Maurice creating a memorable tribute to love and loss. We concluded our conversation with veteran producer Christine Vachon who produced the 2023 Oscar nominated film “Past Lives” about what films she has coming down the pike. We also talked with all the filmmakers about their spin on our LGBTQ issues as we approach the crucial 2024 presidential election.
The Provincetown Film Society, Inc. (PFS) is a non-profit year-round organization and home of the Provincetown International Film Festival. PIFF creates a unique international platform for the west and east coast entertainment industry to experience the diversity and community of Provincetown. PFS is also dedicated to showcasing the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, producers and actors.
Other awards include: Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival (BEST LGBTQ+ FILM AWARD); Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival (BEST ACTOR AWARD); and LGBTQ+ SCENE Best in Show 2024 Best Picture Short