Withdrawals (short)

WITHDRAWALS

Short Film. RT 12 min.

After witnessing the death of their childhood icon and feeling nothing, four friends decide to
quit their antidepressants together and all experience different side effects.

PRESS

Film Threat: Withdrawals Review

“Withdrawals” director Jorja Hudson and producer Kelly Stier talk mental health, comedy, and creating on screen magic.

CAST

CHARLOTTE GILBERT

"ROSA"
Charlotte is a writer, comedian and actress living in New York City. She previously worked on the second season of HBO Max's The Other Two and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and prior to that wrote and produced on MTV2s comedy game show, Joking Off. She is currently working on the first (of hopefully, many!) season of a new Netflix dramedy, The Partner Track.

JENNY GORELICK

"BIANCA"
Jenny is a comedian, host, actress, and Emmy-nominated producer called "crushworthy" by Time Out New York. She creates some of New York’s hottest comedy and variety events. She has appeared in sketches for Late Night With Seth Meyers, the JCC, and in a surprise sweet sixteen on the subway with Improv Everywhere that received 44 million views. On TV, you can catch her as a rowdy teen on New York City staple Blue Bloods.
For more, visit: www.jennygorelick.com

ANDREA SIMONS

"QUINN"
Andrea Simons is a comedian, actor, and writer based in Brooklyn. She studied the Meisner technique at Maggie Flanigan Studio and has trained and performed in various venues across the city including UCB, Club Cumming, SubCulture, and more. Andrea has been featured in NewFest, the Women in Comedy Festival, the Chicago Comedy Film Festival, Broad Humor Festival, NY Musical Comedy Festival, and more. Andrea's two-woman show, Praying for Godot, was recently awarded the New York City Artists Corps Grant. You can find her work at andreacsimons.com

FAREEHA KHAN

"PEGGY"
Fareeha is a comedian, writer, actor, and artist based in New York City. As a stand up, she’s toured with Man Repeller, opened for Ilana Glazer, played festivals around the country, and is a regular in the New York comedy scene. As an actor, she’s appeared in sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and was featured on Comedy Central's "Tight Five" produced by Ilana Glazer. Fareeha's short film Break Up, Baby is now live on NoBudge. For more, visit: www.fareeha-khan.com

OTHER ROLES

Sharon Spell
"Joany Almond"

Colin O'Brien
"Concert PA"

Daniel Hubbard
"Daniel"

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

Withdrawals is an independently produced narrative short film that aims to open up a discourse about mental health, neurodiversity, medication, and lack thereof. Oh, and it’s a comedy.

Some 15 million Americans take antidepressants, a number that has tripled since the year 2000 per The New York Times. Deciding to stop taking them is a bigger problem, made more complicated by the vast range of withdrawal effects and the fact that the same drug can affect people completely differently.

Withdrawals shows four characters’ journeys in four vignettes over four weeks. Our story is character-based, and explores relatable situations through strong, developed and complex female characters. The comedic dialogue and situational humor allows for a safe space to explore a topic that is still considered taboo in much of our society.

We believe that creating a safe and open discourse about antidepressants will help lift some of the burden that comes with the difficult decision of inviting these drugs into our brains. And in doing so, lessen the isolation that comes with mental illness, stigmas, meds, and lack thereof.

(poster design by Sam Sedlack)

CREW

by Alex Schaefer

JORJA HUDSON
Writer/Director

You should already know, this is her website. Go poke around, there's more than enough info. But if you want it, here's that sweet bio again.
Jorja is an award-winning comedy writer. Her series Myrtle & Willoughby was the winner of Just For Laughs 2018 Pitch Competition, and was an official selection at over a dozen festivals. Jorja also created Low Budget Sketch Show, an online comedy series, which ran for two seasons and was written about in The AV Club, The New York Times, The Observer and more. Other credits include Funny or Die, College Humor, Elite Daily, Reductress, Points in Case and more.

RACHEL RODERMAN
Producer

is a creative producer, writer, and director with a background in Broadcast Commercial, Digital Branded New Media, Documentary, Short Form Narrative, and Serial production. She is currently the director and producer of the documentary series “B/REAL” for Bleacher Report. She has produced work most recently for TruTV, TNT, Bustle, Elite Daily, Havas, Studio6, Upright Citizens Brigade, Big Breakfast, CollegeHumor, Radical Media, Smuggler, and Prettybird. For more, visit: www.rachelrachelrachel.com

KELLY STIER
Executive Producer

is a creative producer, writer, and production manager. She currently works at The Public Theater in New York City bringing diverse, inclusive and up-and-coming playwrights to the stage. She has produced several independent shorts, worked in production for major networks — namely NBCUniversal and CBS. Kelly has a master’s degree in screenwriting & producing from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and is very passionate about educating the masses to encourage positive change in society through her work.

CLAIRE MATSON
Producer

is super excited to be part of the Withdrawals film family. As someone who has dealt with anxiety her whole life, she's very excited to help bring this film to life and looks forward to it creating a dialogue to talk about mental health more candidly and openly. Outside of this production, Claire is one half of Chico comedy whose sketches have appeared on Funny or Die, College Humor, WhoHaha and more. For more, visit: www.claireharrismatson.com

MATT COONEY
Director of Photography

MERRITT CHRISTENSEN
Art Director

grew up in New Hampshire where upon graduating with a bachelor degree in Film Studies he moved to NYC to pursue filmmaking. Along with a career in cinematography he also directs his own films and helps produce others.
“I wanted to shoot Withdrawals as I've known people who've struggled with anxiety, depression and the trials that come with antidepressant medications and I felt that depicting these complex, interior themes would be a worthwhile challenge for me.”

is a jack-of-all-trades who gets off on covering actors in blood and then ordering them lunch. She's a freelance costume designer, special FX artist, art director and producer who studied at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre once upon a time. Playing with unique color patterns and organized chaos, she brings a saturated and complex world to life in the subconscious mind. As an outspoken mental health advocate, she was stoked to collaborate on such a noggin-positive project.