Exclusive: EMMA’S DILEMMAS Sets East Coast Premiere at Chelsea Film Festival

"Emma’s Dilemmas”, an award-winning romantic comedy short film written and directed by Anya Migdal, will make its East Coast premiere at the 13th Edition of the Chelsea Film Festival this October. The film made its debut at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and recently took home an award at the Palermo International Film Festival.

A romantic “traumedy” blending humor and heartbreak, “Emma’s Dilemmas” stars Ciara Hanna (“Power Rangers: Megaforce”, “Stars Fell on Alabama”) as “Emma Tate,” a broke and heartbroken aspiring writer from Brooklyn, who finds herself in a romantic conundrum with “Mo,” played by Drew Moerlein (“Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose”, “Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra”), as she tries to find herself in the process. The film co-stars Amy Carlson (“Blue Bloods”) as Emma’s meddling mother, “Georgina,” and Michael Lombardi (“Rescue Me”), as “The Expert,” Emma’s hunky friend with benefits.

Produced by Phil Viardo (“Truelove: The Film”, “The Inventor”), Anya Migdal (“Queen of Glory”), and Drew Moerlein (“The Beast Within,” “Bloodline Killer”), “Emma’s Dilemmas” is a dynamic collaboration between award-winning creatives with backgrounds spanning film, television, and theatre. The short is a proof of concept for the larger cinematic vision, with a script already penned by Migdal, and to be produced by Former Prodigy Media.

Following the film’s premiere, the creative team has confirmed that a feature-length version of “Emma’s Dilemmas” is officially heading into pre-production. Set between various locations in Italy and New York City, the feature is eyeing a Summer 2026 start of filming, promising a bolder, more expansive take on Emma’s journey of heartbreak, healing, and unexpected reinvention in a foreign land.

Viardo, a two-time Emmy® Award-nominated producer and co-founder of Former Prodigy Media with Christopher Knight, is also attached to upcoming features including “Monstrosity” and “Hellfire Club”, among other projects. Migdal, a National Endowment for the Arts fellow, National Book Award and Independent Spirit Award nominee, is set to direct the feature film version of “Emma’s Dilemmas” after wrapping development on her forthcoming feature “The Heart Will Break.”

“Emma’s Dilemmas is a love letter to New York and we’re delighted to be showcasing it at the Chelsea Film Festival,” said Anya Migdal. “It’s a traumedy disguised as a romcom about a young woman defying her own expectations and those of her mother. We’re thrilled that Emma’s shenanigans will continue in our feature.”

“Emma’s Dilemmas” will screen in October at the 13th Edition of the Chelsea Film Festival, which showcases bold independent films with global resonance and a strong emphasis on female voices and social impact.