Dramatic Short REMINISCE to Make World Premiere at Oscar-Qualifying LA Shorts

Reminisce starring Ashna Sharan, Wayne Jay, Elisa Nixon and Roger Gutierrez will make its World Premiere at the Oscar-Qualifying LA Shorts on Saturday, July 26th at 3:15pm at the Regal Cinema at LA Live.

Written and produced by Ashna Sharan, and directed by Leslie Morris, Reminisce delves into longing, hypotheticals, and relationships, exploring how societal pressures and peer judgment can overwhelm us, bringing out our insecurities and impacting our relationships. Twenty-five years younger, a young woman's world is turned upside down when her husband's college classmates visit, making her question her marriage and the sacrifices she made for the name of love. Relationships are not black and white, and this film explores the grey area. It may remind you of a modern day "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

"Based on my own personal life, I wanted to write about the external pressures that interracial age-gap couples face, whether it be family expectations, cultural traditions, and or/societal judgment. What keeps two people to stay true to their love for one another is a beautiful thing and I hope we can universally relate to that. My goal is to make Reminisce into a feature film," said Sharan.

"Relationships have always fascinated me, especially the lengths people go to for love. When Ashna wrote Reminisce, a film about a couple navigating a 25-year age gap and the resulting power imbalance, it immediately struck a chord with me. It brought back memories of my own experience in my early 20s, dating someone 10 years older. As a director, I relished the opportunity to delve into the intricacies of human connections. It became evident to me that the success of a relationship isn't solely determined by the depth of their love. Rather, it's about what each person is willing to accept from their partner, and how those boundaries may shift over time," said Morris.

Leslie Morris has honed her craft as a director through a multifaceted journey with over two decades of experience in television production. Through her work as a camera operator on iconic series such as Grey's Anatomy, All Rise, and Terminal List, she developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of effective visual storytelling. Complementing this hands-on experience, she dedicated a decade of her career to studying Meisner technique at the esteemed Actors Workout Studio. This deep dive into the craft of acting has provided her with invaluable insights into character development and an actor's process. Thus, she is both an actor's director as well as a technical director. However, it is her intuitive approach to filmmaking that defines her directorial style.

Ashna Sharan is a dynamic, multilingual actor in film and television. She has brought compelling characters to life in projects like Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max), Twenties (BET), and Meanwhile in the Barracks (VET TV). She has worked alongside Lilly Singh, Kristen Johnson, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Chandni Shah to name a few. She has also worked in indie films and award-winning shorts-including Shame, Rearranged, and Life...-which earned her success in the festival circuit, including multiple Best Actress wins to her name. Trained in Meisner technique, improv, and cold reading at various studios in Los Angeles, she brings emotional depth and adaptability to every performance. Skilled in a wide range of accents and physical disciplines, she is a bold, versatile performer committed to powerful storytelling across genres. She not only starred in Reminisce, but also wrote and produced it, making her a multi-hyphenate on the rise.

Wayne Jay believes storytelling, art, and science are the most powerful ways we can work toward understanding one another. That's why Wayne has been an actor, musician, and aerospace engineer on-and-off for most of his life. You may have seen him recently on "Law and Order SVU" (NBC), and you can catch him as part of the My Chemical Romance stadium tour. He starred in a short film, "Sentient", that won Best Thriller at Film Invasion LA. He is passionate about collaborating with other creatives and is most grateful for the opportunities to work with talented friends on meaningful, heart-felt projects like Reminisce.

Elisa Nixon is an accomplished triple threat: dancer, singer, and actress. She skipped over walking as a toddler and jumped right to dancing and never stopped. After getting her BS in Biopsychology, she danced her way into performing in musicals and plays across the country with such Broadway legends as Kay Cole, Judith Light, Carol Channing, Marin Mazzie, and Jane Krakowski. Elisa's forte is the physical expression of the story and emotional life that exists in a piece of music. This naturally gave way to a huge love affair with acting. From features such as "The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman to many meaningful and cherished Indie features and short films such as "Reminisce", she is grateful to be among this collective of artists whose hearts match their great talents.

Roger Gutierrez is an accomplished playwright and street photographer. His next play "Lost in the Parking Lot" is his swan song. He's the lead in 2 award winning films, "Ranchero" and "Model Citizen". His most intense co-star to date...Danny Trejo.

Reminisce will screen on Saturday, July 26th at 3:15PM, at the Regal Cinema at LA Live, 1000 West Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles.

For tickets go to: https://www.lashortsfest.com/events/saturday-july-26-3-15-pm-program-58

ABOUT LA SHORTS

LA Shorts International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.

The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA, and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television ACCT Canadian Screen Awards and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain GOYA AWARDS. 69 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award nominations, with 18 taking home the Oscar.

LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 400 films and attracts 10,000 attendees each year including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging undiscovered independent filmmakers.