A lonely deaf boy armed with “miracle cure” cochlear implants navigates a Thanksgiving dinner with the strangers who call themselves his family.
Dinner Table Syndrome is a short film that explores a phenomenon called the dinner table syndrome in which deaf and hard-of-hearing people are continuously left out of conversations.
Bios:
CHARLIE AINSWORTH – DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER
Charlie founded Angry Deaf People Productions in 2018 with a focus on ending the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of deaf people on the screen. Angry Deaf People has produced eight short films. Charlie wrote seven of the scripts and directed six of the short films; notably The Pastman, Life Captioned, How to Caption Your Movie, and Hamburger Airplane. With an MFA in screenwriting from the David Lynch Graduate School for Cinematic Arts, Charlie is eager to produce and lead deaf films into a new frontier.
ANDREW MORRILL – ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Andrew is an actor, writer, and filmmaker. His filmmaking credits include Hamburger Airplane and Geb’s Greenhouse with Angry Deaf People Productions (ADP). PLAYWRITING: Trash (JackNY/IRT Theatre). Previous NEW YORK acting credits include SheNYCArts: Dancing Girls (Quasimodo), JACK NY: Trash (Tim), and IRT Theatre: Please Untranslate Me (Researcher). REGIONAL: Olney Theatre Center: The Music Man (Mayor Shinn), Phamaly Theatre: The Christians (Associate Joshua). Mosaic Theatre Company: Quid Pro Quo. SHORT FILM: Angry Deaf People Productions: Hamburger Airplane, & How to Caption Your Movie. EDUCATION: MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Jules (he/him) is a deaf trans gay film & theatre director, working with both deaf and hearing actors. Jules graduated from Gallaudet University with a B.A. in TV/Cinema and then obtained an MFA in Film Production/Directing at one of the leading film schools in the world, the University of Southern California. Shifting between both deaf and hearing cultures, Jules has a strong insight into how the deaf community has a different way of sharing information. Mediating between two cultures has helped Jules harness a direction style and vision that is unique and unparalleled.
Recently, Jules has worked on several videos with Sesame Street, helping provide the same experience and amusement to young viewers through a deaf lens. Jules is also currently the writer and director of the soon-to-be-made feature film, Deaf President Now, a film illustrating the events of the Deaf President Now protests at Gallaudet University in 1988. Jules is also co-writing / co-directing a play called, “What is Emily Drawing?” highlighting the effects of language deprivation in deaf children. When not in the director’s chair, Jules extends his talents to the stage playing various roles in notable shows like Romeo and Juliet, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Lés Miserables. Jules aspires to work more with hearing creatives to pave the way for more authentic representation in the media.
ALEXANDER ZEIBOT – DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Alex’s passion for performing arts first ignited when, as a little child, he saw a ballet performance at the fabled Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ever since then, he was an avid spectator at every circus performance that came into town. Later as a student at Gallaudet University, he participated in several theater productions as a performer, lighting technician, and associate choreographer.
Alex studied film and production at University of Washington, where he contributed his talents to various student film productions. He produced a featured documentary about one of the early DeafBlind AIDS advocates. He also served as the chairperson of the KissFist 72-Hour Film Challenge sponsored by Seattle-based Deaf Spotlight.
Among Alex’s biggest influences are Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun) for cinematic literary, Andrey Tarkovsky (Mirror) for intense substances, Alexander Sokurov for unique long shots, and Wes Anderson for colorful scenes and transitions.
AUSTIN BALAICH – VFX ARTIST
Austin is a multidisciplinary creative director with professional skills in 2D/3D animation, motion design, traditional art, video editing, and visual effects. Austin got his BFA in Animation from the prestigious Brigham Young University’s Center for Animation. With a strong foundation in traditional and digital animation, Austin works on projects ranging from an artists studio to a full-scale film set.
Austin enjoys the challenges that come with visual effects. He has done VFX for many productions but to name a few, MATHER, HAMBURGER AIRPLANE, and GEB’S GREENHOUSE.
Austin is the Creative Director at Sorenson, a global language services provider.
