Valid Glitter, Short Film, 2022
Valid Glitter, Short Film, 2022
co-written, directed, produced
Summary: Teenage girls in New York City weaponize misconceptions and privileges to pull off their biggest heist yet.
genre: Comedy
Film Festival Selections:
2022 Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Official Selection, November 2022 [Academy Award Qualifying Film Festival]
2022 Tallgrass Film Festival, Official Selection, October 2022
2022 Greenpoint Film Festival, Official Selection, September 2022
starring: Carly Gendell, Sarah Mossman, Quincy Saadeh, Aria Bryan, Brooklyn Boukather, Kirsten Anderson and Jake Haskel
Color / Run Time: 11 minutes / Aspect Ratio: 1:66
Alexander’s thesis film for the London Film School
directed by Alexander Hagani / written by Uzunma Udeh, Michelle Cepeda Cruz, and Alexander Hagani / produced by Michelle Cepeda Cruz, Patrick Verlin, and Alexander Hagani / production designer Yulanda Yo-Rong Shieh / costume design Allegra Deneroff / first assistant director Tess Raih / associate producer Saidah Belo-Osagie / hair and makeup Rita Mae Sylvester and Lily Parfitt / edited by Peter Hogenson / colorist Elias Nousiopoulos / original score Sebastian LiCausi Campos
Shot on the ARRI Alexa Mini with Panavision Super Ultra Speed Lenses in Manhattan, New York.
Made with support by…
The London Film School, Panavision New York, BFI Film Forever, 81 Kickstarter backers, and NFT Estudio in Mérida, Mexico.
In March of 2021, the short was shot on location in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. From April to August 2021, ‘Valid Glitter’ was edited, mixed, colored, and composed between the United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico. The film premiered in September of 2022 at the Greenpoint Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY.
Director’s Statement
The goal in creating ‘Valid Glitter’ was to add to a conversation about racism, consumerism, and its role in the beauty industry in the US today. While it may not be my conversation to start, I felt it was important to use an opportunity with my filmmaking education to try and say something.
We aimed to make this film the right way at every step. Therefore, it was important that I was not the only one telling this story. With a primarily female crew and proper representation on and off-screen, we believe that we made a piece of entertainment that gently starts a conversation, makes you laugh, and wherein the end: no one is right.
‘Valid Glitter’ is for my two little sisters. When they are trying to understand the world around them, this film is meant to help jump-start difficult conversations that they will ultimately have as they grow up.
