THE TRAVELER
Drama/ LGBT Short Film
On a journey to reach her father in Arizona, Casey Jones' car breaks down en route. After deciding to walk the rest of the way until reaching a bus station, Shay Michaels offers her a ride to the nearest motel. After discovering that the motel is booked for the weekend Shay offers for Casey to stay at her place. Casey is then introduced to Logan Fuller, Shay's toxic boyfriend. With a delay in Casey's travel plans, Shay and Casey soon realize that they are more similar than initially anticipated. On her third day in town, Casey is finally able to continue her journey to Arizona, leaving Shay behind.
Screenwriter: Mya-Breyana Morton
Director: Mya-Breyana Morton
Cinematographer: Bandeja Munir
Producer: Mya-Breyana Morton & Tashina Southard
Starring: Paige Blackcloud, Sofia Riba, & Griffin Mark Combs
Total Runtime: 17:26
AWARDS
Best Student Short Film - Eastern Europe International Movie Awards
Best Student Film - MegaFlix Film Awards
Best LGBT Short - American Filmatic Arts Awards
Best Production Design Student Film - South America Awards
Best Supporting Actress Student Film (Sofia Riba) - South America Awards
Social Impact Awards Student Film - South America Awards
Semi-Finalist, Best Short Film - Student World Awards
Semi-Finalist - Student Los Angeles Film Awards
Honorable Mention - Infinity Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Infinity Film Festival
Z-Shorts International Film Festival
APEX Film Awards
HEROESLIVE.TV Live Online Film Festival
Orlando International Film Festival
Montreal Independent Film Festival
Atlanta Shortsfest
Out On Film: Atlanta's LGBTQ Film Festival
Eastern Europe International Movie Awards
MegaFlix Film Awards
American Filmatic Arts Awards
South America Awards
Student World Awards
Student Los Angeles Los Angeles Film Awards
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DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
My overall goal with this film is normalization and emotional growth. In this story, the audience watches the emotional journey that Casey Jones goes through while trying to get to Arizona. On this journey, she encounters Shay Michaels and the bond grows shortly after. Casey and Shay soon learn that they are more similar than anticipated and the sexual tension arises between them. Although Shay has a boyfriend in the film, the project is not about discovering one's sexuality and slowly coming out of the closet. This film is intended to normalize sexual fluidity and to break the cycle of toxic lifestyles. For this film, in particular, those toxic lifestyles come into play with Shay's relationship with Logan and Casey's dying relationship with her mother.
This is an idea that most individuals can relate to. Although I did not experience the exact scenarios that Casey and Shay are going through, I have had first-hand experience dealing with toxic family members and romantic partners. The main thing that drives the stories I gravitate towards and stories I tend to write is the normalization of different aspects of life. Growing up outside of America truly allowed me to understand different cultures and personalities. With this understanding, a sense of inclusion and diversity opened my mind to the various ideologies around the world. At a very young age, I was able to understand the complexities of being true to who you are, while also educating and respecting those same values in others.
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My mission within this film is simple, to subtly normalize gay culture and promote emotional growth. The only way this is done is for the cinema to share everyday stories. The main takeaway the audience should have after seeing this film is that we all share similar experiences, regardless of culture, religion, or sexuality. We live in a society where there is an abundance of information that is available at any given moment. Yet, there are millions of people struggling alone on a daily basis with emotional stability and sexuality. It is our job as filmmakers to be that voice for individuals that are otherwise left unheard and isolated within society.
Mya--Breyana