Good Grief
About:
LOGLINE:
A young woman goes to spread her father's ashes on a sea cliff, only to accidentally dump them on an unsuspecting man below who might just be the only person who understands her grief.
ABOUT:
Making people laugh has been my lifelong pursuit, and I believe comedy is just as important as every other genre. To me, bringing someone joy when they really need it is priceless. This has been true more than ever thanks to the pandemic. But there aren’t many female comedy directors out there and even less films that bring a female perspective. So at an early age, I knew I wanted to direct comedies.
At least that had always been my main focus, until my father unexpectedly passed away in the beginning of 2021. Due to COVID, I hadn’t seen him in over a year and could not make it to the hospital in time to be with him when he passed. Instead, I spent the last moments of my fathers life with him unconscious over the phone.
It was my father who inspired me to be a filmmaker because of his passion for movies. He started my film education early, not minding if my age didn’t reflect the film’s rating. In high school he let me take my pick from his VHS library and when I wanted to start making my own films, he and my mother managed to scrape together what little money they had to get me a used Mini DV camera.
His love of humor also left a mark, as he was always making people smile with his jokes. Through him I learned the tremendous power of laughter, how it was an expression of love, and I knew I wanted to share that in my films. His humor sparked a love of comedy and his passion for films sparked a love of filmmaking.
When he passed away I found myself thrust into a world of grief I was not prepared for. A world that TV shows and movies portrayed so inaccurately. I suddenly found myself even more isolated while in the middle of an already isolating pandemic. Because I was only 33, none of my friends had yet lost a parent and could not even begin to understand how I felt. I found they would either avoid talking to me all together or attempt to find a silver lining by saying things like “well at least it was good timing.” Often words meant to cheer me up only hurt.
But thanks to the suggestion from a friend, I turned to a virtual grief group and suddenly found myself surrounded by other people who could understand. People who wouldn’t try to cheer me up. People who wouldn’t judge me or my grief. People who would quietly listen and be willing to sit in that uncomfortable truth with me.
It was there that I learned that grief is just love with no place to go, and thus I felt inspired to make a film that explores themes of grief while also having a sense of humor just like my dad. Thanks to us living in a society that doesn’t want to talk about death, we are so uncomfortable with confronting it. I want to change that with this film and show that there can still be humor and love in grief.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
PRESS:
Radio Dubuque Interview
Director/Writer/Editor Ash Blodgett sat down with Radio Dubuque’s Johnny Rhodes for a brief interview about Good Grief. Ash dives into how the location inspired the film, how it’s based on her own personal life, and the challenges of telling a powerful story in such a short amount of time. Check out the interview on the Radio Dubuque website here: www.radiodubuque.com/film-festival-interviews/
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
Panavision sponsored Best Cinematography $60 Camera Package Winner - Worldwide Women’s Film Festival 2024
Most Creative Film - Worldwide Women’s Film Festival 2024
Best Actress In A Short Film Nomination - Gig Harbor Film Festival 2024
Best Female Director Winner - Central Coast International Film Festival 2024
FILM FESTIVAL SELECTIONS:
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival - 2023
SIDEWALK Film Festival - 2023
Catalina Film Festival - 2023
Gig Harbor Film Festival - 2023
BraveMaker Film Festival - 2023
California Women’s Film Festival - 2023
Imagine This Women’s Film Festival - 2023
What Should I Do Right Now? Film Festival - 2023
Central Coast International Film Festival - 2024
Cambria Film Festival - 2024
Sedona International Film Festival - 2024
Worldwide Women’s Film Festival - 2024
The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival - 2024
