Through the eyes of a young girl suffering from mental illness, CALDERA glimpses into a world of psychosis and explores a world of ambiguous reality and the nature of life and death.

CALDERA is inspired by my father's struggle with schizoaffective disorder. In states of delusion, my father has danced on the rings of Saturn, spoken with angels, and fled from his demons. He has lived both a fantastical and haunting life, but one that's invisible to the most of us. In our differing understanding of reality, we blindly mandate his medication, assimilate him to our marginalizing culture, and entirely misinterpret him for all he is worth. CALDERA aims to not only venerate my father, but all brilliant minds forged in the haunted depths of psychosis.

"She is already transforming. Her skin is glowing, falling apart, and pieces of her shirt are floating weightlessly in the air. She looks down at herself splitting apart at the seams. Light pours out of her and collects inbetween her extended hands."

- SCRIPT EXCERPT

AWARDS
Grand Prize - Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival
Best Short Finalist - Bang Awards
Best Animated Film - Rockport Film Festival
Best Short - View Social Awards
Nominated for “Best Picture” - Maverick Movie Awards
Nominated for “Best Director” - Maverick Movie Awards 
Award of Distinction - Prix Ars Electronica
Award of Innovation - Seattle International Film Festival
Best Animated Film - Rome Independent Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION
2012 SXSW, USA (World Premiere)
2012 Rome Independent Film Festival, Italy
2012 Stuttgart International Animation, Germany
2012 Seattle International Film Festival, USA
2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest, USA
2012 Big Sur International Short Film, USA
2012 Indianapolis International Film Festival, USA
2012 Animation Block Party, USA
2012 Prix Ars Electronica, Austria
2012 Kratkofil Plus, Banja Luka 
2012 Changzhou International Animation, China
2012 View Awards, Italy 
2012 Linoleum Animation & Media-art Festival, Russia 
2012 Shorts Attack Touring Festival, Germany 
2012 Kunjani'mation, South Africa
2012 Bumbershoot 1 Reel Film Festival, USA 
2012 Wiesbaden International Animation, Germany 
2012 Maverick Movie Awards, USA 
2012 World Festival of Animated Film Varna, Bulgaria 
2012 Calgary International Film Festival, Canada 
2012 Arizona Underground Film Festival, USA 
2012 SIGGRAPH ASIA, Singapore 
2012 GIRAF Animation Festival, Canada 
2012 Animasyros International Animation, Greece 
2012 Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosovo 
2012 Lowcountry Indie Shorts Fest, USA 
2012 Great Lakes International Film Festival, USA
2012 Mill Valley Film Festival, USA
2012 Rockport Film Festival, USA 
2012 Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan 
2012 Festival Les Nuits Magiques, France
2012 interfilm International Shorts Festival, Germany
2012 Kinofest International Film Festival, Romania
2012 Leeds International Film Festival, UK
2012 Reciclamadrid Film Festival, Spain
2012 Cineastic Gondolas, Austria
2013 X-Games Espn Film Showcase, USA
2013 Dam Short Film Festival, USA
2013 OFF Cinema Film Festival, Italy
2013 Citrus Cel Animation Festival, USA
2013 Hill Country Film Festival, USA
2013 Northwest Animation Festival, USA
2013 MudasFest, Portugal
2013 Cinemartini, USA
2013 Rawstock Film & Music Festival, USA
2013 La Scatola Blu, Italy
2013 Anima Mundi, Brazil
2013 FILE ANIMA+, Brazil
2013 Fort Mcmurray Film Festival, USA
2013 Tripoteca Film Festival, Romania
2013 Baranja Animation Festival, Croatia
2013 Festiwebtele, Canada
2013 Shorts Animation Festival, Norway
2013 Motion+, France
2013 Nottingham's Mental Health Film Festival, UK
2013 Short and Sweet Festival, South Africa
2013 Golden Orchid Animation Festival, USA
2013 Motion + Animation Film Festival, France
2013 Anchorage Film Festival, USA
2013 Mudasfest NY Edition, USA
2013 Dark Matters Film Festival, USA
2014 Festival MEME PAS PEUR, Réunion
2014 Tri-Cities International Fantastic Festival, USA
2014 Green Film Festival, Korea
2014 Festival Animayo, Canary Islands
2014 Mini Cinema: Short Film Screening, USA
2014 All the Pieces: A Night for Mental Health, Ireland
2014 Shuffle Festival (Voicewalk Spotlight), England
2014 CineMe Bristol, UK
2014 Mind Rights Film Festival, Portugal
2015 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival, USA
2015 Art and Diseases Short Film Festival, Spain
2015 Best of Animasyros - US Spotlight, Greece
2015 Norwescon Scifi and Fantasy Convention, USA
2015 Juggernaut Film Festival, USA
2015 Festival of the Arts and Disabilities, Spain
2015 Blue Lab Festival, Australia