Dandelion
Director: Fiona Obertinca
United States, 2024, 20 min
Shooting Format:Digital
Festival Year:2025
Category:Narrative Short
Genres:Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age
Cast:Vic Michaelis, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Kristin Carey, Butch Klein, Sarah Cortez
Crew:Writer: Corey Pinchoff. Producer: Tori Ichikowitz.
Email:fiona.obertinca@gmail.com
Web:rb.gy/js3aeu
Synopsis
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen MARGARET gets thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker who’s tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn. At odds and forced to travel the city together, Margaret realizes that running may not be her only option.
Trailer
About the director
Fiona Obertinca is a Swedish-Albanian award-winning writer and director whose stories spotlight the lives of complex, resilient women who triumph against the odds, delivering narratives rich with both humor and heart. Growing up as a refugee in Sweden, the daughter of a single mother of four, she witnessed firsthand the harsh realities faced by society’s most marginalized. Her debut short film, SHPËTIMI, a portrayal of her family’s escape from the war in Kosovo, earned her the Bronze Prize at the Pixel Short Film Festival. Her short films have played in Academy Award-qualifying festivals around the world. Most recently, Fiona was awarded 'Most Promising Filmmaker' at the 26th Spokane International Film Festival for her work on Dandelion. A graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory, Fiona honed her skills in Hollywood, working on acclaimed projects such as MAX’s Made For Love. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of filmmakers and teaches screenwriting at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute.
Filmmaker's note
This film is about finding home—a theme that resonates deeply with me. As a refugee from Kosovo growing up in Sweden, my life was shaped by a constant quest for belonging. Feeling always on the outskirts of society, struggling to speak the language or understand this new and foreign culture, I learned to shapeshift, molding myself to fit in and be accepted by communities that always felt just out of reach. But the shapeshifting came with a cost: deep-seated loneliness, loss of self, and the insurmountable fear that I was never going to be enough. It’s a road that can lead to isolation, and for a long time, that’s where I found myself.
I see so much of myself in Margaret—her guarded heart, the protective walls she’s built around her vulnerability. I’ve lived in that fortress, angry, wounded, and mistrustful of the world. But meeting people like Joyce and learning to trust in the transformative power of friendship and community helped me change the narrative of my life from one of loneliness to one of connection.
With my long-time collaborator and screenwriter, Corey—a proud member of the queer community—we set out to create a film that speaks to kids like us. Kids who feel ‘other,’ who struggle to find themselves reflected in the stories they love. Queer history has often been erased or ignored to comfort those who find anything outside the “norm” controversial. As a result, the few queer stories we do see are often marked by tragedy and pain. But it doesn’t have to be that way. My storytelling philosophy is that speaking truth to power doesn’t have to come at the cost of delight and wonder. Tragedy and comedy can coexist—and they should—because it feels true to life and because the most effective way to disarm an audience is with a good chuckle.
Dandelion shines a light on a hopeful piece of queer history, embracing joy, love, and the courage to live authentically. We hope to reach those who feel unseen, who are still learning to let a ‘Joyce’ into their lives.
Fiona Obertinca
Director