Dead Serious
Directors: Lizi Latimer and Myriam Schroeter
WINNER: Best Brooklyn Project
Cast:Jessica Hecht, Zane Pais, Elise Kibler
Crew:Writer: Myriam Schroeter, Lizi Latimer. Producer: Raven Jensen, Myriam Schroeter, Lizi Latimer. Cinematographer: Alexander Dynan. Costume Designer: Lizzie Donelan. Production Designer: Carol Kim. Editor: Amandine Thomas. Sound Designer: M.B. Al-Rahim.
Email:myriam.schroeter@gmail.com
Synopsis
A mother surprises her kids with a trip to the place she wants to be buried. When they get there, the kids disagree with her decision.
About the directors
Lizi Latimer - Lizi is a writer and casting director for film, commercial, and music videos, collaborating with directors and production companies worldwide. Her career began in the New York theater scene, developing original plays produced in New York and San Francisco, and working as the writer's assistant to TV writer/playwright, Halley Feiffer (American Horror Story). Lizi worked as casting assistant to Taylor Williams (Good One, Slave Play) on such works as the world tour of Heidi Schreck’s WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME and Ivo Van Hove’s SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE. Lizi is currently casting a film set in Paris, working on two original feature-length screenplays, and deepening her work as a filmmaker through different artistic practices. She splits her time between Brooklyn and London.
Myriam Schroeter - Myriam is a producer whose work spans commercial, narrative, and conceptual art. Select credits include independent films Sing Sing (TIFF 2023, A24, 3 x Oscar Nominated), The Light of the Moon (SXSW 2017, Narrative Feature Audience Award), Gramercy (Locarno, Telluride, BFI London 2020), Between The Temples (Sundance 2024, A24) and Sorry, Baby (Sundance 2025, A24, Cannes Fortnight). Her work with multidisciplinary artist, Adam Pendleton, include three films in his dedicated ‘Who is Queen?’ installation (MoMA) and Pendleton’s portrait, Ruby Nell Sales (Whitney Biennial 2022 - “Quiet As It's Kept”).
Myriam spent two years working as a creative development executive at Big Beach Films. While there, she optioned IP, reviewed project submissions, discovered fresh talent and grew their independent film slate. She now produces under her own banner, Putshki - a creative space to build community and explore the potentials of storytelling in film. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and resides in Brooklyn.
Filmmakers' note
We both love stories that marry morbidity with comedy. Our lead, Debbie, is a marriage of both of our mothers and our experiences being our mothers’ daughters. Strong women, decision makers. Women who see the optimal paths previously paved and choose to carve out their own at every turn.
This story is also about what it means to be an adult child. We’re concerned for our mothers while considering more than ever how we choose to define our own lives. What our own belief and value systems are, either in direct contrast to or in complete agreement with our mothers. We see the absurdism of this moment that nobody has prepared us for.
We‘ve made it to this impasse where inevitably of our parent's death becomes almost too clear to see a path forward. What plans do we make, now or later? And how can we navigate all of this, together. As artists, we believe that if we can find humor in – the messy love between a child and parent, arranging end-of-life plans - then maybe we can see life, and death, through a more honest lens.