8:38
Director: Imole Ladipo
Cast:Malia Munley, Jieke (Jack) Wang, Zhan Wang
Crew:Writers: Imole Ladipo, Ekam Singh. Producers: Imole Ladipo, Michelle Daniel, Nene Nwoko.
Email:imoleladipo@gmail.com
Web:www.838film.com/
Synopsis
At 8:38 PM, May wakes up in a room with no memory of how she got there. Given one lifeline call, she must piece together the truth before time runs out, but is the voice on the other end trying to save her, or seal her fate? It only takes about 8 minutes to uncover everything.
About the director
Imole Ladipo is a Nigerian-born, American-based filmmaker whose bold, emotionally driven stories are redefining independent cinema. With a background in Mathematics and Chemical Engineering, Imole brings a rare fusion of analytical precision and lyrical visual storytelling to the screen. She has studied filmmaking at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and completed prestigious directing courses at the 2025 Sundance Directing Class with Tessa Blake and the Raindance Directing Course with Simon Hunter.
Imole is the director and producer of What Happens Now?, a powerful short film that explores grief, justice, and forgiveness. The film stars Oscar-nominated actor Eric Roberts, alongside Rotimi Paul (Law & Order), Nene Nwoko (The Chosen), Nollywood icon Bukky Wright, and Akah Nnani (Man of God, Netflix). What Happens Now? has garnered significant acclaim, including: Gold Remi Award Winner – WorldFest Houston (a Canadian Academy-qualifying festival), 2025 Telly Award Winner, Finalist – Stage32 x HollyShorts Short Film Contest and Official Selection – Oscar-qualifying Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), featured in The Hollywood Reporter.
Currently, Imole is in post-production on 8:38, a psychological thriller that dives deep into the subconscious world of trauma and memory. The film stars: Zhan Wang (East Bay, Blindspotting) – multiple festival selections and Best Actor winner at CAIFF, Jieke Wang (Wake Up, Breach) – awarded for Best Short Film and recognized for strong dramatic performances, Malia Munley (Ballerina, Crater Lake Academy) – rising talent with multiple streaming and indie drama credits and Julia May Wong (The Happy Side, Neo Eden) – award-winning actress celebrated for her nuanced performances across short and feature films. 8:38 has already made waves, earning: Quarterfinalist – 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival and Official Fiscal Sponsorship – Film Independent.
Imole is passionate about working with cast and crew from diverse backgrounds and elevating stories that transcend borders. She believes in the power of cinema not just to entertain, but to stir emotion, challenge perspectives, and bring healing. Her work fuses the energy of Hollywood, reflecting a growing global voice in cinema that is distinctly hers.
As she continues building her slate of projects, Imole remains committed to creating meaningful, unforgettable films that honor the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
Filmmaker's note
8:38 is a story that lives in my bones. It’s a psychological thriller, yes—but for me, it’s something far more intimate. I made this film from a place of truth and heartbreak, drawn from the quiet devastation of watching my grandmother slowly lose her memory. One day, she looked me in the eye and didn’t know who I was. That moment has never left me. The fear in her face, the confusion, the silence—it haunted me. It still does.
This film is my attempt to process that fear. May Wang, our protagonist, isn’t just a character. She’s a mirror of that disorientation I witnessed—trapped in a world where the familiar becomes unrecognizable. We used POV shots from inanimate objects in the room to place the viewer inside her fractured experience. I didn’t want the audience to simply watch her unravel—I wanted them to feel it, to question what’s real, to sit with the silence when even a family photo no longer makes sense. That loss of recognition, of self, is terrifying.
Collaborating with Ekam Singh, who brought both creative insight and medical grounding as a physician, allowed us to build a story rooted in real psychological trauma. Together, we explored the quiet ways grief reshapes the mind—how PTSD and unresolved loss can fracture even the most anchored reality. And in doing so, we told a story that holds space for all the people quietly suffering in families like mine.
8:38 doesn’t offer easy answers. It’s unsettling by design. But beneath the suspense, it asks a question I think more people are afraid to confront: What happens when we forget not just where we are—but who we’ve been? In a world increasingly touched by dementia and emotional trauma, this film felt necessary. It’s a thriller, yes. But at its core, it’s a love letter to memory, and a cry for what’s lost when it slips away.