STAIRS
Director: Riley Donigan
United States, 2025, 14 min
Shooting Format:Digital
Festival Year:2026
Category:Narrative Short
Genres:Comedy, Drama
Cast:Betsey Brown, Will Duncan, Will Janowitz
Crew:Writer: Riley Donigan. Producer: Anton Vicente Kliot.
Email:riley.donigan@gmail.com
Synopsis
A woman's life unravels after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs.
About the director
Riley Donigan is a New York-based filmmaker whose work typically blends elements of horror and absurdist comedy. His films have played at festivals such as Sundance and SXSW, and have been featured on platforms such as Director's Notes and NoBudge. He is currently developing his first feature that has an equally bizarre premise as the rest of his films.
Filmmaker's note
With "STAIRS", I wanted to take an absurd premise and make something earnest with it. Although at first glance, the premise is a comedic one, I started writing this script months ago as a vehicle to examine addiction, something I have struggled with since I was a teenager. After getting sober, this premise came to me and I realized how accurate it felt to my own struggles, despite seeming ridiculous on the surface.
For those who know what addiction feels like, being an alcoholic is no more absurd than being addicted to throwing yourself down a flight of stairs.