SYNOPSIS

An original story about love, loss, and saying goodbye, ‘Father’s Day’ marks the anniversary of a young woman’s loss of her Grandfather. She returns home for the first time since his passing.


DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

When Jody approached me to direct ‘Father’s Day’, I was immediately drawn to the story, and more importantly her personal connection to it. The old adage "write what you know" certainly applies here, or more aptly "write what you feel". It was obvious from the beginning that Jody had an emotional investment in this piece, and that is always something I look for as a director, both in the writing and in the acting. Emotional truth on screen is a critical component to any believable performance, and I feel we certainly achieved that with this piece, both with Jody’s performance as well as Barbara Kerr Condon, who is terrific in the supporting role of "Grandma".

Stylistically, I chose to keep it visually understated, allowing the acting to carry the piece. Camera movement such as dolly shots or even zooms felt distracting in this case, so we opted for a simpler shooting style. The lighting was designed to invoke a warm, homey feel – almost a "fireside chat" kind of look – meant to draw us in to the heart of the piece and feel the love in this home. Again, I believe we achieved that goal.

The final touch was Sharon Farber’s music, also brilliantly understated while at the same time hitting the emotional beats perfectly along with the Jewish-themed subtext. Sharon is a terrific composer that I look forward to working with again on a longer-form project.

I hope audiences enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed making it.

Kenneth Mader
Los Angeles, CA
July, 2005