WHAT I WISH YOU SAID

This short film explores the struggles of dating for victims of rape, and the systemic problem of how others attempt to comment on or categorize trauma. May is a young woman in Brooklyn who carries the weight of her traumatic past with her on the daily. As she takes the train on her commute to work one day, she notices someone across the platform who reminds her of a recent date. As we follow her date with Glen, it starts off fun and seemingly carefree. But as they start to get intimate, she realizes she’s not ready yet, and feels obligated to explain. At first he seems supportive and caring; but quickly she realizes that is a daydream – instead he is brisk and quick to escape, leaving her in a confused state of isolation.

Director’s Bio
Tiffany Frances started gaining interest in filmmaking in her undergraduate program at UCSD. There, she gained a deep appreciation of avant-garde and experimental films, and was heavily influenced by her Professor Jean Pierre Gorin, who was part of the French New Wave movement. She would study every element in a film frame by frame, thinking about film in a conceptual, theoretical way. Her graduate program, Art Center College of Design’s Masters Directing Track, was the opposite – it was practical and also emphasized how to execute film as a product to sell. It was during this time that her visual identity and style as a filmmaker began to develop. She moved to New York City and quickly learned the ropes of the independent filmmaking world on the East Coast.

Her background working as a Photographer, Casting Director, Editor, and Producer on many commercials and music videos has made her a well-rounded director. Her personal work has entered several festivals and won multiple awards, and has been featured on publications such as Paper Magazine, The Fader, i-D Magazine, among others. She is honored to work with renowned clients such as National Geographic, Citi, and MA.DE New York.

Plays in

MATINEE ONE

The MATINEE ONE screening at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival features eight films that explore the encouragement of imagination, pursued ambition, and the struggles in life that are both personal and culture.