Whether it is at 3 am or all day long, it is a gnawing feeling that will not go away.

Both directed by Karin Trachtenberg, worry and anxiety take a front seat in short films Three A.M. and Pumpkin Pie where characters in two vastly different situations reach out for support in a time of crisis.  Both films are approximately 11 minutes.  Pumpkin Pie will makes its world premiere at the East Village New York Film Festival on Sunday, January 26th at Under St Marks Theatre. Click here for more information and for tickets. For further details about these two shorts, click here for Three A.M. and here for Pumpkin Pie.

Bobby Raps delivers a foreboding music score infused with chirping crickets on a night that is all too still at Three A.M. in a residential neighborhood.  However, two mothers’ minds are reeling.  This short drama tackles some harrowing troubles in contemporary society as these characters attempt to cope in various ways.  One of the film’s best features is the apprehensive tone at the beginning that seemingly leads in one direction yet reveals another.  Julia Trueblood as Tish and Sara Burd as Gwen admit why they can’t sleep in a snapshot that leave enough questions for a longer film.  Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich’s introspective script does not pass judgment on who is handling the situation best, but banks on the emotional weight of this relatable piece.

Pumpkin Pie is a lighthearted, yet distressed look at life’s pressures drawing parallels to Three A.M. where two characters are dealing with their circumstances in different ways.  Written by Jessica Moss with zany direction by Karin Trachtenberg, Jimmy Jackson’s peppy piano infuses Pumpkin Pie with a brighter but no less relatable tone as a holiday emergency threatens to ruin Thanksgiving according to Hilary Dennis as frantic and over the top Adelaide. 

Hilary Dennis’s wild depiction of Adelaide is a scene stealer as Adelaide audaciously attempts to navigate entry into a closed bakery on Thanksgiving Day where pies are scarce.  Trueblood is an impressive foil as sensible Margot, a baker who is counting on some peace and quiet which should be on every family holiday menu.  However, Thanksgiving family dread is baked into every pumpkin pie and these two characters develop an interesting rapport as they discover that they may have more in common than they think.  Nothing half baked about Pumpkin Pie and the final scene is invaluable to conclude this initially outlandish scenario. 

  Pumpkin Pie will makes its world premiere at the East Village New York Film Festival on Sunday, January 26th at Under St Marks Theatre. Click here for more information and for tickets. For further details about these two shorts, click here for Three A.M. and here for Pumpkin Pie.