DIFYRENT presents "I Wish I Never Existed", an Original Short Film.
PRESS KIT INDEX:
Official Posters from "I Wish I Never Existed". Created by Axel Almiron. (High Resolution versions available at bottom of page)
SYNOPSIS:
Sam, an almost 18-year-old girl, is struggling to grow up. Torn between the last few moments of her teenage years and the daunting uncertainties of adulthood, she finds herself at a loss after the sudden loss of her father.
When her family ruins her 18th birthday party, Sam's despair culminates in a throwaway wish upon a shooting star: that she had never existed. This wish sets off a rollercoaster night that changes how she sees the world forever. Accidentally dragged along with her in this surreal journey is her grandfather, a kindred spirit who is equally jaded and broken by the hardships he has faced, but somehow manages to see the silver-lining of the situation.
Together, they navigate the night, yelling at each other about the value of life and what it means to exist. Through their explosive, magical journey, they begin to understand each other and themselves for the first time. Ultimately, Sam learns a profound lesson: that sometimes, it's not about getting what you want, but making the best of what you have.
"The moon, surrounded by stars. No wait, a reflection, in the eye of a girl"
FILM DETAILS:
Film Title: | I Wish I Never Existed |
Production Company: | DIFYRENT |
Runtime: | 25m 11s |
First Screening: | Mediterrane Film Festival (23rd June 2024) |
Premiere in Malta: | (yet to be released) |
Genre: | Fantasy / Adventure |
Rating: | Not Yet Rated (contains mild non-sexual language) |
Country of Origin: | Malta, Europe |
Language: | English |
Links: | |
Key Cast: | Zoe Colletti (Only Murders in the Building, Fear The Walking Dead, Annie, The Family Plan) Patrick Lyster (Dredd, Invictus, Goodbye Befana, Interview with a Hitman) |
Key Crew: | Dylan Odom (DIFYRENT) Maria Grech (DIFYRENT) Adam Ryan (DIFYRENT) Jon Cassar (24, The Orville, Forsaken, Law & Order: Organized Crime) James Nunn (One Shot, One More Shot, Shark Bait, 47 Meters Down) |
Awards to Date: | Malta Create Award for Best Local Filmmakers (Mediterrane Film Festival 2023) |
Format: | 4096x1716, 24fps, 2.39:1 Scope, 5.1 Surround and Stereo available |
Shot on: | ARRI Alexa Mini LF, Atlas Orion 2X Anamorphics |
Additional Footage: | RED Komodo, Sony A7C, DJI Mini 3 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max |
Key Contact: | Dylan Odom | Executive Producer at DIFYRENT |
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Logline: | Sam is dead - to everyone else at least. After wishing on a shooting star, Sam struggles to find her place in the universe when everyone she knew forgets she existed- except her grandpa. |
Pictured from left to right: MARIA GRECH (Director), ADAM RYAN (Producer), DYLAN ODOM (Director, Director of Photography, Executive Producer) after wrapping I WISH I NEVER EXISTED
TIMELINE: (and why this film was nearly cancelled twice)
JUNE 2023 - DIFYRENT wins Malta Create Award at Mediterrane Film Festival 2023. James Nunn is attached as producer. This is the first time DIFYRENT is making a film at this scale. It is announced that the film must be completed by the next June to screen at Mediterrane 2024.
JULY till OCTOBER 2023 - Dylan, Maria, Adam and James work through several revisions of the script, refining and perfecting. Jon Cassar is attached as EP. In the meantime, because of the Writers' and Actors' Strikes, the film industry is completely shut down. No one takes any calls, we can't cast. Everything is at a standstill. For 4 months we wait with script in hand.
OCTOBER 13th, 2023 - DIFYRENT signs SAG-AFTRA Signatory Application with hopes of being exempted from the strike. A last ditch effort to save our January 2024 shooting window. Any later and we lose key crew members and might not make our deadline. In the meantime, we are casting and scouting for our many local roles and locations.
NOVEMBER 9th, 2023 - After weeks of insane stress, refreshing emails through the night, hoping that while we were asleep SAG were given a fair deal, we were exhausted with no end in sight. However, finally after 4 months of insane dedication from those affected by the strike, we were able to proceed.
NOVEMBER till DECEMBER, 2023 - Finally, we're officially in pre-production. Our excellent casting director Yvonne is hard at work creating short lists and checking availabilities. We felt like we were finally out in the clear, except we very much weren't. Just like our project was suddenly given the green light, as was every single other project on earth. Actors waiting patiently in hiatus were suddenly back on their pre-strike projects and after all our waiting, our chances of attaching actors in time for our January shoot got slimmer and slimmer.
DECEMBER 2023 - So far, even though the strike was over, the wheels were turning a lot slower than we needed. Actors and their agents were sorting through 1000s of requests and a new massive hurdle: Gladiator II. Gladiator, was shooting primarily in our country Malta, and was supposed to wrap by August 2023, but due to the strikes was pushed and pushed and pushed. The second the strikes were lifted, the massive production went into high gear to finish their blockbuster film. Every crew member, PA, van, light and extension cord were swallowed up by Ridley Scott's epic, leaving nothing but delayed rejections for anyone to join our film.
DECEMBER 24th, 2023 - With 2 weeks until our first shoot day, with all locations on standby, and most local cast and crew finally in place, we announce an indefinite freeze on production. We haven't been able to attach our lead talent in time and there are key crew members that we simply do not have. Every gaffer, grip, spark, AD and camera assistant on the island were on Gladiator indefinitely. We are not going to make our deadline and because of this production freeze, we are probably going to lose most of our locations and local cast.
EARLY JANUARY, 2024 - After 2 weeks of the film industry once again on shutdown, this time for the holidays, the DIFYRENT team blast back into action with and final dates. We need to shoot 2nd week of February, no other options. With Gladiator set to wrap 1st week of February, after months of back and forth we finally had the privilege to lock in our lead cast members Zoe Colletti and Patrick Lyster. However, we now have just days to re-secure all our locations, crew up the entire film now that people know their availabilities, arrange flights and accommodations, figure out our gear with rental houses and lock in final sponsors.
JANUARY 2024 - For a month no one at DIFYRENT slept. We knew that we needed everything to be perfect. We only had 6 days to shoot a massive short film with a never ending list of moving pieces and an extended crew of almost 80 people. Throughout this time, most HODs were still working on Gladiator so communication was slower than usual. All this being said, somehow, thanks to the amazing team of people that assembled to make this project happen, we were 1 week out from filming, and everything finally fell in place. This was just the beginning, as we hadn't rolled a single second of footage yet. Armed with the dedication and passion that got us through 6 months of tumultuous pre-production, we finally had everything we needed to make the film we pitched so long ago.
FEBRUARY 5th 2024 - We roll cameras on I WISH I NEVER EXISTED. There were a lot of things that happened on set, but that's a story for another day. Luckily we filmed it all as it was happening so that footage is bound to come out in some form.
JUNE 23rd 2024 - With Editing, VFX, Sound and Color taking until the very last minute, just 4 days before the screening, the final DCP for the cinema is exported. - Over 100 VFX Shots. - 20 minutes of original orchestral score. - 3500+ emails. - 70+ cast and crew members in 6 countries. - 14 script revisions. - 6 12-hour shoot days. - 9 months of non-stop dedicated work by the whole team. On June 23rd 2024, we screen I WISH I NEVER EXISTED for the first time to a sold out theatre. And for the first time, we sat back watching it, and knew we had made something special.
Pictured: The many hardworking cast and crew members of I Wish I Never Existed. We couldn't have done it with any single one of them. First photo (left to right) ADAM RYAN, DYLAN ODOM, ZOE COLLETTI, MARIA GRECH after wrap.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: (Dylan Odom)
"I Wish I Never Existed is a concise yet delicately intricate story exploring what it truly means to exist. We set off trying to answer a question Maria and I have been playfully arguing over for a while: If you could press a button and have never existed, would you?
What makes this story special, in my opinion, is that we are seeing both answers, yes and no, play out in front of us. While Sam battles wanting to be anywhere but in her own life, even if that means disappearing off the face of the earth, her grandfather feels alive for the first time.
Sam is someone we have come to relate to deeply. Early in the story, we learn that Sam’s father is out of the picture. Later, we discover that he passed away. When? We’re not quite sure, but what we do see is the massive crater his passing has left on her.
A few years ago, when Maria was 16, her father passed away rather suddenly. We had just wrapped our first ever feature film (The Way Back) which he was instrumental in making. Colin Grech was, and will always feel like, a second half, helping us source all our props, scout locations, and even build our sets. Losing such a big part of our lives at a time when we had never been closer is an incredibly daunting experience to work through.
This is what Sam’s story is all about: trying to figure out who's left when your other half is no longer with you. Behind her anger, angst and fear, she is powerful, witty, and a dreamer, and we are thrilled to have someone as exceptionally talented as Zoe take on this incredibly complex role.
We never intended on making a film out of what we were feeling, but somehow we managed to capture it perfectly. However, I'm not sure we found an answer to our question.
Do we wish we never existed?
Do you?"
Pictured from left to right: MARIA GRECH, ADAM RYAN, DYLAN ODOM, JAMES NUNN. DIFYRENT were accepting the Malta Create Award presented by James Nunn (Golden Bee Awards 2023) Photo by Lyndsey Bahia
PRODUCER'S STATEMENT: (James Nunn)
"From the moment I met Dylan, Mar and Adam I knew we had found a very special, highly talented team. Awarding them the winning prize at the Mediterrane Film Festival was a no brainer since they presented their idea (and themselves) so perfectly.
Developing the script with them was a joy. Watching the project evolve and to see them grow as filmmakers has been a fantastic journey. They assembled an incredible international cast and Maltese crew. The film looks great. I'm behind them 100% and I can't wait to see what they do in the future."
Pictured from left to right: ZOE COLLETTI, PATRICK LYSTER, on the set of I WISH I NEVER EXISTED
CAST:
ZOE COLLETTI: (Sam)
Zoe Colletti is an American multi-disciplined actress. She made her acting debut in the television pilot of American Men (2006) and played her first major-film role in Annie (2014). Colletti appeared in 2018 films Wildlife and Skin before garnering critical praise in the lead role of Stella Nicholls in horror film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019). She achieved further recognition as Dakota in the sixth season of horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead (2020-2021), the Truth Pixie in fantasy film A Boy Called Christmas (2021) and starred alongside Lana Condor in Netflix’s Boo Bitch (2022) as Gia. In 2022 she portrayed Lucy in the second season of Only Murders in the Building. Most recently, Colletti featured alongside Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan in Apple TV’s The Family Plan (2023). Her upcoming projects include Destry Allen Spielberg’s debut feature film Please Don’t Feed The Children. Colletti is represented by CESD, Industry Entertainment and The Nord Group.
PATRICK LYSTER: (Grandpa)
After a career as a safari guide, Patrick started his acting career with Napac Opera company and went on to musicals and theatre, film and television. He has worked internationally and is based in London. Film work includes Invictus (2009), Goodbye Bafana, also known as The Color of Freedom (2007) and 22 episodes of the acclaimed television series Black Sails (2014 - 2016). Patrick also starred in Disney Plus’ Black Beauty (2020), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), as well as starred alongside Iain Glen in Reyna (2024).
CREW:
DYLAN ODOM: (Director, DP, Writer)
Dylan has been making films as long as he can remember, starting with home movies and music videos with his cousin and slowly graduating to bigger and better toys, leading entire productions of his own. With a heavy background in visual effects and working in the camera department, his approach to filmmaking is to blend cutting edge technical execution with heartfelt storytelling, creating inspired films that are visually stunning while pulling at the heartstrings. After creating a number of short films, Dylan created 2 seasons of 'The Way Back', a 1980s time travel mini-series clearly fueled by his love for 1980s cinema, along with his directing partner Maria Grech. This lead to winning an international award putting his production company DIFYRENT on the map.
MARIA GRECH: (Director)
Maria is a seasoned performer and filmmaker whose journey in the world of entertainment began at the age of five. Balancing a mix of theatre and film, she directed her first short film during the pandemic. This experience ignited her passion for directing, leading her to co-create and co-direct her debut series ‘The Way Back,’ alongside collaborator Dylan Odom at the age of 16. Building upon this success, Maria ventured into co-directing, ‘I Wish I Never Existed,’ telling the story of a girl battling her emotions whilst working through grief. Currently, Maria is actively pursuing her dream of becoming an actor-director, and is actively pursuing collaborations with directors in Los Angeles.
ADAM RYAN: (Producer)
Adam Ryan is an ambitious and innovative creator, immersed in the artistic industry from the young age of four. His journey through performing arts training has shaped him into a skilled actor, theatre-maker, filmmaker, and a prominent social media figure. Along with Dylan Odom and Maria Grech, as part of DIFYRENT, him and the team won the first-ever Malta Create Award for Filmmakers in 2023. His debut as a producer came with the short film ‘I Wish I Never Existed’, a project that proved to be both a rewarding and profoundly educational experience. With a passion to transform every ambition into reality, this is just the beginning for Adam Ryan.
JAMES NUNN: (Producer)
James’ latest features as writer/director are ONE SHOT and ONE MORE SHOT which released theatrically in the US and as SKY Originals UK. He is currently working on his next project as writer/director for a Q4 shoot. His debut feature film, TOWER BLOCK starring Jack O’Connell, won the ‘Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film’ at Sitges 2012. His skills in elevating genre movies since then has cemented him as a rising star in action/thriller cinema having shot numerous features for Altitude/Lionsgate/WWE Studios/Universal/Sony Pictures – SHARK BAIT, ELIMINATORS, GREEN STREET 3, MARINE 5 and MARINE 6. He is repped by Andrew Mills, Revolution Talent and Amotz Zakai, Echo Lake Entertainment.
JON CASSAR: (Executive Producer)
Jon Cassar is an award-winning director and producer, renowned for his work on groundbreaking television series and films. Born in Malta and raised in Canada, he is best known for his work on the critically acclaimed series "24," where he served as both director and executive producer. His innovative direction earned him widespread recognition and multiple awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. Cassar has directed and produced numerous other notable television series, including "The Kennedys," for which he won a Directors Guild of America Award, and "The Orville." He has also directed feature films, such as "Forsaken," a western drama starring Kiefer and Donald Sutherland, which received critical acclaim. Cassar's dedication to his craft and passion for storytelling have solidified his reputation as one of the most talented and respected directors and producers in the industry. He is repped by CAA.
DAY ONE on the custom built bedroom set of I WISH I NEVER EXISTED
FULL CAST & CREW:
DIRECTED BY | Dylan Odom, Maria Grech |
PRODUCED BY | Adam Ryan, James Nunn |
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY | Jon Cassar, The Malta Film Commission, Dylan Odom |
WRITTEN BY | Dylan Odom |
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY | Dylan Odom |
CAST: | |
SAM | Zoe Colletti |
GRANDPA | Patrick Lyster |
MOM | Maxine Aquilina |
DON | Justin Darmanin |
UNCLE ROB | Myron Ellul |
AUNT DEBBY | Erica Muscat |
COUSIN ARTHUR | Richard Siauciulis |
COUSIN BRUCE | Matteo Caruana Bond |
COUSIN JEN | Greta Holland |
KATRINA | Ema Pantovic |
COUSIN CHLOE | Tiana Formosa |
PIZZA DELIVERY | CJ Friggieri |
CLAIRE | Jeanine S Rodgers |
TV WATCHER | Martin Bonnici |
DRIVE BY TEEN # 1 | Ronan Falvey |
DRIVE BY TEEN # 2 | Leah Davies |
CASHIER TWINS | Matthew Kofi Brown |
YOUNG GRANDMA | Jasmine Farrugia |
YOUNG GRANDPA | Matthew Grech Marguarat |
CREW: | |
1st Assistant Director | Samantha Cassar Ellis |
Unit Production Manager | Martin Bonnici |
Casting Director | Yvonne Lawlor |
Production Design | Francesca Mercieca |
Costume Design | Maria Rosa Thornhill |
Original Score | Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur |
Director of Photography | Dylan Odom |
Screenplay by | Dylan Odom |
3rd Assistant Director | Diellza Ilgner |
Script Supervisor | Adam Ryan |
Runner | Leah Davies |
Production Assistant | Ashley Mumford |
1st Assistant Camera | Mark Frendo |
ARRI Trinity Operator | Gabriel "Gabo" Gaviria |
Camera Trainee / Data Wrangler | James Borg |
Drone Operator | Andrew Stafrace |
Special Thanks | Matthew Debono |
Sound Mixer | Robert Azzopardi |
Gaffer | Mikołaj Dziwosz |
Spark | Krysztof Kawula |
Grip | Randall Degabriele |
ARRI Trinity Grip | Bane Kovacevic |
Draughtsman | John Bajada |
Production Buyer / Set Dresser | Fabian Catania |
Furniture Mover | Jesaps Podnieks |
Set Decoration Assistant | Mieke Buddenberg |
Carpenter | Aaron Bezzina |
Carpenter's Assistant | James Debono |
Prop Aging / Set Dec Assistant | Jody Magri |
Scenic Artist | Magdalene Mizzi |
Art Department Assistant | Michael Carol Bartolo |
Standby Art | Marija Pisani |
Make-up Artist / Hair Stylist | Celine "Eli" Spiteri |
Wardrobe Supervisor | Maria Rosa Thornhill |
Score Mixer | Matt J Barnes |
Score Publisher | Reservoir Media Management |
Additional Score Recordings | Edward Abela // TheMidnightStudio |
ADR | DIFYRENT |
Post Production Color Grading Visual Effects | Dylan Odom // dify.FX |
Key Promotional Artwork | Axel Almirón // @almirondesign |
BTS Video / Photo | Benjie Zammit |
EPK Producer / Documentarian | Jeanine Rodgers Scerri |
Driver | Peter Caruana |
Maltese Subtitles | Benjamin Abela |
Additional BTS | Sophie Staples |
Virtual Production | RUPTURE STUDIOS MALTA Stephen Dullaghan, Nicholas Grima, Victor Skalin, Vojin Zivkovic |
Catering | Neriku Caterers Malta |
On Set Medic | Mario Mangion |
Costume Rental | Take//Two Malta |
Art / Set Rental | Thrifty Snake |
Lighting Fixtures | ESS Ltd |
Special Thanks | Graziella Grech Justine Odom Pat Mahoney Debi Manwiller TaylorMaid Vintage Lyona Xuereb Gatt Cheryl Colletti Dominic Burns Steffi Thake You, for existing : ) |
Sponsored by | Malta Tourism Authority Kinnie Mediastation Rupture - Virtual Production Studio digiprint |