Lyra Hill

A sublime comedy of biting humor and unusual schemes that paints a satirical portrait of millennials and hipsters who think they’re benefitting their community. But good intentions do not always have good consequences.

Five teenage girls gather for a party. Tensions mount as the guests exchange makeovers and hurl accusations. Tears in the bathroom lead to a ghostly kiss. In a circle around the Ouija board, they invoke a spirit. Their faces float in blackness. Five pairs of painted nails caress the planchette as it moves, swirling pale arms behind it. Our host becomes possessed. The characters overlap. Which of these women is not herself? Uzi's Party is a short experimental narrative written, directed and edited by Lyra Hill. All five characters are played by her sister Johanna Hill. Uzi's Party was filmed entirely in-camera on 16mm film, by means of intricately plotted multiple exposures and a cast of thirteen body doubles.

After cheating on her mean boyfriend, Lewis, Brownie is hospitalized by a series of severe accidents. Instead of visiting her in the hospital, Lewis (assistant to the Dean of the local university) helps investigate two professors suspected of sleeping with students.

The effects in The Mystic were originally created in-camera on one 100ft roll of color negative film. These include: bi-packing with a strip of clear leader sewn with sequins, creating paper mattes of circles and text, and multiple exposures with more custom mattes, photographed with one actor (Aj Cesena) on a simple set. These processes required six passes through the camera. The roll was then rephotographed on an optical printer and extended to its current run time of 8 minutes. The soundtrack is made up of chopped and manipulated laugh tracks and audience sounds.