The film is written and directed by Noam Kroll, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker known for character-driven psychological thrillers. Speaking about the project, Kroll said he has always been fascinated by anxiety and paranoia, particularly when they start to feel like reality.
He referenced a line from Catch-22, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you,” as a way of summing up the film’s central theme, adding that the idea had been in his head for years before he got the chance to write a chamber piece tailored specifically to his three lead actors. Kroll is currently developing his fifth feature film, Sleepwalker, alongside an untitled television pilot.
Jack & Christine is one of 11 world premieres included in this year’s Beyond Fest shorts lineup, alongside titles such as Marge from Julia Kern and Michael Prieto and Invention 13 from musicians Conor Oberst and Shawn Foree.
Presented by MUBI and produced in partnership with the American Cinematheque, the festival takes place across several Los Angeles venues, including the Egyptian Theatre and the MUBI Theatre at the Aero, with proceeds from ticket sales going to the nonprofit American Cinematheque.
Jack & Christine is produced by Kroll alongside Richard Handley, Sheldon Brigman, Jennifer Kroll and Dave Thies.
Jack & Christine premieres alongside a slate of buzzy debuts at this year’s festival. Other highlights include Gregory Foltynowicz’s surreal nightmare Observer / Participant, Dalila Droege’s psychological horror Beauty Night and Kiko Morah’s found-footage thriller Rushes of a Killer. The lineup also features musicians Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Shawn Foree of Digital Leather making their directing debut with the fever-dream short Invention 13, part of a shorts program built around new and emerging directing voices.
With its first trailer now out, Jack & Christine heads into its Beyond Fest premiere as one of the festival’s more anticipated short film debuts, giving audiences an early look at Kroll’s tense, character-driven approach to horror ahead of his next feature.
Watch Jack & Christine Trailer
