Rom-com obsessed teen Christine has always longed for the picture-perfect romance... but she’s soon confronted with the fact that her ideal prince charming might actually be a princess charming instead.
From behind a bulky, 90s television set, we come upon 17-year-old Christine Tran and her best friend Jennifer Garza enjoying an afternoon watching Christine's favorite rom-coms — Christine obsessing over finding her own Prince Charming while Jennifer remains skeptical — until their conversation shifts to prom, now less than 24 hours away; dateless Christine pushes Jennifer to go with the boy who asked her, but Jennifer refuses to leave her friend behind, so she calls a boy named Peter and nudges him to ask Christine, who is elated — until Peter kisses her, and something feels wrong. Later, catching her parents share a sweet moment in the kitchen, Christine yearns for that kind of love, and on their nightly call she confesses to Jennifer that her rom-com dream no longer feels real; a thought quietly takes root in Jennifer's mind. That night, Christine startles awake, notices something strange outside her window, and stumbles downstairs to find the backyard transformed into a prom dance floor — and Jennifer standing in the middle of it — and though Christine isn't sure what to believe, she finds herself in Jennifer's arms, and before long they share a tender kiss, leaving us to wonder if she's been looking in the wrong place all along, as we pull back and let them sway.
Native Hawaiian filmmaker Erin Lau explores empathy, redemption, and legacy through her work. She has been supported by numerous programs including Sundance Institute, Film Independent, Tribeca Studios, and Ryan Murphy’s HALF Initiative. Her work spans documentary, narrative, and episodic storytelling, which have been featured on the Criterion Channel, Netflix, and PBS. Notable directing works include THE MOON AND THE NIGHT, ALL I EVER WANTED, and INHERITANCE. Erin also directed on FOX’s lifeguard drama RESCUE: HI-SURF and contributed to multiple award-winning documentaries as a producer including STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS and DEAR ALOHA.
Erin is a graduate of Chapman University’s MFA directing program and is represented by the United Talent Agency (UTA), Entertainment 360, and LINK Entertainment.
World Premiere - HollyShorts 2022
