Podtalk: Last Day of CUFF29 with Caroline Dean’s ‘Hermit Day’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2022 - 7:22pm

CHICAGO – The 29th Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF29) Closing Day/Night is July 31st, 2022, and will present both short and feature films. One such work of art is the short film “Hermit Day,” written, directed and featuring Caroline Dean. It will be screened at SHORTS 7 on July 31st, for more info and tickets, click HERMIT.

“Hermit Day” is a non-narrative short, set in six identical interconnected squares, containing the characters One through Six (Five is portrayed by Caroline Dean). In each square a character is doing something, or interacting with a machine … a clothes washer, a television, a stove … and the “action” is in the motion or lack of motion within the mechanics of life performed by each character.

’Hermit Day,’ the World Premiere by Writer/Director Caroline Dean
Photo credit: 29th CUFF

“Hermit Day” is the debut short film for Caroline Dean as writer and director, and the World Premiere is at CUFF 29. After growing up in Athens, Georgia, Ms. Dean attended the University of North Carolina with a theater emphasis, and then moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she began to work as a production associate in television. She wrote and directed “Hermit Day” in the midst of the pandemic, because she “never would be able to direct unless I directed.”

The 29th edition of CUFF, the longest running underground film festival in the world, teams up with OnlyFans, Unstoppable Domains, and The Visible Project for the five days/nights at Chicago’s Logan Theater from July 27-31st, 2022, as well as their famous afterparties. A ticket to CUFF doesn’t just get you access to more than 100 films and video artworks, it’s an admission to a subculture.

The Closing Night feature film (8:30p) at CUFF29 is the World Premiere of “Endless Content Forever” by Chicago-based filmmaker Jacob Gregor. For tickets and more info, click CUFF CLOSER.

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Writer/director/actor Caroline Dean of “Hermit Day” talks about the themes and motivations in her short film …

Teaser for HERMIT DAY …

”Hermit Day” is part of the SHORTS 7 (July 31, 12:30p) program at the 29th Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF), which takes place from July 28th through the 31st, 2022. Screenings are at the Logan Theater, 2646 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago. For all information, click CUFF 29.