Community Corner
'Shorty & Morty' Created/Produced/Written/Co-Starring Studio City's E.M. Fredric Debuts at REEL Recovery Film Festival
E.M. Fredric is a frequent contributor to Studio City Patch and a noted journalist.
As a writer, s gift is evident in this one of its kind script, with prose that is both moving and amusing in the same breath. Albeit only 12 minutes in duration, Shorty & Morty is thoroughly entertaining. Tickets are free by RSVP to: info@reelrecoveryfilmfestival.org
Fredric describes Shorty & Morty as a “dark comedy about an extraordinary homeless couple who attend a strange, yet humorous 12 step meeting. Essentially it’s a slice of their day living on the streets of Hollywood among the hopeless, hopefuls, haves and have-nots.”
The message of the short, according to Fredric is “how laughter and having each other’s back is what makes survival possible.” The two main characters, Shorty and Morty, view the world with their own disabilities, but “never stop feeling joy and harmony while witnessing life's darkest moments. They truly love one another.”
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Fredric has been writing for most of her life and feels fortunate to have had remarkable mentors, e.g. Jason Miller, Hubert "Cubby" Selby and Andy Kaufman. She got her start in Los Angeles by writing for and acting in Evening at the Improv.
After her son, became of age, Fredric decided it was the perfect opportunity to stretch the limits and challenge herself by producing, writing, and acting in her own project. She attributes being a solo parent for providing a base of “phenomenal experiences to cull from.”
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certainly has an abundance of savoir faire, having worked among and with cancer warriors (a survivor herself), the homeless, children and animals, all the while introducing Dylan to life’s beauties and harsher realities. E.M. was confident she could finally have a voice and make her mark with this original piece.
E.M’s dream and goal is to make Shorty & Morty into a feature or a series, as “this film is only a tiny portion of the storyline I've created for these two characters.”
Inspired after hearing Guillermo Del Toro at a film festival tell an audience, "If you only have two f****** minutes?!...Give them the best f****** two minutes you've got!" He was referring to not wasting precious moments and money attending endless workshops or festivals but to devise your best work and display it. It’s obvious Fredric benefitted from Del Toro’s advice as she has fashioned a magnum opus.
For Fredric, the entire affair has been awesome and she’s proud of her achievement. E.M. expressed amazement at her dedicated and skillful cast and crew. They shot nine people and numerous puppets in two days with two locations proving “what people can pull off when they bring real passion to the table.”
She’s forever grateful to Scott Land, 'rockstar of puppeteers,' from Team America, who donated and manipulated two of his valuable marionettes that portray Chuck and Ellen in the film. E.M. and Emery Emery are the voices.
Spoiler Alert: “That Emery could do a Christopher Walken impression,” Fredric admits, added a salient touch.
Fredric is delighted to show her short at the REEL Recovery Film Festival since Shorty & Morty takes place at a bizarre 12 step meeting, exploring the theme of addiction and recovery in an exceptionally offbeat way.
Select members of the entertainment industry have previewed Shorty & Morty, resulting in an outstanding reception. Reactions confirm Fredric’s belief that her film is universal and she trusts it will touch a wide audience on multiple levels.
E.M. has lived in Studio City for more than 17 years, raising Dylan (now 20), as a single mother. I had the chance to see Dylan’s artwork and was blown away by his ingenuity and talent. He is destined to go far, following in the creative footsteps of his mother. As actor/production designer on Shorty & Morty, Dylan was responsible for incredible props and special effects - he even built his mother a leg to stand on.
Calling her beloved Studio City a place where “the country resides within the city,” Fredric only has positive things to say about her home turf where she especially enjoys access to the nearby canyons.
E.M. loves “the freedom to skip, dance, and hike in the hills with music blaring” in her ears. She’s grateful the locals want to preserve the trails and is optimistic that their voices will be heard. Having pockets of canyons where it’s like being “in another world, time and space, is a welcomed and needed haven.”
Fredric appreciates the feeling of community where everything is within walking distance, e.g. dining, music, theatre, frozen yogurt. Even the curbside political gatherings at Ventura/Laurel Canyon on Friday nights afford her “the sense that people care about our world.”
Contact: email: shortyandmorty@gmail.com
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