Set in a gentrifying Austin neighborhood, Julia Acosta Ortega struggles with the negative influence of her dead mother, whose portrait on the studio wall speaks to Julia. Literally.
A story about family and lingering trauma, Painterly is a feature length screenplay infused with magical realism.
Elysia Van Deusen is a writer, fine art lover, and mostly stay-at-home mom. Before directing her first short film, she worked in props and art departments, and coordinated production logistics for corporate videos and reality TV. She loves oil painting, reading recipes, and pursuing random short term interests like learning the linguistic history of English and how the microbiome might affect our emotions.
Elysia believes that art, empathy, and imagination can help people live richer, more connected lives.