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In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Wysocki, writer and director of the bittersweet Dramarama — strong contender for The Greylock Glass’ “Best Drama” selection 2021. And that’s saying something, since we’d have to engineer an awards ceremony from scratch to be able to award such a prize.
This debut film is a coming of age movie that strips out the schlock, leaving audiences with the sense of having witnessed a slice of raw humanity.
About The Film
Escondido, California, 1994. It’s the end of summer and Gene is preparing for his high school drama friends’ final murder mystery slumber party. Before the group heads off to college, however, Gene wants to come out of the closet – but is terrified of what his sheltered Christian friends might think. What was planned as a celebration of friendship becomes a reckoning, and this formerly tight-knit group will have to decide whether to cling to the past or move forward in uncertainty.
Jonathan Wysocki’s nostalgic, funny debut feature Dramarama is a poignant love letter to drama nerds, late bloomers, and the intense friendships that mark our youth. Find out more about the film at its website.
About the Director
Jonathan Wysocki is a Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs Fellow as well as an Advisor for Sundance Co//ab who has made a collection of award-winning short films that have screened for audiences across the globe. Film accolades include the Sundance Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship, the Busan Cinephile Award, the Stanley Kramer Award, and two Annenberg Grants. Wysocki is a UCLA alumnus, a Project Involve Fellow at Film Independent, a Berlinale Talents Fellow, and a lecturer at Occidental College, Chapman University, and Cal State Long Beach. For more information: jonathanwysocki.com
