Zachary Levi and Adrianne Palicki Release Poignant School Shooting Short Film ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ (EXCLUSIVE)
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“Thoughts and Prayers,” an emotional short film that debuted at Hollyshorts Film Festival and made its rounds at numerous festivals, is now available for global audiences to watch for the first time, exclusively on Variety. The movie was helmed by Evan Miller, who directed, produced and co-wrote the script with Hardy Janson.
Zachary Levi and Adrianne Palicki star in the film and also serve as producers alongside John Trefry and the co-founders of the ATX Television Festival, Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson.
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Per the official logline, “A powerful United States Senator lives out every American parent’s worst nightmare when she receives a call from her teenage son and talks him through the horror of an active school shooting as she desperately makes her way to him, unsure of what she’ll find once she arrives.”
The inspiration came from Miller — whose parents are longtime educators — and his need to show school shootings as a public safety crisis, not a political issue. Leading gun safety advocacy group Everytown consulted on the film.
“When you come from a family of educators, you aren’t really interested in school shootings as a political football. You strive to meet people where they are, and hope to make an impact anyway you can,” Mller says. “I was so thankful to have a team, from all sides of the political aisle, willing to set aside judgment in the pursuit of honesty.”
For Levi, he’s extremely grateful that the movie is being seen. “It’s a film that tackles something that affects all of us, and tries to come from a neutral perspective on it all,” he says. “There are real issues in this country that need to be addressed, and my hope is that this film encourages honest conversation, so that we can find honest answers.”
Palicki echoes that thought, noting that the “important, poignant story” is one that haunts every audience.
“Gun violence doesn’t care about political siding, race or religion. And the truth is, no matter what your point of view, we are all sisters, brothers, children, and parents. We are all human,” she says. “This film shines a light on that, and hopefully will allow us all to start a dialogue that can invoke true change”.
“Thoughts and Prayers” is a No Mondays Productions in association with House 17 and 4WT Media.
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