Here For Now
Now Streaming
Written, Directed & Produced by
J. Andrew
Executive Producer
Luke Powell
Co-Producer
Vishnu Prasad
First Assistant Director
Sean Reilly
Music by
Eric Ye
Year
2022
Starring
Ash Tan
DJ Tinaz
Production Design By
J. Andrew
Cliff Chapital
Co-Executive Producers
Todd Long
Scott Cowell
Craig Souza
Micaela Presti
Featuring the original artwork of
Official Movie Poster
Logline
A young woman finally stands up to her gay best friend for the path of destruction he leaves in his wake.
Tagline
Sometimes it’s the things left unsaid that need to be said most.
Watch the Trailer
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Awards + Selections
AWARD WINNER: Best Cinematography (Alex Bierwagen), Best Performance by a BIPOC Actor (Ash Tan) | Grizzly Film and Arts Festival (Berkeley, CA)
AWARD WINNER: Best Short | SacFilmChallenge Music & Film Festival (Sacramento, CA)
AWARD WINNER: Best Actress (Ash Tan) | Stockholm City Film Festival (Stockholm, Sweden)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: SF Queer Film Fest (San Francisco, CA)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Awareness Festival (Los Angeles, CA)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Bay Area & Sacramento Short Films Festival (San Francisco, CA)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Bright Ideas Film Festival (Orinda, CA)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Death's Parade Film Fest (Red Bluff, CA)
OFFICIAL SELECTION: Shockfest Film Festival (Online)
Synopsis
29-year-old Victoria is a young advertising professional who leaves town for a girls weekend, leaving her listless, couch-surfing gay best friend from childhood alone in her home. When she returns, Perry is nowhere to be found, leaving her to clean up a massive mess that spans her entire house. Victoria sees evidence of a wild sex party with dildos, condoms, lube and towels scattered all around the house. When Victoria discovers a bottle of poppers—among other illicit paraphernalia—in the guest bedroom where she had been letting Perry crash after he was kicked out of his parents' house, she realizes that he's relapsed and gone off the wagon. When Perry arrives, Victoria finally tells him how she really feels. Sometimes it's the things left unsaid that need to be said most.
Final Curve
When you turn the corner
and you run into yourself
then you know that you have turned
all the corners that are left.
— Langston Hughes
Meet the Actors
Victoria Thomas
Ash Tan’s (she/her) award-winning performance as Victoria in J. Andrew’s Here For Now leaps off of the screen. Her blend of vulnerability and genuine emotionality are the beating heart of this short film. Ash is a San Francisco-based actor, filmmaker, and a recent graduate of the San Francisco State University School of Cinema (‘22). She has appeared starred Into The Pages, The Reluctant Vampire, and Wendy and Peter Pan. Ash has also directed a number of short films, including I Saw Mom and Dad Kissing and Blood Relatives. The Stockholm City Film Festival awarded her “Best Actress” and the Grizzly Film & Arts Festival awarded her with Outstanding Performance from a BIPOC Actor for her performance in Here For Now.
CLICK HERE to listen to Victoria’s Playlist on Spotify
* which included Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” before it was cool.
Perry Lockhart
DJ Tinaz (he/him) blends an accessible vulnerability with a devil-may-care attitude in J. Andrew’s Here For Now. This talented young actor skillfully threads the needle of the indifferent, yet remorseful, gay best friend. DJ’s blends a unique performative style that mixes humor and sorrow. DJ is a San Francisco-based actor, filmmaker and undergraduate cinema major at San Francisco State University (‘23). 2022 was a busy year for DJ. In addition to his starring role in Here For Now, he played key roles in Don’t Walk Alone in the Dark, Manalo: The Movie Musical, and Oui Reverie.
J makes some adjustments.
From the Director
This film has been a long way coming, but I’m super proud of what this incredible team of talented collaborators accomplished in order to bring my dream to the screen.
The genesis for this story goes back to the fall of 2020 when J was writing the feature-length script for Pretty Broken People for a screenwriting class at City College of San Francisco. Similar to how director Todd Solondz created a multi-picture story world of characters who either appear in or are referenced in subsequent films, Perry and his friends inhabit a larger world overlaid on top of ours. Whereas PBP opens with Victoria picking Perry up at the psych ward after a suicide attempt (referenced in this film), Here For Now takes place one year later, after Perry relapses on meth and destroys Victoria’s house with a raucous sex party. I look forward to sharing these characters with you in the years to come. To learn more about this cinematic world, click here.
A huge debt of gratitude goes to my to my Executive Producer, Luke Powell, whose support of my work over the last two years has been critical to my success. Additional support from my Co-Executive Producers, Craig Souza and Scott Cowell, who helped carry this picture along toward the finish line.
Rosie Church
Aaron DeYonker
In 2021, I wrote, directed and produced a version of Here For Now, but, as with any film that is under-resourced and where everyone is wearing multiple hats—too many hats, honestly—production suffered. Regardless, I am super grateful to everyone who worked on that project: my actors, Aaron DeYonker and Rosie Church, my co-DP Carl Rennie, and the sound mixer, Nick Reed. That film made the current version possible.
Sean Reilly in the Production Office.
The team though…
My talented Director of Photography, Alex Bierwagen, was instrumental to creating the look and feel of this film, while also helping me tremendously in planning every shot. Thank you. Another big shout-out goes to my friend, Cliff Chapital, who is an incredibly talented interior designer who helped create the set design, and allowed my team to make use of his gorgeous Joseph Eichler mid-century modern home in Walnut Creek, CA for the set for this film. Despite all the glass walls—and the challenges that they presented—I can’t imagine shooting this anywhere else. My Co-Producer, Vishnu Prasad, was truly instrumental in making sure this production was possible, thank you.
Some more adjustments.
Give them all the awards
Wow. I am honestly still at a loss for words at the performances of my actors, Ash Tan (“Victoria”) and DJ Tinaz (“Perry”) gave so fully and completely of themselves to this script that I was moved to tears more times than I can count. I am truly in awe of their performances, and I know you will be too. The raw and genuine emotionality they brought to these characters have made me a better director. Thank you for the privilege of directing you, and thank you for joining me in the process of co-creating these characters. Before Ash and DJ, Victoria and Perry were just an idea in my head. Now they are real, flesh and blood.
The final scene.
Sometimes it's the things left unsaid that need to be said most.
Here For Now is an intimate portrait that explores the experience of the collateral trauma in the aftermath of an individual’s self-destructive choices. The disease of addiction is a symptom of mistreated mental health concerns, and, for many gay men, drug-fueled sex parties offer an escape from the pressing concerns of life and an opportunity for the physical connection that intimate relations provide. Here For Now holds space for all of this with a surprise ending you won’t want to miss!
I have many hopes for this film, and I am humbled that the SF Queer Film Fest selected Here For Now to premiere at the 2022 edition of the festival. So far, Here For Now has been selected to screen at nine festivals around the world, and we’ve even won four awards (so far). I’ve said it many, many times, but I’m really grateful to my intrepid team of creative collaborators without whom this film could not have been made.
After a successful worldwide festival run, we are excited to bring Here For Now to you, for free, here on this website. Enjoy!
Behind the Scenes (2022)
Behind the Scenes (2021)
Disclaimer & Copyright
This film contains scenes which may be too intense for some viewers.
This film is intended only for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
The persons and events in this motion picture are fictitious.
Any similarity to actual persons or events is unintentional and purely coincidental.
All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. Any product, Product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks or images featured this film not owned by Liberty Lane Films, LLC are the sole property of their respective trademarks holders.
No Promotional consideration, sponsorship or other compensation has been given to the producers, filmmakers or Liberty Lane Films, LLC company officers for any product or other protected work appearing in this film.
All Graphic design, Branding, website design, and title design by Justin Andrew Schuck (“J. Andrew”).
This motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
© Copyright 2022 Liberty Lane Films, LLC. All rights reserved.
