WHY WE NEED TO TELL THIS STORY

Love & Improv is our love letter back to Chicago and its legendary comedy and improv scene where we got our start as filmmakers and developed our creative voices.

The film is an ode to the places that so many creatives – including us – have refined their talents, discovered their authentic voice and found their “people.” Second City, iO, Annoyance Theatre, CIC Theater – these are the places where it all began.

It’s a story about the sacrifices we make in pursuit of our dreams. It’s about the ones we let in and the ones we must let go. It’s about the relationships we build and the impressions we leave on each other.

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WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP

We know it's no small ask. And we appreciate any help you can provide. Sometimes, just sharing our project with others is just as valuable as a donation.

Even though our film is cheap by industry standards, the fact is that making movies is really expensive.

Our goal is to not only showcase Chicago and its amazing comedy scene, but also to shine a light on the amazing talent behind the camera. We are focused on hiring local filmmakers and paying them fairly.

Every little bit helps. Please FOLLOW US for updates and share our project with others so we can share it with the world!

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!

DIRECTORS' STATEMENT

Grace is an aspiring comedian and improviser, torn between her lifelong dream of comedy stardom and the possibility of an exciting, albeit more traditional experience of newfound love. She wants to love and be loved. But she needs comedy. Can she have both? What does success look and feel like to her? Will she ever be satisfied? In many ways, Grace is us–that is why we’re so motivated to bring this story to life.

We wrote Grace based on our own feelings and insecurities. In doing so, she became real. She took on a life of her own. She, along with all of the characters in the script, were easy to write because they are all just extensions of ourselves. They look and feel like they belong to this world because they do.

Building character-driven worlds and stories are what we are most excited about and we certainly feel like we’ve done that with this film.

We throw a lot of obstacles at Grace. We want to wear her down. We want to make her give up on her dreams. But she won’t. She can’t. She is relentless in her desires. She won’t let anything or anyone stand in the way. But at the same time, she needs to learn how to build and hang on to the relationships in her life.

This is a balancing act in and of itself because she’s not getting any younger. About to turn 30, she feels as if she’s running out of time. We all feel like we’re running out of time, no matter what stage we are at in life. There never seems to be enough of it and we’re always racing against that ticking clock to achieve the success that we want so badly.

We are honored, humbled, and thrilled with the responsibility of helping bring Grace and all her messiness to life on screen. To challenge ourselves and the audience to question their own ideas of success and sacrifice. To escape for just a little while into the world of Grace. To feel, to laugh, to believe in ourselves.

We thank you for your time and consideration!

- DREW DULL & JUSTIN STRANDLUND

Drew Dull & Justin Strandlund

at the Chicago International Shorts Film Fest, premiering their short film, OUR SON'S GIRLFRIEND, GEOFF.

OUR CAST (SO FAR)

Grace is one of the top improvisers in Chicago and has her sights set on being a cast member of Comedy Night New York (an SNL-style sketch comedy show).

Flanked by her two best friends, Lisa and Jackie, Grace is part of the wildly popular improv troupe Heroine. Grace is always on, always performing. There's no bit that she won't commit herself to entirely.

But, in everyday life, she is a fish out of water and the antithesis of her very name. Her guard is always up, making romantic relationships all but impossible or her to carry on; that is, until she meets Joey.

As their relationship blossoms, Grace must figure out if she has room in her life for both love & improv..

Susan's previous credits include: Lucky, Easy Does it, Ginger, and Chicago P.D.

Besides being an actual mom of two, Lisa is also the de facto "mom" of the very successful improv trio, known as Heroine. despite only being a few years older than Grace and Jackie.

With a level head and a sharp wit, Lisa grounds the group. She's both a shoulder to cry on and the stern voice that keeps everyone in line.

While comedy is a career for Grace, Lisa openly admits that this is just a hobby she loves and a way for her to get out of the house for a few hours.

She's also REALLY into romance novels--specifically those penned by Athena Blackstone.

Natalie's previous credits include: Bride of the Killer Piñata, Thirty days, CHI-nanigans, & Zoey James Shades of Beauty

As a software analyst Joey is, unsurprisingly, a bit more low-key than Grace. He's more inclined to stay home and play D&D with his friends and doesn't like to be the center of attention.

Joey is the order to Grace's chaos. His life is structured and logical. He plans ahead. He's got a credit score of 790.

But the question remains as to whether he will ever be able to keep up with Grace's manic pace of living.

Patrick's previous credits include: How to Get Girls

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