I had the opportunity to speak with Brittani Ward about her feature debut “Single Car Crashes.” The film is produced by Chicago indie powerhouse Angie Gaffney. The film stars Trevor Morgan, Lindsey Morgan, Paulina Olszynski, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Chris Lee, Billy Dec, Charín Alvarez, and Billy Zane. Just like the women behind the camera stood out to me, I really was drawn to the female characters onscreen. The film is kind of like a gender flip on some of the male directed films we see with an “unstable” woman at the center. It was refreshing to see this flip. We talked about these things, and the amazing Chicago indie filmmaking community that made this film. A lot of heart!
Get your tickets to see this film at the Siskel Film Center (7/12 – 7/16) here: https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/single-car-crashes
Synopsis: Ten years after a devastating car crash took his best friend Zach’s life, Sean, a one-time promising baseball recruit with a bright future, still lives in the same small town where he and his friends grew up, working the same dead-end job he did in high school and struggling with his survivor’s guilt. When Zach’s sister—and Sean’s first love—Kendall returns to town to marry someone else, Sean is forced to confront his failure to launch and the impact it’s having not only on his own stunted life but on his now nine-year-old son, Zachary, as well. As the two reunite over their shared loss and flirt down memory lane, it becomes clear that while he may not be alone in his grief over Zach’s death, he is at risk of being left behind by his close circle of friends. An authentic portrait of enduring grief and friendship with a warm Midwestern charm, Single Car Crashes explores what’s possible when one learns to look towards the road ahead rather than focus on the rearview mirror.
Brittani Ward, DIRECTOR / WRITER / PRODUCER
For the past thirteen years, Brittani Ward has built an impressive career, working on projects of every size. Extensive casting associate work under Emmy-award winners (Barbara Fiorentino, Amber Horn, Danielle Aufiero, Laray Mayfield, and Julie Schubert) includes one season of every Marvel/Netflix series, 50 Shades of Gray Darker and Freed, Death Note, two Jason Statham-led features, and prestigious television pilots and series.
As an independent casting director, Brittani found her niche in high-level casting strategy relative to film financing, which has segued into producing. In 2022, she partnered up with Angie Gaffney to produce feature films Single Car Crashes (which she also wrote and directed), Adult Children (starring Aya Cash, Tommy Sadoski, and Betsy Brandt), and Desire Lines (a documentary/narrative-hybrid feature), and a variety of proof-of-concept web series and shorts.
Today, Brittani lives with her husband (Ryan) and their daughter (Isla) in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago. DePaul University recently profiled her in the spring ‘22 edition of their alumni magazine. Brittani is a fierce proponent of diversity & inclusion, and prides herself on being intuitive, discerning, constructive, and accessible.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
In 2003, I woke up to the news that my two best friends were in a one-car accident. Nothing nefarious; no drinking, no drugs. They were inexperienced drivers who simply crashed into an empty field. The boy in the passenger seat died on impact as both teenage bodies ejected through the windshield. The driver was miraculously discovered by an off-duty paramedic mere minutes before the headlights on the car went out and would have left them hidden in the dark.
It’s been 20 years since that accident. Longer than my friend was alive and much longer than the few years I knew him. Still, when I remember our idyllic last interaction, see a photograph that captures his trademark smirk, or realize I’ve forgotten his birthday on a given year…my heart still swells in my throat, nostalgic for this boy I’ll always cherish.
His was not the first and would not be the last car accident that claimed the lives of my young peers. Through these lived experiences in rural suburbia, I came to appreciate that grief is the cost of joyous love and interpersonal connection, and this understanding is core to Single Car Crashes.
The tone is meant to evoke the feeling of missing someone deeply and endlessly. For our lead, Sean, this includes unrealized versions of himself and other lost loves – mainly Kendall – who are still alive. And while the central journey is Sean’s, his late friend Zach’s presence remains palpable and hangs in the balance of these friendships. The ensemble’s knowledge of his magnetic joy and almost-accomplishments hangs in the air of this small Midwestern town, reminding Sean – and us – what is at stake when human potential is lost or wasted.
The women in this male-led story are complex, driven, and flawed. They do a lot of emotional labor – arguably, too much, like most women in real life – to support Sean through his languishing. The trio of leading ladies function as a chorus – not relegated to the background, like a Greek chorus, but rather as an up-close-and-personal cacophony representing Sean’s past (Kendall), present (Jane), and future (Ashley).
When Kendall returns home, she spends a lot of time with Sean – always reverent of their persevering connection. Does this offer him the opportunity to pick his life back up where they last left off? Would doing so erase the mediocrity of his past decade? To find out, Sean pays more attention to her and to their shared past than to what is right in front of him: his son, his son’s mother, his girlfriend. As a result, he collides with shame and embarrassment during the climatic sequence – a reminder that without regard for the people driving alongside us, we are bound to crash.
-Brittani Ward, Writer/Director/Producer
Angie Gaffney, PRODUCER
Angie Gaffney is a film producer and entrepreneur in Chicago. She is fiercely dedicated to the art and business of independent storytelling, and has extensive experience in creative development, financing, and physical production. Her projects have screened at Sundance, SXSW, SeriesFest, Nashville, SCAD Savannah Film Fest, and more. Upcoming films include Desire Lines by director Jules Rosskam (Sundance ‘24), Single Car Crashes, and Adult Children from writer Annika Marks. Angie is recognized as one of the top Chicago film industry leaders as part of the Newcity Film Hall of Fame.
Previously, Angie co-founded IFA Chicago, was a catalyst in forming the Chicago Media Standards, and served as the Executive Producer at the renowned satirical newspaper, The Onion. Angie has held adjunct faculty positions at Second City Film School, DePaul University, and Columbia College, and is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). Angie currently lives in Oak Park, Illinois, with husband Ira, son Simon, and a plethora of animals.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
The first draft of Single Car Crashes came to me in 2016 – emotive and sexual and funny and alive and refreshingly sad. I still remember reading the early draft in my third-floor Chicago apartment, and thinking there’s something here. Five years later, the story had evolved – Brittani had refined the plot, poured more of herself into the characters, and reached another level of emotional resonance. By then, both her and I had married and started families, and we had a newfound understanding of all that’s possible when you love deeply.
It was in December of 2021 that we fully committed to moving the project forward – the world was just beginning to open up again since the start of the pandemic. We were all feeling a little stagnated, surrounded by grief, and socially isolated; not dissimilar to Sean’s own emotional journey in this film. Given the homegrown nature of the project – inspired by Brittani’s upbringing in the Illinois suburbs and my personal love of Chicago – we felt it critical to bring on partners that shared some affinity with these midwestern roots. Enter: Chicago Media Angels, our Executive Producers, whom we remain ever grateful to for breathing life into this story.
Production began on a brisk fall day in September of 2022. We shot 20 days in Highwood, Illinois, about 30 miles north of Chicago city center. Everyone in the town opened their arms to us and worked with us on locations, food, safety, cars, permits, background actors, and more. As is the case on smaller-budgeted independent projects, production was not without its challenges, but our cast and crew remained dedicated, generous, and professional. Our renowned Director of Photography and long time friend, Chris Rejano, worked seamlessly with the team to bring Sean’s world to life.
Personally, it was my first film production as a mother. I was eight weeks postpartum with my son when production began. Filming was an entirely different experience for me: there were baby carriers and nannies and breast pumps, and everything felt more poignant. I remember watching actors Charín Alvarez (Mrs. Johnson) and Trevor Morgan (Sean) in the pivotal scene on Sean’s front porch, and thinking, this – this is what it means to love.
That feeling of love was expertly cultivated by editor Ana Christian and post producer Ryan Stemple, who generously welcomed us into their home office for weeks on end, crafting Single Car Crashes through the final ‘writing’ phase and into the film you see today. The teams at NoiseFloor and Groove Garden masterfully brought the soundscape and music to life.
Single Car Crashes showcases Brittani’s uncanny ability to capture the humanity, comedy, and stagnation of grief, and it is a powerful directorial debut. I am honored and proud to have produced this alongside her.
Making any film takes a village: making an independent one takes a village with a particular sense of resilience and passion. I am most grateful for every film worker and audience member who has held witness to this story, and for those who will in the future.
-Angie Gaffney, Producer
