Anne Leighton, known for her role as Rachel Wood on the NBC series Grimm, has collaborated with director Patia Prouty (Arrow, Banshee Origins) for the short proof-of-concept film, Swipe.
Written by Colin Francis Costello (Storage, The Stream), the short is a gripping thriller that elevates the fear of harassment to new levels in a digital dating age. In Swipe, a mohawked stalker, portrayed by Christopher Wolfe (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), relentlessly appears on Megan’s (Leighton) dating app, “Date or Hate.” Despite Megan swiping left and rejecting him, the stalker continues to reappear and, to her horror, seems to be getting closer to her actual location.
Costello and Prouty produced the film under his Ela Road Films banner. The cinematography is handled by David Navarro (Storage), with editing by Scott Turner (The Umbrella Academy). Ryan McLean (Storage, Broken Vessels) is responsible for the film’s score. Currently in post-production at Chicago-based Protokulture and Los Angeles-based TruLove Post, the team aims to expand Swipe into a feature film or limited series after securing a festival slot.
“We aimed to explore the challenges of dating in the digital age while also delving into the societal invisibility faced by women over 40,” noted Prouty. Swipe is a reflection on the harsh reality that, as youth fades, so does a woman’s perceived relevance, leading to a sense of erasure. In the realm of horror, we can spotlight intelligent, beautiful women with agency, portrayed by talented individuals, opening the door to potentially new audiences.”
REELated:
“I am instinctively drawn to stories that present psychological complexities and obstacles in the characters’ lives, and that was definitely the case with this script,” said Leighton. “What resonated was not just the story, but the why and how behind how the visionary tells the story. After a fantastic initial call with our director, I knew it was a creative experience that I wanted to be part of.”
“We aimed to explore the challenges of dating in the digital age while also delving into the societal invisibility faced by women over 40,” added Prouty. Swipe is a reflection on the harsh reality that, as youth fades, so does a woman’s perceived relevance, leading to a sense of erasure. In the realm of horror, we can spotlight intelligent, beautiful women with agency, portrayed by talented individuals, opening the door to potentially new audiences.”
She continued, “Working with such talented actors like Anne and Christopher brought the script to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”
Anne Leighton is represented by Citizen Skull, while Christopher Wolfe is represented by McDonald Selznick Associates.
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