Clifton Park
Synopsis
Mari loves The Ambassadors. The aspiring actress, and college undergrad, has seen every single one of their experimental theater productions in NYC, and now she has been chosen to travel to upstate New York with the famed theater troupe to work on their new play about a real-life sex cult.
When the group announces that they will be building this new show by staying in character all weekend, Mari salivates at the opportunity to show off her commitment to her craft. But when the line between reality and fiction becomes blurred in a deadly way, Mari must choose between giving over to the dangerously unconventional methods of The Ambassadors or escaping with her own life.
CLIFTON PARK is a short psychological horror that highlights the parallels between coercive communities and auteur directors while exploring the lengths that one will go to for their art.
When the group announces that they will be building this new show by staying in character all weekend, Mari salivates at the opportunity to show off her commitment to her craft. But when the line between reality and fiction becomes blurred in a deadly way, Mari must choose between giving over to the dangerously unconventional methods of The Ambassadors or escaping with her own life.
CLIFTON PARK is a short psychological horror that highlights the parallels between coercive communities and auteur directors while exploring the lengths that one will go to for their art.
Meet the Filmmaker
Meet the Filmmaker
Contact Info
Maren
Lavelle
Director
MAREN LAVELLE is a director, producer, and writer that works on character-driven material, especially with a focus on women and queer-centric stories. The "Actor's Director", Maren's background in acting provides her with the skills to encourage nuanced and complex performances....Read more
MAREN LAVELLE is a director, producer, and writer that works on character-driven material, especially with a focus on women and queer-centric stories. The "Actor's Director", Maren's background in acting provides her with the skills to encourage nuanced and complex performances.
In 2022, Maren was selected as one of Shoot Online 2022 New Directors of the Year, having her work screened at the DGA Theatre in NYC. Through One-Eyed Rabbit, she has directed the award-winning films WENDY (Best Short / New York City Indie Theatre Film Festival), KEEPER (Best Drama Film / Blackbird Film Festival), and MAYA (Best Writer of a Short / Chain Film Festival). Maren directed and co-wrote One-Eyed Rabbit’s upcoming psychological horror film, CLIFTON PARK, an intersection of theatre and cults, slated for a late 2025 premiere. She also directed COMING OUT POLYAMOROUS FOR THANKSGIVING which is slated for a November 2025 release, and produced the feature film THE CONSPIRACISTS, currently in post-production.
Maren graduated from Pace University with a B.F.A in Acting. She transitioned from acting to playwriting with her plays premiering in various Off-Broadway venues in NYC: Composition of a Woman (Westside Theatre, 440 Layfayette Studios), The Holding Room (The Sheen Center). Maren was an original member of the Jose Rivera Writers Group. Website: marenlavelle.com Read less
"This is not a safe space, it's a brave space." - Sam from Clifton Park
