A crowd of friends and filmgoers gathered at the Plaza Theatre March 6 for the first press screenings of “9 Lives” a short film directed by, written by and starring Atlanta-based actor Millie Rose Evans.
The 17-minute short follows Clara after she gets fired from a waitressing job and spirals into depression until she meets June, played by Ren Muccino. The duo embark on an adventure to bury June’s dead cat Clara in a “dark queer comedy.”
“It’s really a story about grief and how we navigate through our shared experiences,” Evans said.
It’s actor Evan’s first foray into writing and directing a short — she has previously worked in independent films, commercials and as a stand-in on major productions like “Stranger Things.” She was inspired after getting fired from a waitressing job. In her own depression, Evans pulled some autobiographical elements to create the film script.
“9 Lives” is also the first filmmaking foray for PFLAG Atlanta, a chapter of the nationwide organization dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their family and friends. Across the United States PFLAG has over 200,000 members and 500 chapters.
The Atlanta chapter donated $2,000 to the independent production, funding a chunk of the $10,000 necessary to complete the film. In turn, all the proceeds from the two press screenings at the Plaza went to PFLAG.
Evans said she connected with PFLAG Atlanta through her mother, who is friends with board member Diana Burdette. While the organization had not funded a film before, it has an annual community support budget for various projects.
“I thought it was an opportunity for 2023 community support, and it just worked out so well,” Burdette said.
PFLAG Atlanta primarily runs support groups and peer counseling sessions, but Burdette said the focus on stories is the same. Evans showed some promotional photos and explained the film concept, which got the organization on board.
“Our theme is telling your story, and this was a community support and storytelling opportunity,” Burdette said. “And the arts, that’s a perfect opportunity that we haven’t done this way before.”
Telling a story about two queer women where being gay didn’t “supersede” the rest of the film, was vital for Evans’ approach.
“I think my inspiration was ‘What does my inner child want to see?’ And I went from there,” Evans said.
With the help of a dedicated cast and crew, Evans brought her inner child’s fantasy to life. The performer knew she would star as Clara but was quick to bring on longtime friend Ren Muccino as June.
“Ren was always going to be June – I did casting for every other character except June because I’ve been friends with Ren for a long time,” Evans said. “I just literally thought, this is so close to who [Muccino] is in real life.”
Muccino said playing a character similar to her personality was a challenge, but one she happily took on. As a queer actor, Muccino said she rarely gets cast in roles that reflect her life experience.
“It was nice to have been playing an obviously gay femme,” Muccino said. “I would like to continue down that path and, like, go into the queer filmmaking world.”
After renting out a theater at the Plaza, the people behind “9 Lives” said it was a “dream” to have people come out and support the short on the silver screen.
“I think having a screening was really surreal as an artist because I’ve seen myself on screen before, but to see yourself in a role that does feel really close to you is more vulnerable,” Evans said.
The writer, director and star said the next step for “9 Lives” is the film festival circuit — or maybe a television series.
“If people are interested in the world of 9 Lives, there’s more,” Evans said.
