John Trefry's Reel

This dramatic short film stars Chris Fornataro (Bad is Bad) and Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther) in a brooding character portrait of an elite high school football star consumed by ambition. When Will faces defeat to an outsider in a series of races, the demons keeping “The Machine” running finally surface. Set in the unique backdrop of wintertime Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, the title character embodies the city’s conflicted, tumultuous history. The film made a splash upon wide release and garnered over 1M views in just a month.

This film was the directorial debut of Janina Gavankar (The Morning Show) alongside co-writer and co-director Russo Schelling and won at SXSW. Starting with an exclusive release with The Hollywood Reporter, Stucco went on to become one of the most-viewed SXSW short films ever with over 130M views to date.

This ambitious short film stars Tatiana Maslany (Emmy-winning lead of Orphan Black) and Tom Cullen (Knightfall) as members of a mysterious cult preparing for the solar eclipse. Directed by Award-winning filmmaker Richard Raymond (Desert Dancer) and written by Kate Trefry (Stranger Things) & Ben Bolea (The Miserable Adventures Of Burt Squire) and shot by Oscar-nominee Jarin Blaschke (The Witch, The Lighthouse), the film features a stunning 5-minute scene captured during the actual solar...

This dark and wickedly fun short film stars Maika Monroe (The Guest, It Follows) as a woman who’s deepest fears seem to manifest physically when her husband, played by Joe Keery (Stranger Things), leaves for the night shift. How To Be Alone is the first film from writer/director Kate Trefry who writes on Stranger Things.

5150 is a story ripped from the headlines, about the power of modern celebrity in our culture and the complexities of race in America. Jovan Adepo (Fences, Watchmen) stars as Celeb— a world-famous entertainer who is confined to an institution after a mental breakdown. Co-written by Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther) and John Trefry, and executive produced by David Oyelowo (Selma), 5150 is a story that taps into the mainline of the American psyche.