In LAST NIGHT, a same-sex couple faces its end when one of the women would rather sacrifice her long-term relationship than watch the love of her life die from recurring cancer.

Writer/director Marina Viscun's birthday is coming up in early November. Give her a birthday present of completing this fundraising campaign! Thank you!

FILM

What does it mean to be selfish? And selfless? Are they mutually exclusive? Are relationships one or the other, or a combination of both? What if we throw cancer or death into the equation? “Last Night” originated as a project exploring a relationship of two loving individuals, Jackie and Sam, who are hit with the devastating news of Jackie coming out of remission, and how each of them copes with that. I wanted to discover how and why a person would choose to leave the relationship, and make it compelling as an explanation.

Both of the characters in “Last Night” are selfish. Jackie expects Sam will stay with her throughout her second bout with cancer to unconditionally support her and her needs. Sam, on the other hand, is afraid of the toll her lover's disease will take on her and wants to escape the situation. But they are also not heartless. Jackie doesn't tell Sam about the cancer's return in order to shield her from another painful experience. Sam, on the other hand, feels she cannot be the rock Jackie needs, because she can no longer provide the support her partner requires physically and emotionally.

During their last night together, we learn how their relationship came together, discover their intimate thoughts and fears, and watch their final fight where they proclaim their love and their pain. We are left to question whether they are right or wrong, selfish or selfless, and weak or strong. We learn that being in a relationship is messy, but leaving one is even more complicated.

There is a Jackie and Sam in all of us. All of us, at a time, want freedom to pursue our future and also feel responsible for our past choices. All of us experience fear, love, hate, despair; often at the same time. No one can make the decisions for the other, and seldom do those decisions not hurt someone.

CAST

CATHY DIANE TOMLIN (“Sam” in LAST NIGHT), a Los Angeleno by birth but a New Yorker at heart, has performed on stage, screen, television and radio for many years in both Los Angeles and New York. She began her professional acting career in NYC after trying her hand at Mechanical Engineering (yep, she's a geek!). She then settled into acting, working on various soap operas and sitcoms.  Cathy's film credits include: “Michael Clayton” (opposite George Clooney), “Red Wing” (opposite Frances Fisher, executive produced by Edward Pressman and Terrence Malick), “Sisters in Crime” directed by Jon Murlowski, and “Anabolic Life”; TV/New Media credits include: recurring roles on ABC's “Grey's Anatomy”, “All My Children”, and CBS's “As The World Turns”; roles on the CW's “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, TruTV's “Adam Ruins Everything” and YouTube's “Quinta vs Everything”; Los Angeles Theater credits include: the title role of Lizzy at Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle at Theatre West, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire at The Group Rep, and Patterns at Theatre 40. She is a member of several theater companies: The Vagrancy, The Group Rep and Theatre 40, and a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

JOSEPHINE LEILY ("Jackie" in LAST NIGHT) is a Filipino-American actress and content creator based in Los Angeles, with a theater, film, and new media background. She's the lead in the films "In This House" and "Pep Talk", as well the web series “Get Used To It” (which she co-created and co-produced) that has already accumulated over fifty thousand views on Facebook alone. She is one of the principals in the Prego commercial “Boyfriend Meets the Family”, is in development on her next series and short film, and is also a professional photographer specializing in portraiture, documentary, and editorial and placed 3rd in the Month of Photography LA Analogue Portrait Project in 2014. Josephine has studied with American Conservatory Theater and Dustin Felder Acting Studio. She is a proud aunt to two adorable nieces who challenge her Improv skills.

WRITER/DIRECTOR

MARINA VISCUN is an award-winning Moldovan-American filmmaker. As a producer, she has been honored with two Telly Awards (“Big Voice” documentary, 2018; “Journey to Safety” PSA, 2012), multiple Best Documentary awards (“Big Voice”), and Grand Jury and Audience Awards (“Ode to Los Angeles”). Her notable screenwriting credits are her feature “Seeds” (semi-finalist, Athena List 2018; shortlist, Sundance Screenwriting Lab 2016) and pilot “Dress Blues” (quarter-finalist of Final Draft's Big Break 2017). Marina also writes sci-fi, period, and romantic comedies, and enjoys writing short films that she also directs. Marina's directorial debut was the experimental music video “Nuke City” (2014), followed by the military short “scratch on metal” (2016). She is currently in pre-production on her LGBTQ+ short “Last Night” and sexual violence short “Reverse”. Marina Viscun is the President of Pingvin Productions, Founder of the entertainment industry women collective #WeAreWITI, and former Head of Production at Pulse Films US and Producer at Caviar LA. She was nominated by the LABJ's Women's Summit Awards (2013-2018) for her contributions to the LA area's women empowerment. Marina is the member of the PGA, AWD, and VME, and is a US Navy veteran.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

KIMBY CAPLAN is a Student Academy Award-winning director for her documentary "Listen” (2005, also Juror's First Place, Black Maria Film Festival; Silver Remi Award, Houston Worldfest), whose work has screened nationally and internationally and aired on PBS, ABC, and NBC affiliates. Kimby has lensed documentaries “Red Star: River to Freedom” (2019), “How Jack Became Black” (2018), “Cubamerican” (2015, PBS, Miami Film Festival), and “Wanda the Wonderful” (2014); features “Reset” (2015) and “About Scout” (2015, 2nd Unit); shorts “Shelby's Vacation” (2017), “Play Date” (2015, multiple Best Shorts, Moondance International Film Festival, Boston International Kids Film Festival, International Family Film Festival), “Transients” (2011), “My Demon” (2009, Best Horror Short, Cape Fear Film Festival), “Song Of David” (2008, Cannes' Short Corner); music video “Highway To Yodel-Ay-Hee-Huuu” (2014, Best Music Video, LA Femme Film Festival); and live event “The Coexist Comedy Tour” (2012), among others.

Caplan shoots digital and on film, is an MFA Cinematography graduate of the American Film Institute, and resides in Pasadena, CA.

SUPPORT

With your support, we are raising $2,000 to cover the minimal equipment expenses necessary for the production of the 2-day shoot: camera and lenses $700, grip and lighting $500, catering $400, craft services and set dressing $400. Our amazing crew and cast are donating their time to reduce the cost of production.

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP
Follow LAST NIGHT on social media: Facebook, Pingvin Productions website, Twitter and Instagram.

We are happy to answer your questions. Feel free to reach out at

[email protected].

Thank you,

Marina Viscun