Overwhelmed by visiting in-laws, a guy seeks help from his wife’s long-lost brother who’s own problems are ‘taking root’.

Inspired by Ovid’s tale of Baucis and Philemon, “Family Tree” follows a guy on Thanksgiving facing bickering in-laws that all seem to need their conflicts more than they need each other. All except one long, lost brother who has finally come home but - with a problem - he sprouts leaves when he gets wet.

Aspen Shortsfest 2003
Won Audience Award

Dragon*Con Short Film Festival 2003
Won Best Short & Best of Magical Realism

Empire Film Festival 2003
Won Audience Award Best Short

Malibu Film Festival 2003
Won Best of the Fest Live Action Short Film

Nantucket Film Festival 2003
Won Special Teen Jury Prize For Awesomeness

SXSW Film Festival 2003
Won Special Jury Award Narrative Short

Wine Country Film Festival 2003
Won Short Film Competition Prize
Best Short Film - Novela Form Film - U.S. (over 20 mins.)

Dead CENTER Film Festival 2003
Won Grand Jury Award

CAST:
Harland Williams, Talia Shire, Ethan Phillips, Ford Austin, David Jeffrey Clark, Jackie Katzman, Gretchen German, Alix Koromzay

Vicky Jenson – Director

Shrek co-director Vicky Jenson's career spans art direction and story, live action, and animation. While storyboarding such for directors as Wayne Wang and John Hughes, she developed visual styles for, among others, Ralph Bakshi and John Kricfalusi on the groundbreaking animated series Mighty Mouse and Ren & Stimpy. Vicky landed her first major role in live action as production designer on the low budget horror film Playroom, shot in Yugoslavia. After returning to animation to art direct on the feature Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, Vicky joined Universal Cartoons, working as a director, art director and producer.
Vicky joined DreamWorks in 1996, where she served as a production designer on The Road to El Dorado, story artist on Chicken Run and eventually co-director on Shrek.
Vicky is currently directing the upcoming DreamWorks comedy Sharkslayer, starring Will Smith, Reneé Zellweger, Martin Scorsese, and Robert DeNiro. Family Tree marks Vicky’s live action directorial debut

Scott Ingalls - Writer

Scott Ingalls began directing commercials in 1992, working both in LA and Munich, his clientele included corporate giants such as Nabisco, Pepsi, Subaru, Mazda, and countless non-giants like the Oregon State Lottery. Scott received an AAS in film from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a BFA in animation from California Institute of the Arts, where he has taught as visiting faculty. Scott also spent a brief time as an on-set, physical- effects technician, which led to his resourceful and cross-disciplinary approach to making commercials. Although writing is an integral part to directing, the script for Family Tree is Scott’s first real experience as a ‘writer’, so now he understands what all the WGA’s complaining is about.

Lisa Beroud - Producer

Lisa Beroud was hired straight out of business school in 1986 by Stiefel & Company, a newly opened commercial production house in New York. Since that time she has gone on to produce TV commercial productions all over the world, allowing her to work around the clock and enjoy hotel rooms in such exotic locations as Zimbabwe, Italy, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the USA. Since relocating to Los Angeles, Lisa has produced numerous commercials for companies such as Tony K, Radical Media, Nydrle, Klasky Csupo, Bedford Falls, and Rhythm & Hues. She was the executive producer of Strato Films (owned by Paula Walker and Rolf Kestermann) and, most recently, has been a post producer at A52. Lisa’s love of literature, and her interest in developing story, was the impetus for her involvement in Family Tree. It was a process she found more rewarding than one could put into monetary terms… although you can’t pay the bills with passion, baby!

Pieter Vermeer – Director of Photography

Pieter Vermeer was born in 1964 in the Netherlands and studied photography and film at the prestigious "School of Fine Arts" in Breda, Holland. In the late eighties, Mr. Vermeer worked as a lighting director (in the European style) on a variety of feature films with such directors as Theo van Gogh and Peter Greenaway.
After moving to London, Mr. Vermeer continued his work as a director of photography in feature films, commercials and music videos. Mr. Vermeer has shot worldwide from the European Continent to South America, Africa and Australia.
In 1997 Mr. Vermeer moved to the United States, where he maintains residences in both New York and Los Angeles and enjoys a thriving commercial career. Family Tree is his first theatrical release here in the United States.

Harland Williams – “Jake”

Actor, author and comedian Harland Williams, who made his film debut in fellow Canadian Jim Carrey’s hit Dumb and Dumber, first gained attention as an obsessed hitchhiker opposite Ben Stiller in There’s Something About Mary. He recently starred in Buena Vista’s Sorority Boys following appearances in 20th Century Fox’s Freddie Got Fingered starring Tom Green, Warner Bros.’ The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis, and the New Line Cinema comedy Dog Park opposite Janeane Garafalo. Williams, who starred in Rocket Man for Caravan Pictures/Walt Disney Pictures, other film credits include leading roles in Paramount Pictures’ Superstar with Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell, Half Baked with colleague Dave Chappelle, and Fox’s Down Periscope with Kelsey Grammer.
No stranger to television, Williams starred opposite Geena Davis in ABC’s “The Geena Davis Show”, lent his voice to the UPN animated series, “Gary and Mike”, as Mike and starred in the Tri-Star series “Simon” for the WB network.
Throughout Williams continues to showcase his true love: stand-up comedy. He tours extensively, regularly appears on “Late Night with David Letterman”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, is a regular guest at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and hosts Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”. Williams has authored and illustrated a series of children’s books featuring a huggable brontosaurus by the name of Lickety Split.