JuVee Productions is the 5-year-old company Viola Davis formed with her husband, Julius Tennon, in 2012, under which feature films like “Lila & Eve” (the 2015 revenge thriller starring Davis and Jennifer Lopez) were produced.
JuVee is also in the short film business – an idea that I think could very well serve as a sort of testing pad for potential feature-length movies and TV series, should they get enough of the right kind of attention as short films first. At least, that’s my theory. I’m not privy to JuVee’s production plans. It just makes sense. It could also serve as a launching pad for up-and-coming filmmakers, which is a good thing.
In 2015, JuVee produced its first short film, titled “The Brink” – a live-action film directed by Ben Jendras from a script by Kaylon Hunt, who also stars, along with Marcus Choi and Diarra Kilpatrick.
The speculative drama followed 2 stranded survivors in an endless wasteland, as they clash, while unraveling the truth of what lead them to the brink.
It was eventually released online, for free, after some film festival play.
We learned today that JuVee Productions has produced another short film – this one is set to premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Shorts program. The festival kicks off today, January 19.
Titled “Night Shift,” the film is directed by Marshall Tyler, making his transition from the documentary to narrative filmmaking with a short that stars Tunde Adebimpe (of the band TV on the Radio, who has done quite a bit of acting as well).
An official synopsis for “Night Shift” reads: Olly Jeffries (Adebimpe) is an on-again off-again actor whose stagnant career leads him to a long-term gig as a bathroom attendant in an LA nightclub called The Fix. At first, it was quick, easy, tax-free money to hold him over between jobs. But it didn’t take long for him to realize that the strange solitude of the job agreed with him. Olly has always found joy in being invisible, it’s something he calls the art of disappearing and besides this, working in close quarters with random strangers gives him the perfect opportunity to study human behavior in its purest, unadulterated form… bathroom habits. Even as the attendant part of him eclipsed the actor part of him, he never stopped telling himself that this is something he can use to create believable performances if ever cast in something again. But on this particular night, a series of random and sometimes degrading encounters become too much to bear and Olly is forced to overcome the disrespect of his customers and confront the specter of his failed marriage and his soon-to-be ex-wife Tracey (China Shavers – “Mulignans”) in a bid for another shot at the visible side of life.
“Marshall has such a unique voice, and with JuVee, we’re always looking for ways to support the next wave of up-and-coming artists and filmmakers like him,” said Viola Davis.
“Night Shift” is a New Bumper and Paint Production, in association with JuVee Productions & Flourishing Films. Executive Producers are Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, John Evangelista and Bryan H Carroll.
The film features original music from Michael Uzowuru who has produced work for Frank Ocean, Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, and Vic Mensa, among others.
Check out a trailer for “Night Shift” below:
