Vial is an Official Selection of the 2024 Austin Film Festival. It is a live-action short film written by Alexandre Jerard Davis, Robert Capron, David Holmes and directed by Alexandre Jerard Davis. It is about a man who is on parole, who has a young son. The man needs to take and pass a scheduled urine test with a parole officer. The story gives a glimpse into the underworld of addiction and it is heartbreaking. I swear, I felt on the verge of saying “NO!” out loud during several of the scenes when I was watching it. The filmmakers really make you empathize with the protagonist and want things to work out in the end for him. The actors are all phenomenal, the directing, the script, everything about this film is really terrific. The film stood out to me because it’s bold, emotional, and just really, really well done. I’d say it’s definitely worth watching. Vial expertly portrays the consequences of addiction with nuance and compassion.
Madelyn, Filmmaker Mixer Correspondent