Never Have i Ever
Never Have i Ever is the story of two teens struggling with mental illness that come together for a night of rebellion in an attempt to discover life’s beauty.
Is determined to show Asher just how much fun breaking the rules can be. She's fearless, intriguing, and has some secrets of her own.
Asher has spent his life too afraid to live now he’s determined to die. The only problem is he’s too scared to do it. He has one night to let lose and decide if giving up is really worth it.
Summary
Never Have i Ever is the story of Asher who reached his teen years and realized he’s been too afraid to live. He’s checked into a mental facility for attempted suicide and through a game of never have I ever he meets Camille. She’s fearless, unfazed, and takes a liking to Asher. Together they break out for a crazy night of lawlessness and teenage fun.
Cast
Asher
Emile Trudeau is an LA based actor, who is currently studying at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. He’s been the star of several short films and is on the rise.
“Emile was an absolute joy to work with on set. He really understood the character of Asher, and put a lot into building that. When we collaborated on set and he was given suggestions you could see the ideas take shape in his mind and then the next take would be a complete turn in the right direction. He was super consistent with his performances and was easy to edit. I hope I get another opportunity to work with him.” - Cimi Grace
Camille
Austin Goldsmith is an actor both on the screen and on the stage, she also loves working behind the scenes as a PA. Never Have I Ever was her first majoring staring role and she took to the responsibility beautifully.
“Austin was always a surprise on set, working with her was a true collaboration and she brought so much of herself and so much emotion and feeling to the character of Camille. She definitely made the character come to life. Every take of Austin’s brought something raw, powerful, and new to the character of Camille. I can honestly say that working together was an experience that both her and I grew positively from.” -Cimi Grace
Toddrick Hector Carlos (THC)
Jose Belizaire is starting out as an actor, Never Have I Ever was one of his first major roles.
“The character of THC was an Enigma in itself and Jose created a a memorable performance in a very short amount of time. It was really fun to get the opportunity to work with him, and he’s a really cool person both on and off the camera.” -Cimi Grace
Denise
Madeline Mcquillan is an actress and makeup artist local to the LA area.
“She brought so much to the table. Her audition in itself was by far the best overall audition that we saw. She had tried out for the role of Denise from the beginning and was perfect for it. I knew as soon as she entered the room the role was made for her. She was fully immersed in the character and the personality and professionalism she brought was staggering. I hope very much to work with her in the future. “ Cimi Grace
Jeffery
Tess Speranza is an LA local actress starring in numerous other short films.
“Tess is such a joy on and off set. She is easy going and eager to fit any need. She had originally tried out for Camille, and then Denise, and then ended up reading for the part of Jeffery and fit perfectly. I knew from the beginning I wanted her in the film no matter what the role. My only regret is that I didn’t get to work with her more. But with very little time and direction she brought the character Jeffery to life in a very palpable and believable way.” -Cimi Grace
Tessa
The role of Tess was Autumn’s first audition and role in a short film. She is an LA local actress with major potential.
“I loved working with Autumn, she had the really bad ass role of Tessa, who is supposed to be this tough girl that silently judges the group. Autumn really embodied the role in the audition room, and although in the final film her character didn’t get a lot of screen time, she really nailed the performance.” -Cimi Grace
Crew
Director, Writer, Co-Producer
Never Have i Ever is Cimi’s first major directing project. It serves as both her graduating thesis film and a passion project for the director. “Mental illness and suicidal tendencies among teens is all too prevalent in our society today. I wanted to make a fun spirited and edgy piece of cinema that also brings to light that this is something a lot of teens today are struggling with. My hope is that at least one person who see’s this film will take it to heart.”
Producer
Laura Leal was born in the beautiful Sun City of El Paso, Texas. As a millennial Mexican American Latina, Laura’s visual journey is to talk about the past, the present, and the future using film as a device to communicate, and showcase ideas and bring opportunities to her community using film as a means to bring everyone together. Her experience currently lies in film, TV series, and new media production, working with names such as Jason Patric, Elizabeth Keener, Parker Bates, and Omar Chaparro.
Jake Glaviano
Cinematographer, Colorist
Jake Glaviano is a Los Angeles based cinematographer. His passions revolve primarily around 35mm photography, experimental filmmaking, and music videos. Jake’s skill set reflects the multi-faceted nature of an ever-changing industry. Jake has been involved with the making of Never Have I Ever since day one and has been a crucial piece in the making of this film, helping to sculpt and bring every idea to life.
Assistant Director
Nick is an AD, director, and writer. He has made several of his own films, and works consistently as an AD and a grip. A close personal friend of the director and core team, he was involved heavily in the Pre-Production phase of the film and was a big support for the director.
Arianna Franklin
Camera Operator, Visual Consultant
Arianna Franklin is a cinematographer and camera operator whose skill set developed through narrative and experimental film. She is widely influenced by avant-garde, sci-fi, & unconventional means of filmmaking. She works very closely with both Cimi and Jake and was a massive influence on all aspects of Never Have I ever.
Editor
Lauren Babin is an aspiring film editor and a very successful social media presence with over a million followers on TikTok.
“Lauren got thrown onto the project kind of last minute and ended up being our saving grace. She edited the film at an incredibly fast pace exactly the way I imagined. She has a great natural instinct for when to cut and for emotional pacing.” - Cimi Grace
Production Designer, Wardrobe
Cat is a Production Designer and director. She makes her own films and works on countless other projects in the art department.
“Being a production designer myself my entire art department had to be people I trust to do things perfectly, this is a team I work with as much as possible and they did a phenomenal job. Cat is one of my best friends and such a talented Production designer, she had a lot of foresight for this film and did a lot of the money management and Pre-visualization of the aesthetics.” -Cimi Grace
Sound Mixer, Sound designer
Jeremy Kuzora is an LA based sound mixer, editor, and musician. He has supervised and looked out for the sound of Never Have I Ever through every stage of development.
“Jeremy basically saved this film. We had some major sound issues and He swooped in and remastered all the audio and made sure that it came out exactly the way it deserved and I couldn’t be more grateful.” -Cimi Grace
Production Designer, Wardrobe
Luiz is a Director and production designer. He is highly motivated and passionate about all things art related.
“Luiz is amazing and one of the few people I would trust to run my art department. He’s been my right hand man on many of the projects I’ve PD’d and I knew he would absolutely kill when it came to Never Have i Ever and I couldn’t be happier with the result. Luiz was so helpful to every aspect of the team and was an emotional support for every aspect of the film. He went above and beyond for this project and it’s his dedication that will always set him apart.” -Cimi Grace
Isaac Gonzalez
Musical Composer
Isaac is a composer and sound mixer local to the LA area.
“He made some fantastic songs for Never Have i Ever that I am really excited about. It was a super quick turn around and the music really ties the film together in a beautiful way” -Cimi Grace
Art Director, Wardrobe
Natalie is a Production designer, art department worker, and producer on countless projects.
“She is a powerhouse. I love working with her. She is fierce and dedicated. I asked for some pretty crazy specific things on this film. Like every prop and outfit had to be an exact color and Natalie and the rest of the team put in so much effort making sure things were exactly as I asked. Every day on set with her is always a party.” -Cimi Grace
Executive Producer
Karsten Augustson is a business marketer, entrepreneur and investor. The brother of Cimi, he believed in the message of the film and her vision and helped to make the project possible. He has a been a financial and emotional support since day one.
Executive Producer
John Joseph is an inventor, entrepreneur, craftsman, family man, and philanthropist. He owns and started the basketball company The Shoot-A-Way, and he recently founded Pathway Tables. He is an inspiration to director, Cimi Grace and constantly supportive in her endeavors. He funded a large portion of the film and believes strongly in the films message about the value of life.
Music
The song Apologies Sis was written by the phenomenal band Grapefruit Firehazard just for Never Have i Ever. It paces perfectly and gives the scene that extra something. We are really happy to share the full song with everyone here!
Isaac was inspired by the film to write the song Liar for the credits, and is the perfect element to tie together the end of the film.
“The world is a terrifying place, I don’t know where I belong in it. I feel like if I were to leave, no one would notice...”
