Short Film

Jenny

Ava Dell’Orfano

Durham, CT

Advisor: Justin Liberman

Artist Bio

Ava Dell’Orfano grew up in Connecticut and attends the University of Connecticut as a film production student. In high school, Ava found her footing as a creator in the horror genre, and her time in film school has given her the opportunity to explore her passion for the genre as a filmmaker. Ava has written and directed several horror shorts, her experiences culminating in the creation of Vivisect in her junior year – a film about two girls and a study session turned deadly. She has explored her passion for directing both on and off screen, with several theatrical directing credits to her name. She has found a particular interest in the relationship between women and horror and hopes to pursue a future as a producer and director, ultimately platforming creators and stories that align with this passion.

Artist Statement

Jenny aligns with themes I have explored in much of my previous work. As a filmmaker, I am particularly passionate about the relationship between women and the horror genre. Despite the tumultuous history of women’s representation in horror films, I believe horror to be a particularly strong medium for telling stories that feature women, especially because of the very specific and real fears that come with living life as a woman.

Jenny is designed to utilize the horror genre’s ability to prey on very real fears as a vessel for a story about objectification, victim blaming, and violence against women. It leverages power dynamics and false appearances to guide the protagonist, and the audience, to challenge their own misconceptions about Jenny and her killer. This piece also sets out to criticize behaviors that can lead women to be a part of the problem. Ella is forced to confront the harsh reality of the situation and, in turn, bonds to Jenny for the rest of her life.