Sweetie

  • Director

    Taylor Olson

  • Country, Year, Length

    Canada, 2025, 2:39

  • Category

    Narrative Short

  • Format

    Alexa 35

  • Festival Year

    2025

Synopsis

A young girl needs her father’s help – there’s a monster in her room.

Film Screening & Ticket Information

When & Where to See this Film!

…COMING SOON…

Film Information

From the Director

Director Statement

With Sweetie, I wanted to create a world where unease simmers beneath every frame. The story begins in a space that feels grounded – quiet, almost tender – but I was interested in how far I could stretch that stillness before it ruptures. We follow a young girl who seems almost entranced, but we’re not told why. That mystery became the engine. I leaned into a visual language inspired by formalists like David Fincher and Ari Aster – dark, moody compositions, measured camera movements, and a pace that invites discomfort. The goal was to build tension through precision, to let dread creep in from the edges while we stay locked on this girl’s quiet, searching gaze.

What fascinates me is how quickly perception can shift. At first, it feels like we’re watching a lost child – fragile, maybe in need of saving. But as the film unfolds, something else starts to take shape. I wanted to weaponize ambiguity: is this a child’s fear, or is it ours? Sweetie is a short film that reveals its teeth only when you’re already leaning in. It’s snappy in runtime but carefully constructed, leaving space for the audience to fill with their own dread, their own projections. It’s a slow burn with a sharp edge.

Director Biography

Taylor Olson (he/they) is a queer former athlete-turned filmmaker living with invisible disabilities. The Canadian Screen Award nominee’s feature film directorial debut Bone Cage was released to critical acclaim; sweeping the awards at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and earning over 30 additional accolades at festivals around the globe. Bone Cage appeared in competition at Camerimage, competed in the Forward Future section of the Beijing International Film Festival, and toured numerous US festivals before being nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for Adapted Screenplay & Supporting Actress. Olson premiered his sophomore feature film Look At Me at the Slamdance Film Festival 2024. He won Best Performance at the Canadian Film Fest and was nominated for Performer in a Leading Role, Comedy at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards. He shot his third feature film What We Dreamed of Then in the spring of 2024 alongside Crave and Vortex Media. For television, Olson has directed six episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes on CBC, three seasons of the documentary series Disrupt for AMI, a 6 x half hour season of television for Swearnet (in post), and released his first two short-form comedy series King & Pawn and 2GETHER 4EVER for Bell Fibe TV1.

Credits

    • Taylor Olson
      Director
      Bone Cage, Look At Me, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
    • Jon Mann
      Writer
      Popsy
    • Taylor Olson
      Producer
      Look At Me, Bone Cage
    • Bob Mann
      Key Cast
      “Dad”
      From, Pure, Diggstown
    • Polly Gallant-MacLean
      Key Cast
      “Girl”
      Monica’s News