Flirting (With Possibilities)

  • Director

    Garrett Zuercher

  • Country, Year, Length

    United States, 2021, 18 minutes 46 seconds

  • Category

    Narrative Short

  • Format

    Digital RED

  • Festival Year

    2022

Film Screening & Ticket Information

When & Where to See this Film!

STREAM THIS FILM DURING OUR

VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 4!

In Person Date, Time & Location:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH •  9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Local • 13-02 44th Ave. • LIC, NY 11101

SCREENING BLOCK:

Flirting with Love: Two films that ask us to give it a try.

Synopsis

Harley, a Deaf man, is determined to figure out the most effective way to flirt with the cute hearing guy he sees in the coffee shop, which requires a bit of trial and error. As he stumbles through each attempt, “Flirting, with Possibilities” provides a glimpse of how it feels to communicate primarily via American Sign Language in a predominantly hearing, speaking, and English-using world.

Credits

Garrett Zuercher, Director
Garrett Zuercher, Writer
Dana Zolli, Producer
Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Producer
Garrett Zuercher, Producer
Garrett Zuercher, Key Cast, “Harley”Wonderstruck, TV’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Broadway’s BIG RIVER
Jason Tam, Key Cast, “Mike”Broadway’s A CHORUS LINE, LYSISTRATA JONES, IF/THEN, BE MORE CHILL, TV’s Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert
Jared Johnston, Key Cast, “Barista”Blackkklansman, Wonderstruck, TV’s The Blacklist & Gotham
Tom Berklund, Key Cast, “Tom”Broadway’s A CHORUS LINE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, & GARY, TV’s Modern Family
Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Key Cast, “Charlie”Broadway’s NEWSIES & TUCK EVERLASTING, TV’s Submissions Only, The Undoing, Looking

Director Statement

While there are already films about Deafness, they have mainly been spearheaded by hearing writers, producers, and directors with little to no firsthand experience with the people, the language, and the culture. As a result, Deaf actors have historically lent their incomparable talents to films made by those with little to no knowledge of what their lives and experiences are like. While it is important to support all opportunities for Deaf talent, it’s also more than time to start supporting original work created by Deaf artists themselves, elevating and amplifying these voices and stories that have been thus far marginalized and ignored.

Director Biography

Based in New York City, profoundly Deaf writer, director, and actor Garrett Zuercher works professionally in film, television, and on stage. After graduating magna cum laude from Marquette University in his hometown of Milwaukee where he majored in both theatre and creative writing, he quickly landed the lead role of Huckleberry Finn in the international Broadway tour of Deaf West’s Big River. Since then, he has guest starred on multiple television shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and was featured in such films as Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck. Honored with multiple writing awards from the Kennedy Center for two of his plays, Quid Pro Quo and Hard Places, he is dedicated to bringing authentic Deaf voices to the mainstream and continues to advocate for awareness and representation within the theatre and film industries. During the recent pandemic, he cofounded Deaf Broadway to provide native language access in American Sign Language to virtual theatre for the Deaf community via professional Deaf actors. Recently, he directed Deaf Broadway’s first live, in-person production, a fully-ASL staging of INTO THE WOODS at Lincoln Center. Currently, he is in the final year of his MFA studies in playwriting at Hunter College and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, and the Dramatists Guild. For more, please visit www.garrettzuercher.com.