Sexpert Franzen

(Short Film, 2017)

Director/Producer/Co-Screenwriter/Editor

Meet Fiona Franzen, a young aspiring math teacher who has lived her life according to an equation: school+job+ fiancé = success. When Fiona is thrust into teaching 6th Grade Sex Ed (thanks to Mr. Kraby's well-timed fishing trip), she begins to question her arithmetic. A short comedy about head versus heart.

Featuring

Maria Vorhis | Eric Forsythe | Ryan Henzi | Jake Coffman | Micheal Davenport | Kristy Hartsgrove Mooers | Jim Brockhohn | Etta Berkowitz | Harry the Cat | Noah Anderson | Mya Chup | Tyler Davenport | Alex Kurtt | Kauai Cua | Paige Hilgerson | Maya Knudsen | Sam Wolson | Hunter Khongmaly | Zoe Swanson

Crew

Produced by - Kaitlyn Busbee & Maria Vorhis | Co-Produced by - Kimberly Busbee, John Busbee, & David VanCleave | Associate Produced by - Brennan Ayres & Jean Breitenbucher | Casting Director - Kimberly Busbee | Production & Locations Manager - John Busbee | Co-Directors of Photography - John Hennessey Baker & Bruce James Bales | 1st AD - Jacob Holland | 2nd AD - Spencer Gilbert | Gaffer - Jason “Moppy” Reed | Audio - Kent Abbott & GT Fergerson | Costumes & Makeup - Kimberly Busbee | Concept Artist & Illustrator - Ben Mackey | Art Director - Taylor Yocom | Edited by - Kaitlyn Busbee | Music by - Steven Gutheinz | Animation by - Mark Heggen | Sound Mix & Design by - Brian Johnson & Red Noise 6 | Drone Operator - Ryan Buck | Color Correction by - Bruce James Bales & Kaitlyn Busbee | Script Supervisor - Gwyneth Forsythe | Costume Assistant - Heidi Bibler | Set Dresser - Veniesa Dillon | Casting Assistants -
Emily Kincaid, Sarah Peterson & Nicole Hargrove | Production Assistants &
Set Photography by - Erik Carlson & Emily McCurdy

Special Thanks

Nelda Mickle & The Robert William Mickle Center | Arsalan Monawar | Dianne & Roger Jones | Salisbury House | Grand View University | Megan Staker | Des Moines Girls Gang | Joe Brother | Red Noise 6 | Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre | Des Moines Onstage

Director’s Statement

“Sexpert Franzen” was inspired by a short story written by my creative collaborator, Maria Vorhis. In the original story, Fiona Franzen, a Type A math teacher has designed her life based on an equation: school+job+fiancé = success, but when she is thrust into teaching 6th Grade Sex Ed, she begins to question if it’s time for a new equation. I saw great heart and comic potential in Fiona’s character, and knew it would translate well to film.

As a female director, it is important to me to tell female-centric stories that deal with many of the questions young women are asking today. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are beneficiaries of the feminist movement, meaning that we are one of the first generations of women who are able to design our lives. We are able to ask ourselves questions our mothers and grandmothers were only beginning to ask themselves: How do I want to express myself? What kind of job do I want to have? While choice is an absolute gift, it can also be overwhelming in your twenties to feel like you have to determine your life’s purpose.

We took inspiration from Cinematographer Robert Yeoman, whose stunning and symmetrical visuals created an external order that Fiona Franzen so craved within her internal world. We were also heavily influenced by the Masterpiece Theater convention in which a distinguished figure narrates the action of the film, lending both authority to the telling, and underscoring the humor and absurdity of the situation.

We shot the film in six days in Des Moines, Iowa, with a budget of $5,000, working with a cast of over 50 kids and 26 crew. “Sexpert Franzen” celebrates our wildest ambitions and deepest flaws. It is our hope that audience members will recognize themselves and each other in our characters, and leave with a greater sense of connection.

Film Festivals

SNAFF (Snake Alley Festival of Film) - Winner of Best Iowa Film
Wild Rose Independent Film Festival - Winner of Best Short
Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival
30 Under 30 Film Festival
Twin Cities Film Fest
Moscow Shorts