Kerry L. M. Russell Takes on a Taboo

Our Alumni Curated Short Film of the Month for September is FIXXXED (2018) written, directed, and produced by Kerry L. M. Russell

In FIXXXED, after losing her virginity to a gigolo, a “middle-aged” woman seeks a deeper meaning from her brief encounter. FIXXXED began as a 10-minute play, created by Russell for the master’s program in creative writing at the City University London. The short film adaptation of the play screened at the 2019 Indie Memphis Film Festival. Kerry’s experience workshopping the piece at CUL helped her convert it into an independent, small-budget film. The premise translates well into a film with a two-person cast and one location, where the presentation amplifies the intimacy of each moment.

Kerry wanted to explore an often stigmatized type of character with FIXXXED, as she explains here: “The ‘adult virgin’ figure is often the butt of a joke or an overlooked figure and I wanted to bring that character to the fore and see what it might be like for such a person in the aftermath of losing her virginity at middle age.”

In addition to a degree from CUL, Kerry holds a bachelor's degree in dramatic writing from the University of Michigan and completed UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting. From 2005 to 2011, Kerry worked for independent film producer Caldecot Chubb and at Michael London’s Groundswell Productions. Kerry had the chance to work on notable projects like Ed Harris’s first film, Appaloosa (2008), and Gregor Jordan’s Unthinkable (2010). Kerry was also a Stowe Story Labs Development Grant Recipient in 2020.

We want to thank our Alumni Shorts Film Committee for their time and dedication to the community and the films.

Alumni may submit a short film anytime here. No fee for submission.