Acid Test Encore
with Jenny Waldo
Set in 1992, Acid Test is a coming-of-age rebellion story fueled by Riot Grrrl music, a dysfunctional family, and LSD. Against the backdrop of the presidential election between Bush, Clinton, and Perot, a girl of mixed-descent - her mother is Mexican and her father is white American - enters her senior year with life-long plans to attend Harvard, just like her Dad. But she gains new insight into her father's volatile behavior as she discovers Riot Grrrl, an aggressive feminist punk music, and when an opportunity presents to drop LSD, she impulsively takes it. As she drifts farther and farther from "the plan," she dives into new experiences, exploring her Mexican heritage, defining herself on her own terms, and rebelling against her father's control.
| Country, Year | United States, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Director | Jenny Waldo |
| Writer | Jenny Waldo |
| Cast | Juliana DeStefano, Brian Thornton, Mia Ruiz, Reece Everett Ryan |
| Producer | Anna Tran, Eddie Rodriguez, Hillary Felice, Kerianne Parker, Jenny Waldo |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 103 MINS, SECS |
| Genre | Narrative |
Special Guests
Jenny Waldo
A native of Washington, DC, Jenny graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a MFA in Film Production where she won a directing scholarship and focused on writing, directing, and producing scripted and documentary films. While at USC, she produced several scripted and documentary thesis projects, including her own 35mm thesis film Searching for Angels which screened at the DGA’s First Look Festival. In addition to producing and directing several shorts, past credits include producing on the feature The Preacher’s Daughter and the feature documentary The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing. The latest short film she wrote and directed, the award-winning Acid Test, screened at festivals all over the world including BendFilm Festival, Austin Film Festival, and was selected for the 2018 Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) Short Film Showcase and the 2019 AFS Shortcase at SXSW. While not making films, she teaches filmmaking and is the Program Coordinator at Houston Community College's Filmmaking Program. Jenny is thrilled to bring its feature adaptation to life and relive her tumble through self-discovery in the early 1990’s.