Swim Captain (7-min) — A high school swimmer struggles with her tampon before practice.
“I was eager to tell a story about a young woman who’s both a leader and uncomfortable in her own skin.”
Read the feature on Directors Notes
“This film portrayed an infinitely relatable situation that we’d never before seen on screen.
The filmmaker’s subtle direction and smart shot choices created a building sense of claustrophobia
and anxiety, enhanced by strong naturalistic performances. For skillful execution around a simple but powerful premise, we award Swim Captain by Christa Haley as the best Student Narrative Short Film.”
— Jury, RiverRun International Film Festival
"Christa Haley wrote, directed, and edited this brilliant angst-ridden short about the havoc a tampon can cause. The star, Kelly Dépeault delivers a subtle, nuanced performance. We're so excited
to see what Christa and Kelly do next!” — Jury, Woodstock Film Festival
Festival Selections
Woodstock Film Festival
“Best Student Short” Winner (‘23)
RiverRun International Film Festival
“Best Narrative Student Short” Winner (‘23)
Montclair Film Festival
Official Selection
Lake Placid International Film Festival
”Best Narrative & Best in Festival” Shorts Winner (‘23)
Walla Walla Movie Crush
“Alex Sichel Memorial Award” Nominee (‘23)
Buffalo International Film Festival
Official Selection
New York Shorts International Film Festival
Official Selection
Raindance New York Open Shorts
"“Best Student Narrative” Winner (‘23)
NYU Sports Film Festival
“Best NYU Narrative” Winner (‘24)
film credits:
“chloe” - kelly dépeault • “lindsay” - francesca keller • “coach” - dani nelson
writer, director, editor - christa haley • producer - jessica li • cinematographer - claire barnett
a.d. - oliver mcgoldrick • gaffer - hunter redhorse arthur • sound mixer - naa adei mante
a.c. - gaby clingman • h.m.u - sydnie kalinofski • construction coordinator - richard larche
colorist - patrick devine • sound designer - kelly rodriguez • re-recording mixer - daniel timmons