Award-winning short film Now You See Us will be having its Florida premiere at the 11th annual Fort Myers Film Festival, taking place May 12th through May 16th at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

This 11-minute coming-of-a-certain-age story was directed and adapted for the screen by award-winning director and screenwriter Romina Schwedler (The Visit, How a Man Gets Ready), based on the short play Boom by Barbara Miluski, who is also the producer and one of the stars in the film.

Now You See Us tackles a relevant and somewhat neglected issue in today’s society: Ageism, specifically on women. However, the subject is not addressed in the tone one would expect: Now You See Us is a hilarious tale about a serious topic! …Women beginning to feel invisible to the world around them after reaching “a certain age”, as well as the means in which they are portrayed, stereotyped, patronized, misrepresented and underrepresented in mass media.

Also starring in the film are Caroline Ryburn who plays Barb’s rival in the commercial audition the two actresses are anxiously prepping for; Leema Mitchell, the “electrician”: a rather mystic character who is determined to repair a curious, ongoing problem with the lights in the sordid waiting room the hopefuls inhabit -a metaphor Schwedler uses to help illustrate the feeling of invisibility Barb and Caroline endure both in their industry and out in the real world- …and last but of course not least, Rochelle Slovin, a third actress arriving at the casting office, lost and confused about what she finds when she walks in the room -without giving too much away- …by the time Barb and Caroline have taken this bogus audition business into their own hands.

The film was shot in black and white, another tool director Romina Schwedler makes beautiful use of to depict these women’s off-beat feeling of being “all washed out” as well as having been “grayed-out” by the entertainment industry and their very own society.

Also worth noting are the powerful performances by the entire cast above, the whimsical and moving score by composer Itamar Ben Zimra, and the edgy cinematography by DP and Camera Operator Danna Kinsky: Kinsky’s flawless handheld technique adds a dynamic and authentic feel to the whole experience, as does the clever use of those lights -controlled by Leema Mitchell’s character- which affords yet another layer to this brief yet intricate journey unfolding within the confinement of just one small room located in an eerie New York City building.

The poignant and refreshing piece was brought to life by a 95% female-identifying cast and crew of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and of course, ages!

An absolute must-see at this year’s edition of FMFF, Now You See Us screens at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, as part of Comedy Block 1, beginning at 2pm Saturday, May 15th.