Dylan Shepard revels in the flurry of blurred nights out in the city with friends as she grapple thoughts of aging, sexuality, and identity. As the night goes on – Dylan finds that she won’t have too many of these violent weekends for much longer and tries to hold on to the moment.

Director’s Vision for ‘These Violent Weekends’

This film is an ode to being twenty-six. Or rather, to be twenty-six in Manhattan. My birthday last year really made me reflect on all things concerning growing older, relationships (platonic and romantic) to others and to myself. It made me wonder if I’d really grown in all the time since I was a teenager or if I’d just let life subsume over me like a wave. The things that stood out to me were the nights I could barely remember, with people I admired and loved and loved to be around – especially in the little hours of the morning sitting in small apartments laughing and telling stories. And if it was anything I knew these were the experiences that shaped my adulthood and what my films are primarily about. The week before my birthday I ended up writing this piece. I didn’t know whether or not to let it sit or to actually go out and make it. Then months later I met a few of the wonderful cast members – namely Em Marie and Violette Trotter and thought about their personalities and dynamics and how well it would play into the story I’d written. In a few weeks we were on set with the most lovely small cast and crew. The shoot was so simple and easy and the first one I shot myself in a really long time and I forgot how much I’d loved to do so. We spent the night quite like the characters in the film – going out, running through the rain, in and out of clubs, catching trains, and drinking. So here’s to twenty-six. May there be more nights spent making things I love surrounded by friends.