Range Signs Masha Ko, Director Of Sundance Genre Short ‘The Looming’
EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of the Sundance debut of her latest short, The Looming, filmmaker Masha Ko has taken on new management at Range Media Partners.
A horrific glimpse into aging and the fear of being forgotten by those we love, Ko’s film tells the story of Chester (Joseph Lopez), a 70-year-old man who begins hearing strange noises in his home. Although he seeks help from his daughter and coworkers, they dismiss his concerns. But when Luna (Brianne Buishas), his home audio assistant, detects the sounds, Chester realizes that it has not all been in his head.
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Ko wrote, directed and produced the genre short, intended to evoke empathy surrounding the topics of loneliness and dementia, which previously won Best Short Film at Screamfest 2023. It’s scheduled to premiere in Sundance’s U.S. Fiction Short Film competition on January 22nd.
A Russian-born, Miami-raised writer-director, Ko began building career momentum in film with the 2022 short Born to Vada, an experimental work exploring queer identities through time. The film earned numerous accolades from both the Independent Shorts Awards and IndieX Film Festival including Best Director (Female) honors for Ko.
As a filmmaker, Ko’s primary goal is to highlight the stories of individuals who are often overlooked by society and whose lives are rarely celebrated through artistic forms. Through her films, she aspires to disclose the magnificence hidden within individuals, regardless of the challenges or biases that may have concealed it. Her work often deals with deconstruction of Western perspectives related to sexuality, PTSD, and mortality.
Outside of filmmaking, Ko is known for her work as a human installation artist, much of which is part of the interdisciplinary performance art duo KoHoMa in partnership with Kolten Horner. Together, the duo explores how various social dynamics affect one’s relationship to the self.
KoHoMa was named one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch in 2023. Previously, Ko’s provocative and sometimes challenging body installation works have been featured in galleries in L.A., NYC, Vienna, and Germany.
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