Synopsis
OddFX is a thematically rich, thoughtful character-driven live action psychological drama that unflinchingly unearths the insidious layers of domestic abuse while powerfully illuminating the extraordinary capacity of imagination and found family to redefine safety and belonging. OddFX was selected for the NYWIFT affiliated The Writers Lab and has twice been a finalist in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
OddFX introduces Cady Langton, a brilliant special effects artist whose life is a meticulously crafted illusion of normalcy, shattered by the brutal reality of domestic abuse at the hands of her seemingly charming husband, Nolan. After a terrifying attack, Cady and her two young children, Prism and Parker, flee into the night, desperate to escape a cycle of violence that leaves no physical marks but inflicts deep psychological wounds.
Forced into the impersonal confines of a domestic violence shelter, Cady confronts a system ill-equipped to protect her, battling dismissive authorities and a manipulative ex determined to regain control. As she navigates the complex legal landscape, she grapples with the devastating impact of the abuse on her children, who, out of fear and loyalty, remain silent about their father’s violence. Just as hope dwindles, Cady stumbles upon OddFX, a quirky, old-school special effects shop run by a gruff but compassionate crew. Here, amidst the fantastical creations and the camaraderie of fellow “freaks,” Cady begins to heal, finding a new purpose and a “found family” that understands the power of illusion and the reality behind the facade.
But Nolan’s relentless pursuit threatens their fragile new life. In a heart-stopping climax, Cady must use her unique understanding of effects and illusion to expose Nolan’s true nature, empowering her children to finally break their silence. OddFX is a gripping and profoundly hopeful journey about reclaiming agency, redefining safety, and discovering that true belonging can be forged in the most unexpected places.
A woman’s story written to attract a male audience, OddFX invites all the good men out there to step up to the plate and fight male violence against women.
Writer & Producer
DIRECTOR WRITER PRODUCER CATHERINE CRAIG is a highly accomplished award- winning writer, director, producer, and cinematographer who creates narrative, experimental, animated, and documentary films. She made history as the first woman to work as a visual effects animation camerawoman at George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic, with her camera work and CGI artistry appearing in over thirty major motion pictures.
Her feature film, OddFX, was selected as one of only twelve screenplays from an international pool for the prestigious The Writers Lab, sponsored by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. The screenplay has twice been selected as a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriting Lab. Catherine also attended the Stowe Narrative Screenwriting Retreat.
Catherine founded her own award-winning production company, where she directed and produced films for the tech industry, overseeing large budgets and leading union crews and directing guild actors. Later she designed and implemented Francis Coppola’s film archive and oversaw his domestic and international film distribution.
She studied directing at the American Conservatory Theater, photography at the Kodak- influenced Rochester Institute of Technology and she has spoken at SIGGRAPH. Catherine holds a BFA in film from California College of Art and considers her graduate studies to be the years she worked for Francis Ford Coppola.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ANAHID NAZARIAN is a veteran film producer renowned for her decades-long collaboration with Coppola, working alongside him for over 40 years. She has served as Executive Producer on Megalopolis, Youth Without Youth, Tetro, and Twixt, and also wrote and produced her independent feature Pomegranate and produced Illusion, starring Kirk Douglas. Nazarian is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LEAH MEYERHOFF (she/they) wrote and directed the award winning narrative feature film I Believe In Unicorns which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Atlanta Film Festival and awards from Tribeca Film Institute, and the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. Leah’s films have screened in over 200 film festivals and aired on IFC, PBS, LOGO and MTV. Leah is also the founder of FILM FATALES, a non-profit organization which advocates for parity in the film industry and supports a membership community of over a thousand feature film and television directors of all marginalized genders.
SOUND DESIGNER RANDY THOM is Skywalker Sound’s Director of Sound Design, with a career spanning more than four decades. He has won two Academy Awards for The Right Stuff and The Incredibles and has received fifteen Oscar nominations, as well as nominations for an Emmy and a Grammy. Thom has contributed to over 175 films, collaborating with directors such as Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas, Lynch, del Toro, Jackson, and Bird. He is also a member of AMPAS.
VISUAL FX SUPERVISOR JOHN KNOLL is an Academy Award winner for Visual Effects on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and has earned five additional Oscar nominations for Rogue One, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, The Curse of the Black Pearl, Attack of the Clones, and The Phantom Menace. With over 50 visual effects credits, Knoll is also the co-creator of Adobe Photoshop and a member of AMPAS.
