2023 Film: Brief Exchanges

Brief Exchanges by Ashley Versher
Los Angeles, CA (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 12 minutes
Block 5: September 9th, 9:15PM
Drama

For tickets click HERE.

Brief Exchanges follows Tanya, a young Black woman living in NYC. After a harsh encounter with a drunken stranger, Tanya lands on the same street corner as Troy, whose kindness stands in sharp contrast to the unfriendly city. Their chance encounter becomes a daylong affair of flirtatious banter punctuated by poignant moments, or "brief exchanges,” that reflect the various microaggressions she must navigate daily. Filtered through the lens of a charming meet-cute, this film represents a Black woman’s reality in living with these intersectional identities.

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Director Bio:

Ashley Versher is a multi-hyphenated creative. She has worked behind the scenes, contributing to the short-film Spot: A True Period Piece as Associate Producer, which was accepted into the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. She has also had the pleasure of working as a Guest Director with the creators of Tough Love on their newest series Pillow Talk, now on BET+. As an actor, she has recently appeared as a Co-star in the hit comedy series American Auto (NBC), Law & Order SVU (NBC) and Reasonable Doubt (HULU). She was a series regular and Assistant Director on the award-winning series #LoveMyRoomie now on Amazon Prime Video. She has also appeared in the Emmy-nominated, now Cleo TV series, Tough Love.

Director Statement:

The 2020 social justice movement of Black Lives Matter inspired me to think intentionally about my experience as a Black woman in America. I was compelled to educate myself and delved deep into Black Feminist Theory to grapple with these two complexities. I made this film to address the intersectionality of being Black, a woman, living in New York City and how this shapes my reality. This film is about the joy of finding love even in the midst of dozens of momentary, minute daily interactions and microaggressions that encroach on and challenge my every day existence.