Short Film — MARTY SCHNAPF

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S Y N O P S I S

It’s been 12 years, and still, Sadie is haunted by her decision to leave a small desert town in favor of Los Angeles. When a ranch hand from her rural past unexpectedly shows up at her glamorous home, sweet memories surface, but as conversation turns to the night things fell apart, she must come to terms with all that she left behind.

T E C H N I C A L S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

Completion: July 2026

Genre: Drama, Romance, Music

Duration: 23:51

Restriction: None

Premiere: Yet to Premiere

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Closed Captioning: English

Subtitles: English

Location: USA

Format: Digital

Ratio: 2.39:1

Budget: $30,000

Camera: Sony VENICE 2

Lenses: Second Reef Coral Anamorphic

D I R E C T O R ’ S S T A T E M E N T

A Rope Around the Wind started from my sense of displacement as a contemporary artist living in Los Angeles but raised in rural Indiana. I was standing alone at a particularly fashionable party, looking out from a high balcony, champagne and hors d'ouvres passing on platters, when I started to imagine what my younger self would think of my current surroundings. I guess I expected a sense of pride or accomplishment, but what I experienced felt more like a trial.

Too often, we shield our hearts from the deep tenderness of self-examination. Perhaps we just don’t always have the energy to face our failures or the strength to visit our vulnerabilities. But from these places, we draw our most meaningful connections. They are the undercurrents of our shared humanity.

It is in these undercurrents that songs are written. They rise with the tides and are scattered by the waves until one day they become just light enough to float millimeters above the surface. The lucky ones meet a timely breeze and a heartful voice. The title of this film was changed to incorporate Kathryn Russ’s inspired lyrics, “Darling, I’ll protect you, if you give me your hand, burnt from holding a rope around the wind.”

We wrestle with place, with longing, with how much is enough, and with what it means to be strong. We wrestle with memories and decisions, with authorship and agency. We wrestle to hold on, and we wrestle to let go.

D I R E C T O R ’ S B I O

Marty Schnapf is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker who has exhibited paintings, installations, and performances throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. His works explore complex emotional and psychological relationships with a keen interest in the weight of memory and the malleability of time.

A Rope Around the Wind is Schnapf's debut narrative short film.

https://www.martyschnapf.com/

CV

Contact

C A S T

Sarah Sawyer as Sadie Suede

Sarah Sawyer is an LA-based actor and writer who began her training in acting, dance, and voice at a young age. She’s trained at the Stella Adler Studio, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC), as well as under RADA instructors at the London Dramatic Academy. She received her BA in Theatre Arts and screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University. Sarah is known for her role as Ansel Elgort's sister, 'Jessica Adelstein,' on HBO’s TOKYO VICE, as well as numerous award-winning independent films that have screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals, such as Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. As a filmmaker, she’s written and produced shorts and music videos, and her debut feature, as a writer, which she’ll also star in, is slated to film in 2027. Sarah is repped in LA and NY by Framework Entertainment and INSURGE-ENT.

“What drew me to the role of Sadie was the opportunity to explore a character at two distinctly different stages in her life, and play around with what remained the same and what changed. Working on A Rope Around the Wind felt like a grounding, slow-burn type of creative process. It was fun to have weekly rehearsals where we explored these characters in new ways and even did outings as a team to dig deeper into our characters and get to know each other better.”

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7945379/?ref_=fn_t_1

Justin Stanek as Troy Walker

Justin Stanek is an LA-based actor and musician originally from Sharon, Pennsylvania. He grew up in theater and made the transition to on-camera work in 2021. Since then, Stanek has worked on many projects he is deeply proud of, including Evil Lives Here (2025), Where it All Began (2025), and Next Door (2026). In late 2025, with the encouragement of his parents and family, Stanek moved to Los Angeles and soon thereafter landed the role of Troy Walker.

“I think one of the most attractive aspects of this project to me was the fact that I got to combine such an interesting and complex character like Troy with my love for music. Kathryn Russ created the most beautiful world with these songs.”

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15851578/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Justin%20Stanek

Jon Snow as Hugh Hunt

Jon Snow is an actor and writer, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. His work has been seen in various TV shows, including Good Girls, All Rise, The Recruit, and The Rookie, as well as a few movies he'd gladly bet you've never seen. Jon is grateful and proud to be a part of A Rope Around the Wind.

“For A Rope Around the Wind, I was really drawn to the idea of Marty bringing his sensibilities and passion, as a visual artist, from the literal canvas to the canvas of film. Plus, he asked me to play a complicated bad guy, which is always delicious as an actor.”

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4643289/?ref_=fn_t_1

K E Y C O N T R I B U T O R S

Kathryn Russ

MUSIC

Kathryn Russ is a singer-songwriter whose music is deeply rooted in the landscapes and traditions of the American South. Her sound blends old-world folk traditions with the storytelling and ethos of iconic roots artists of 1970s Texas and California. Inspired by psychology, mythology, and nature, she writes songs that inhabit mystery rather than resolve it. She is drawn to truths that are felt long before they can be explained, to what the soul is doing while the story is still unfolding.

“When I first heard the premise of A Rope Around the Wind, I was astonished. It felt like a Western telling of a chapter from my own life. I immediately recognized the characters—these were people I had known, both outwardly and within myself. I realized I wouldn’t have to think outside the box to write the music; I would have to go further inside myself. My hope in working with Marty was to create something that felt as though it had always belonged to this story—and all of ours.”

https://www.kathrynruss.com/

Nathaniel Regier

CINEMATOGRAPHOR

Nathaniel Regier is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer originally from Calgary, Canada. His passion lies in narrative filmmaking, and his work has earned recognition at festivals including SXSW and Fantastic Fest, with projects featured on Short of the Week and Vimeo Staff Picks. His narrative work spans more than 30 projects, including the feature film Love Meets in the Sunshine starring James Franco, which wrapped production in late 2025.

Most recently, Nathaniel photographed “Son of a Bikram,” which had its World Premiere at SXSW 2026 and won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Independent TV Pilot. He has also collaborated with brands including Adobe, MUD\WTR, Condé Nast, and Choice Hotels. Outside of work, he finds inspiration in photography, particularly during his travels through the Canadian Rockies. Nathaniel is available for work nationally and worldwide.

“As the cinematographer, ‘A Rope Around the Wind’ was really about preserving the feeling of love between these two characters, first through images. Working with Marty, the visual world became a way to protect that feeling, the memory, texture, and quiet ache that still lives between Sadie and Troy. Technically, that meant leaning into longer observational lenses, warm, motivated light, and a restrained camera that could stay intimate without pushing the emotion too hard.”

https://www.nathanielregier.com/

Arianna Tomasettig

EDITOR

A native Italian, Arianna is a Los Angeles-based editor who has collaborated with acclaimed directors and major brands across commercials, music videos, and independent films. Drawn to character-driven storytelling, she collaborates with filmmakers to shape emotionally resonant narratives, bringing her unique sense of rhythm and perspective to each project.

“It has been wonderful to explore themes of trust, love, and regret while following A Rope Around the Wind’s characters on their emotional journeys. From the very first time I read Marty's script, what resonated most with me was its exploration of a deeply universal human experience: longing. Longing for the past, for different choices, for the countless "what ifs" that can keep us suspended in a place between memory and possibility, making it difficult to let go of what was and to fully embrace what is.”

https://www.aritomasettig.com/

Jeremy Emery

SOUND EDITOR / RERECORDING MIXER

Originally from France, Jeremy is a Los Angeles-based sound editor and re-recording mixer who has worked across feature films, television, and independent projects. Drawn to the emotional possibilities of sound, he collaborates closely with filmmakers to shape the sonic world of each story, from dialogue and sound design through the final mix.

“It was a pleasure to explore themes of memory, longing, and the passage of time through sound. What resonated most with me about A Rope Around the Wind was the way the film brings two people together years after sharing something deeply intimate, and how the past can remain so present in our lives. Because the film is so musical and emotionally driven, I wanted the sound to reflect that feeling—to blur the line between memory and the present, and to make the characters’ history feel almost tangible.”

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3408295/

Nash Cubero

PRODUCER

Nash Cubero is a Los Angeles–based producer originally from New Jersey. For more than 15 years, he has worked across film, television, and advertising, producing projects that balance creative ambition with meticulous execution. As both a Producer and Bidding Producer, he believes the best productions are built through collaboration, trust, and curiosity. He continues to be drawn to projects that challenge, inspire, and leave a lasting impression on audiences.

“I had been working almost exclusively in advertising for a while, and I was starting to miss telling narrative stories. I met Marty through a mutual filmmaker friend, and after reading his script, I felt like it had the right balance of ambition and heart to pull me back into that world. Over the following months, we spent a lot of time discussing the script together—finding ways to make it achievable without compromising what he was trying to say—and what really sold me was Marty himself. For a first-time filmmaker, he came in incredibly prepared, eager to learn every part of the process, and with a clear vision for the film.”

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9727184/?ref_=fn_t_3

Sophie Smith

PRODUCER

Originally from New York, Sophie Smith is now a producer across film, TV and theatre in Los Angeles. She has worked with playwrights and directors in CAA’s theatre department and with TV writers on Poker Face, The Great and Dexter: Resurrection at MRC and Counterpart Studios. As a performer, she has studied improv at the Elysian Theatre and Upright Citizens Brigade. After working on the sets of multiple music videos and short films around LA, Sophie was thrilled to combine her passion for music, romance, and drama in producing Marty Schnapf's A Rope Around The Wind.

"Reading Marty's script for A Rope Around the Wind, I was swept up by the intense, complicated, haunting, and timeless love story he crafted (as his first film!) that traverses genres. Working with Marty on his passion project, from pre-production through filming, I marveled at his composure and easy leadership style, which created a fun, friendly, and meaningful set experience for everyone involved. Following post-production, I feel the music deepens the short's themes of suspense and longing, and the stunning compositions, meticulously planned and captured, strike me every time I watch. A Rope Around The Wind is a profoundly beautiful project I'm proud to be a part of."

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16169935/?ref_=fn_t_7