Charisma Carpenter and Kristina Wong Lead ‘Hold You So Tight,’ Filming This Month

Stage and screen phenoms Kristina Wong (Sweatshop Overlord – LA Times “Must See” / NY Times “Critic’s Pick”) and Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Angel) come together in an AI comfort film as final casting was announced for Eric Rudnick’s new short film, HOLD YOU SO TIGHT.  

“Kristina Wong’s stage show Sweatshop Overlord was at the Kirk Douglas Theatre when I was working on the script for HOLD YOU SO TIGHT,” says director Eric Rudnick. “She’s authentic, charming, and hilarious, and she’ll soon be showing up regularly on TV and in films. Charisma Carpenter is a great actor with an iconic presence, and given the Sci-Fi and fantasy themes involved in the roles she’s most known for, I immediately knew that she would be perfect for this film.” 

Additional talent in the film includes Steve Chiotakis (Edward R. Murrow Award for writing, “Best Radio Anchor in Southern California” and “Best Feature” – LA Press Club; “Best Anchor and Reporter” – AP Honoree), multi-award winner Kareem Ferguson (Watching O.J, HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Netflix/Ryan Murphy series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), and Tamika Katon-Donegal (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; TV: Adam Ruins Everything, How to Get Away With Murder, Side Hustle).

HOLD YOU SO TIGHT tells the story of a modern-day personal challenge as an uncommon hero comes to the rescue. In the parking lot of a Los Angeles motel, a young woman is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Although her current teletherapy session is not going well, she’s parked herself, maybe for the first time, in just the right spot.  

A life-changing new treatment, administered by two men, comes highly recommended from a trusted college friend. HOLD YOU SO TIGHT is the business that the men operate, providing hugs that are specifically calibrated to each customer’s needs. The embrace is delivered by a custom-made robot, traveling the country with this clandestine company. 

As our heroine reaches the door to Room 11, she is near the end of her very frayed rope. What happens next is a synchronistic phenomenon between technology and humanity – perhaps the place we’ve all been searching for since the dawn of time.

Director Rudnick described the project’s genesis while revealing, “After being absolutely floored when I met this robot on a TV pilot that I was producing, I knew that there had to be a story about its intricate technology and the connection to us. I needed to see this idea that was in my head and wanted an audience to feel what I felt, so I figured I could pull together the resources for a short film.”

The team behind Rudnick’s robot will be led by Alan Timm, Walter Martinez and Gael Langevin. Production crew includes Cinematographer Davey Robertson, Art Director Rebecca Scott, Production Sound Mixer Ryan Graff, and Producers Cameron Fife, Tamika Katon-Donegal and Mike McNamara.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this month in Los Angeles.

For more about the film and to lend your support, click right here.

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