Between Trains
Short Film
Non Union
Between Trains is a community-driven short film about emotional resilience, human connection, and the silent psychological struggles faced by individuals navigating life-altering illness. Set on a New Jersey commuter train platform, the story follows a woman coping with a devastating diagnosis who forms an unexpected bond with a stranger whose quiet optimism gradually changes the way she views life, time, and survival. More than a film about illness, Between Trains is a film about presence. Through grounded performances and minimalist storytelling, it explores how ordinary public spaces can become places of healing, companionship, and emotional refuge. The project aims to create empathy for people carrying invisible battles in everyday life while encouraging conversations surrounding emotional health, grief, isolation, cancer support, and community compassion. Rooted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, the film reflects the region’s commuter culture and proximity to major healthcare institutions such as Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. By grounding the narrative in familiar local spaces, the project seeks to make its themes deeply relatable to community audiences. As part of its outreach mission, the film hopes to collaborate with organizations supporting cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and mental health advocacy, including American Cancer Society and Cancer Institute of New Jersey, through screenings, discussions, and educational outreach initiatives. Beyond festival circulation, Between Trains aims to use film as a bridge between storytelling and community engagement — creating spaces where audiences feel seen, understood, and encouraged to connect more deeply with the people around them. Ultimately, it is a story about the strangers who unknowingly save us, the moments we spend waiting, and the courage it takes to keep moving forward while life continues around us.
Roles For This Project
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Submissions Due:
07/02/2026
Lucy Bennett possesses a quiet warmth that makes strangers feel less alone. She appears calm, observant, and strangely at peace while sitting daily at a suburban train platform — watching departures like they are small miracles. Beneath her gentle humor and composed presence, Lucy carries her own h... [See More]
-
Submissions Due:
07/02/2026
Mara is a quiet, emotionally restrained woman navigating the aftermath of a life-changing medical diagnosis. Every morning, she returns to the same train platform at 8:17 AM — caught between fear, grief, and the inability to move forward. When she encounters Lucy, a mysterious older woman with an u... [See More]
More Roles For This Project
-
Submissions Due:
07/02/2026
Lucy Bennett possesses a quiet warmth that makes strangers feel less alone. She appears calm, observant, and strangely at peace while sitting daily at a suburban train platform — watching departures like they are small miracles. Beneath her gentle humor and composed presence, Lucy carries her own h... [See More]
-
Submissions Due:
07/02/2026
Mara is a quiet, emotionally restrained woman navigating the aftermath of a life-changing medical diagnosis. Every morning, she returns to the same train platform at 8:17 AM — caught between fear, grief, and the inability to move forward. When she encounters Lucy, a mysterious older woman with an u... [See More]
