THE SWEETENING is a dramatic sci-fi short film written, directed by, and starring Grace Rowe.  The film is about Sadie, a lonely and depressed woman who takes part in the beta testing of an augmented reality program and it completely upends her life.  Produced by Mitch Yapko ("SMILF," 2015 Sundance winner of the Short Film Jury Prize), and executive produced by Pedro Pascal ("THE LAST OF US," "THE MANDALORIAN,").

 

Based off a feature screenplay written by Grace (and an original television series idea she's developed), the story delves into a not-so-distant future where users can "sweeten" their lives by having virtual encounters with other people.  When Sadie decides to manipulate the program for her own benefit, her real life spirals out of control and she's forced to face the consequences of her actions.  

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"The Sweetening" has screened at numerous film festivals and was licensed by the online sci-fi channel, DUST, where it has over 60,000 views.  It won the Best Live Action Sci-Fi Short Film at the 2016 Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival, Best Cinematography at the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival, and a Special Jury Prize from the Austin Asian American Film Festival. ​