Carissa

Carissa is a young woman living with her grandmother Wilhelmiena in a small
village nestled in the Cederberg mountains. Wilhelmiena disapproves of
Carissa’s lack of ambition and incessant phone use, which fuels their
constant bickering.

           
In an attempt to steer Carissa in a different direction, she drags her to a
presentation by a business conglomerate, Mont Royale. They plan on taking
over the community’s rooibos tea land to build a new luxury golf estate. The
company offers education programs for young applicants, which Wilhelmiena
sees as an opportunity for Carissa.

     
Unexpectedly, Hendrik, Carissa’s long-absent grandfather, visits one evening.
As a rooibos farmer affected by Mont Royale’s takeover, Hendrik offers
Carissa the chance to spend time with him in the mountains before the land is
gone. Wilhemiena opposes the idea. Nevertheless, Carissa causes trouble
for herself and as a result, is driven out of the house by Wilhemiena one
evening, compelling her to seek refuge in the mountains as her only available
escape.

Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar are co-writers and co-directors on multiple
projects in film, documentary, theatre, animation, and series.

Their short film Brakwater (filmed in Kharkams, SA) is currently in post-
production. They have been selected for Durban FilmMart, Gotham Film Week in New York, IFFR CineMart in Rotterdam, and the Final Cut lab at the Venice Film
Festival. They have also been selected for the Drama International Short Film Festival in Greece, the Franconia Writers’ Residency in Minnesota for a non-human animation project in development, the 2022 NFF-NFVF Thuthuka Fund, and are also fellows of the 2022 Oxbelly Screenwriters & Directors Lab in Greece and the 2023 Cape Town International Animation Festival, in Cape Town.

      
Their debut feature Carissa will have its world premiere at the 81st Venice
International Film Festival in the Orizzonti section.