Academy® Award qualified PICTURE DAY: An Asian-American military kid confronts harsh realities of gender and power

Writer/director Kelly Pike’s PICTURE DAY is a sensitive and timely film grounded in the domestic side of military life. It follows a young Asian-American tomboy growing up on Army bases and struggling to fit in at a new school. When she decides to take matters into her own hands, a small act of rebellion sparks a family crisis. This incredible film has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars® after winning awards from Academy qualifying Palm Springs International Film Festival and Warsaw International Film Festival. The film features Michelle Krusiec and Oona Yaffe.

An Asian-American tomboy growing up on military bases struggles to fit in at a new school. When she decides to take control of her life, one small act of rebellion sparks a family crisis and forces her to face harsh realities about gender, power, and what it really means to find your place in the world.

Writer/ Director Kelly Pike is a recipient of a DGA “Award of Directing Excellence” and included on Austin Film Festival’s “25 Screenwriters to Watch”. Her films have won awards from Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes, Warsaw, Bahamas, Austin, Palm Springs International, and Savannah Film Festivals. Her work has earned recognition from PBS, NATO, and the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors, the Puffin Foundation, Vimeo, and Short of The Week. She is an alum of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, and her latest short film PICTURE DAY has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Academy® Awards.

Michelle Krusiec has been dubbed the “Godmother of Hollywood’s AAPI representation”. She is the only Asian-American to be nominated for the Best Actress Golden Horse, the Chinese Language Oscar, for her role in SAVING FACE opposite Joan Chen. Notable credits include her role as Anna May Wong in Ryan Murphy’s series HOLLYWOOD and “Anja” in FAR NORTH opposite Michelle Yeoh. Her AAPI advocacy work has been recognized by the White House, California State Assembly, and the Museum of Chinese Americans.

Daniel Walter is an award-winning producer and composer. He produced a coming-of-age feature film set in Mumbai, India, THE TENANT, which was distributed by Sky UK, and he also produced the Oscar® qualified film PICTURE DAY. As a film composer, Daniel has worked with our generation’s most iconic filmmakers, like Ari Aster, and brands like Netflix and Disney.

Vanessa Elliott has produced commercials, shorts, episodic documentaries, and directed a handful of short form projects. Notable projects include THE MORTIFIED GUIDE, which premiered at Sundance ahead of streaming on Netflix, SONG EXPLODER for Netflix, and most recently ANGEL CITY for HBO Max.

Connie Jo Sechrist is an Emmy® Nominated Producer whose work has been recognized at prestigious festivals such as SXSW, Tribeca, and other Academy Qualifying Festivals. As a passionate advocate for mental health, she has produced and starred in over 20 films that explore mental health and personal stories, with the goal of de-stigmatizing mental health issues.

“This felt like childhood. The relatable moments of identity crisis struggling against the warm lit possibility of waning childhood and transformation color each scene in a way that will immediately take you back to the horrible wonder of being an adolescent.”
Dallas International Film Festival Grand Jury

PICTURE DAY was created as part of the AFI DWW+ (Directing Workshop for Women) which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The stunning cinematography was created by Robert Nachman.

This phenomenal short film has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars®.