Parity Pipeline

Parity Pipeline

To Kill A Wolf

Directed by Kelsey Taylor

In a modern re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, a social pariah discovers a teenage runaway in the Oregon Wilderness and does his best to help her find a way home - a troubling exploration of trauma and redemption.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • SCREENINGS
  • AWARDS
  • PRESS
  • CREDITS
  • GALLERY

Genre

Synopsis

On the fringes of the Oregon wilderness, two strangers with troubled pasts are brought together when a reclusive Woodsman discovers a teenage runaway, Dani, hypothermic and barely conscious in the woods. After saving Dani from the elements, The Woodsman begrudgingly agrees to take the teen to her grandmother and the two become unlikely travel companions. As they make their way across the state, they forge an unexpected bond and test their abilities to trust one another. Ultimately, with each other's help, they come to face the demons that haunt them and discover a way to start their lives anew.

Director Identity

Bio

Raised in the wilds of Eastern Washington, Kelsey Taylor attended Loyola Marymount University where she earned a degree in Film Production and minors in both Film Studies and Music. 


Kelsey's filmmaking career began as a cinematographer and camera assistant, which built a strong foundation for visual storytelling before her transition into directing. Her breakthrough sci-fi short film, ALIEN: SPECIMEN, was created through an initiative with 20th Century and has accumulated over 6 million views. 


As a DGA commercial director, Kelsey has worked with brands like Volkswagen, Walmart, and Verizon her work ranges from comedy to dark world building. Southwest Airlines tapped Kelsey to direct their first branded short film, ALONE IN TOMBSTONE, a modern Western that further proved her chameleon-like ability to work in any genre. 


Drawn to stories that live in the gray and allow for shifting perspectives, Kelsey's feature film, TO KILL A WOLF, which she wrote, directed and produced, is a modern reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood told through the lens of sexual grooming. The film premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2024 and has gone on to win awards like, Best Directing at the Bend Film Festival, Stubbornly Independent at the Tallgrass Film Festival and Best Film at Film Fest Knox, winning an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release for the film which is slated for summer 2025.


Her next film, THE BAD THINGS, was a semifinalist in the 2022 Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship competition. TO KILL A WOLF was a quarterfinalist in 2018.


Most recently, Film Independent selected Kelsey as one of six fellows in their 2024 Episodic Directing Intensive. Kelsey is represented by Bellevue and commercially by Eleanor, the only Black and woman-owned production company in the US, and most recently crowned “The 2024 Production Company to Watch” by AdAge.

Screening History

World Premiere - Edinburgh International Film Festival 2024

US Premiere - Mill Valley Film Festival 2024

Austin Film Festival - 2024

Santa Barbara International Film - 2025

Bend Film Festival - 2024

Awards History

Bend Film Festival - Best Director

Film Fest Knox - Best Film

Portland Film Festival - Best of Portland

Tallgrass Film Festival- Stubbornly Independent

Gasparilla International Film Festival - Grand Jury Award Best Feature Film

Press

""Marked by strong, reserved performances — and deeply compassionate to its soulsick characters — this quietly absorbing drama has secrets in store, each of them revealed with uncommon elegance.""
Screen Daily
""A standout combination of genres, blurring the lines between reality and fairy tales in a way that’s just as unnerving as it is impressive.""
Jack Walters
""It’s one of the best films of 2024 and one of the most interesting debuts in recent memory.""
Clint Westbrook
""A profound and satisfying exercise in compassion and unexpected camaraderie.""
Cinema Scholars
"Moody, atmospheric and beautifully performed, it’s shocking that the film is writer/director Kelsey Taylor’s feature directorial debut. She shows a decided point of view, and builds intricate, believable characters the lead performers can sink their teeth into, and they do."
Alliance of Women Film Journalists

Credits

DP - Adam Lee

Producer - Joseph Restaino

Actress - Maddison Brown

Actor - Michael Esper

Composer - Sara Barone