JESS PLUS NONE tells the story of a reluctant maid-of-honor who attends an off-the-grid wedding
in the woods and must confront her perfect ex-girlfriend, her more successful college friends, and
every single one of her terrible life choices. Jess is bereft. The love of her life, Samantha, broke up with
her and won’t return calls. Now, Jess must ditch the guy she’s shame-dating before she sees Sam
again at her best friend’s camp wedding--although are they still friends? Jess hasn’t heard from
Melanie in months and worse, Mel is marrying a frat-boy hedge-fund managing bro, when she
used to be a feminist. Melanie hopes to heal old wounds by forcing everyone into the woods—no
cell phones, no Google, just warm fireside chats and pooping in camp toilets. Wendy is excited to
support Melanie and get a break from her life as a prisoner...er, mother. Peter’s missed his friends
but never misses a party, much to the chagrin of his older boyfriend. Hugh, the former dork turned rockstar,
made it in the music business but never made it with Wendy...something he hopes to rectify this weekend.
Written and directed by Mandy Fabian, JESS PLUS NONE is a modern day homage to slapstick comedy, in the spirit of The Big Chill and Bridesmaids, full of laughs and heart. It was produced by Sarah Chaney,
Heather Olt, and Mandy June Turpin. The ensemble cast features Abby Miller (‘Jess’), Marielle
Scott (‘Melanie’), Rory O'Malley (Peter), Shalim Ortiz (Hugh) and Matt Walsh (‘Ranger’).
Mandy Fabian directed The Young Hillary Diaries, Lifetime’s first digital series, and co-created the Amazon series Dropping the Soap, which won Jane Lynch an Emmy for Best Actress in a Short Form Original. She was chosen for the Sony Television Directing Program, named "Best New Filmmaker of the Year" by NewFilmmakers LA, and was chosen as one of six directors to lead an all-female crew for the 2020 Women's Weekend Film Challenge. Her first feature film, Jess Plus None, a modern day Big Chill meets Bridesmaids, was called a "laugh-out-loud comedy" by TimeOut London, so really it's all downhill from here. Mandy lives in London with her husband Patrick, her two daughters and an intimidating array of reusable water bottles.
BFI Flare 2023
Frameline Film Festival 2023
Denizen Theatre, New Paltz, NY
Film Scene, Iowa City, IA
Powerhouse Theatre, Walla Walla, WA
Best Narrative Feature - Imagine This Film Festival, NYC 2023
Jury Award and Audience Award - Woods Hole Film Festival 2023
Directors Choice and Audience Choice Award - Palm Springs Diverse Cinema Fest 2023
Best Feature - Safflicks Film Festival 2024
"It’s really good fun…one of those big laugh-out-loud films!"
Time Out London
"Miller is a talent on the rise...the writer-director offers a well-thought-out narrative with something to say about love, especially for a debut feature."
Film Threat
"It's great to see a bisexual character depicted without any fuss over her orientation. It's also a delight to watch a comedy that is funny, but also has a few interesting things to say about relationships and the necessity to like oneself first."
Edge Media Network
Jess - Abby Miller
Mel - Marielle Scott
Peter - Rory O'Malley
Nate - Tate Ellington
Ranger Dan - Matt Walsh