YD PRODUCTION LLC.
SEARCHING FOR YOO
Written and Directed by Marissa Lichwick
is a film inspired by true-life events layered with a lot of imagination and heart to give the narrative an original twist. The movie explores family, romance, the unexplainable, self-identity, and belonging. We have a wonderful cast and crew to bring this film to life. Please follow us and keep an eye out for when we hit the film festival circuit. We are hoping to reach the moon with this little story! Thanks for visiting the film page!
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JOHN RUBY
Role: Chase Brady
John Ruby was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and found a love for acting and singing at a young age. After high school, John continued his study at the prestigious Northwestern University and used his junior year to study in Munich, Germany. There, John fell in love with words and languages.
Recently, he has worked on the television shows 911: Lone Star, For All Mankind, Penny Dreadful, SWAT, Speechless, 2 Broke Girls, and CSI.
His feature film credits include Solver, Cerebrum, Touch, and The Case of Jonas Booker.
On stage, John has performed in The Effect, Fool for Love, Heaven Can Wait, and The Sting. He's also performed improv at IO West on the Harold team "Liquor, Guns and Ammo."
John has taught on-camera acting classes for many years with the Storytellers Conservatory. Combining his experience in acting and casting, he has helped others bring out their authentic selves in front of the camera. He is also the co-host of the podcast ‘The Moving Spotlight’; helping artists take control of their creative careers.
In his free time, John loves spending time with his wife and son, traveling (favorites: Iceland, Finland and Isla Mujeres), playing basketball, advocating for protected bike lanes & electric cars and reading all the non-fiction books he can get his hands on.
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
June 12-17 and June 27, 28, 29
Drew Tieng and Grace Pisula captured the Principal Photography. The film is now in Post Production.
SEARCHING FOR YOO IS A RITE OF PASSAGE HAUNTING DRAMA.
An ethereal entity begins to haunt Dani, a Korean adoptee as she begins to reunite with her birth family, but when she uncovers little information about the past she must forge a bond with the ghost that haunts the basement rather than her surviving birth family.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
CURRENT AND PAST FILMS
YELLOW DRESS : A SHORT
SEARCHING FOR YOO FEATURE FILM
YOO: A SHORT FILM
CAREER BIO
Marissa began her career in New York City in the Lower East Side at LA Mama Etc... helmed by Ellen Stewart, devising work with the late Elizabeth Swados and Michael Fieldman. She made her way through the off-off broadway scene performing at various venues including The New York International Fringe Festival and making her off-broadway debut at Urban Stages Theatre. Marissa lived and worked as an actress in New York City for ten years before heading off to the University of Washington to earn her MFA in ACTING. Upon completion, she lived in Los Angeles before moving to Chicago where she worked at various theatres throughout the city including appearances at the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, Writers, Victory Gardens, and Silk Road Rising Theatre.
She worked regionally at The Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center, Connecticut Free Shakespeare, and workshopped many new works by emerging playwrights. She has appeared in Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, and Chicago Med, as well as short, and full-length Independent films.
She wrote her solo show, Yellow Dress in graduate school which performed in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, and most recently at the Santa Monica Playhouse.
Marissa wrote a short film in 2020 inspired by her solo show with the same title, Yellow Dress which won 16 best film awards and 29 honors including honorable mentions and finalist selections. She completed her second short film, YOO which premiered this March and was awarded Best Short Film on Women by the RunDoc Film Festival, Best Actress Award by New York Movie Award, Best Acting Ensemble by Best Directors and Actors Award in New York City, and was an Official Selection at the Marina del Rey Film Festival. SEARCHING FOR YOO completed filming on June 29, 2022.
Marissa completed her Screenwriting degree at UCLA this Spring of 2022 and is represented by Panoessa Talent and Rachel Tolliver at FSE in Los Angeles.
YELLOW DRESS: A SHORT FILM
My philosophy is to create your own work and not wait for someone else to misrepresent your story.
Yellow Dress is a short film inspired by my one-person play by the same title. I knew that no one would write this story for me, so after a disappointing audition, I put my fingers on the keyboard and began to type.
I have learned to claim my personal narrative and allow it to move through my work. My experiences propel my creativity as I explore themes of motherhood, abandonment, family, death, loss, and my multiple identities of Korean, Korean American, and Korean adoptee. Nothing is too sacred and I create characters that succumb to or become victims of memory.
The big takeaway in my work is that a healthy, loving family life can be an antidote to trauma.
Yellow Dress has been honored and recognized by over 40 film festivals, the latest is a BEST SHORTS FILMMAKER AWARD granted by THE MARINA DEL REY FILM FESTIVAL in June 2022.
PERSONAL CONTACT
