Full Breakdown
Jillian Moray Wraps Production on Directorial Debut “Pismo”
4/28/2026, 4:44:23 AM
Core Event: Filming Completed
On April 2026, 24-year-old Jillian Moray finished principal photography on “Pismo,” a coming-of-age comedic drama that marks her feature directorial debut. The film was shot on 16 mm in Pismo Beach, California, and follows three best friends whose weekend party turns dangerous and prompts self-discovery.
Key Data
- Director Jillian Moray, age 24.
- Filming format: 16 mm.
- Primary location: Pismo Beach, California.
- Cast members are known from series such as “Yellowjackets” (Nuha Jes Izman), “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” (Madeline Popovich), “Anora” (Lindsey Normington), “The Sweet East” (Jack Irv), and “Strawberry Mansion” (Kentucker Audley).
Background & Context
Moray previously premiered the short “Barbara” at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and screened “Vintage Lamp Shade” at the American Cinematheque’s Proof Film Festival in 2024. “Pismo” extends her focus on youth narratives, exploring teenage female friendship and sexual pressures amplified by digital culture.
Cast, Crew, and Production Team
The principal cast includes Moray (lead), Nuha Jes Izman, Madeline Popovich, Lindsey Normington, Jack Irv, and Kentucker Audley, with supporting roles for Alexis G. Zall, Ashlin Teague, Holly Fontanetta and Justin Nguyen. Cinematographer Violet Smith handled the 16 mm photography. Production is overseen by Claire Loudis, Gordy De St. Jeor, and Moray, with executive producers Nuer Taqa and Zooey Pressey of Radiance Pictures and Steven Bombino of Canopy Media Partners.
Production Approach and Aesthetic
The film employs 16 mm to achieve a tactile visual texture while integrating “Gen Z digital aspects and energy,” according to Moray. Actors were given substantial input into character development, allowing each performer to shape their role uniquely.
Significance: Representation of Teenage Girls
By portraying “real, messy characters,” the film aims to give young girls relatable on-screen representations of friendship and sexual agency in the digital era, aligning with Moray’s stated goal of providing characters that young girls can look at and see themselves in.
Official Statements
In a Deadline interview, Moray highlighted the collaborative process with the cast and crew and explained that the blend of 16 mm cinematography with contemporary digital sensibilities was intended to reflect both tactile and virtual dimensions of modern youth.
Verbatim Quote
> “Pismo is an important coming-of-age story navigating female friendship and the sexual pressures that can come along with it, especially in the digital age. Thanks to my incredible DP, Violet Smith, we were able to find a really cool balance between keeping the film raw and grounded on 16mm but still incorporating Gen Z digital aspects and energy. It was important to me that we represented real, messy characters to give young girls something to look at and see themselves in, so I gave all the power to my actors to help shape each one of their characters and make them uniquely their own.” — Jillian Moray, Director and Lead Actor
