sam wants her sweater back
SYNOPSIS:
Three queer friends launch a half-witted heist to steal back a sweater from one of their exes. But recovering from heartbreak isn't quite the slick-lit, neon-noir adventure one of them imagines.
ANDI and MAX’s best friend SAM was dumped months ago. But Sam’s ex, POPPY, still hasn’t returned her sweater. THE Sweater - cream colored, thick knit with the perfect hint of fraying. It’s an injustice which Andi, recently dumped herself (but why even bring that up?), demands Sam no longer suffers!
So, in Andi’s mind the world becomes a gritty, neon laced action-thriller as she and Max, with a reluctant Sam in tow, infiltrate Poppy’s house party in search of The Sweater. As the night unfolds and multiple plans unravel, though, it becomes clear Andi’s vehemence has little to do with her friend’s knitwear and all to do with hiding from her own heartbreak.
While Max remains endearingly committed to tracking down The Sweater and Sam finds herself ready to pursue a friendship with Poppy, Andi’s grip on her slick, action-hero-savior-complex threatens to tear the three pals apart!
Will they get The Sweater? Will Andi get over her ex? Will you laugh?
Maybe! Maybe! Yeah duh!!
A delightful romp from denial to acceptance after being broken up with, SAM WANTS HER SWEATER BACK is ultimately about recovery from heartbreak through the love of friends.
DIRECTOR & WRITER: Whitney Chitwood
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Moll Jean Nye
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Eddie Urish, Kathy Chitwood, Jason Matsumoto, Eugene Sun Park
PRODUCERS: Whitney Chitwood, Moll Jean Nye, Amy E. Powell, Luzzo
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: OTV
CAST: ANDI, Tasha Viets-VanLear; SAM, Kiley Moore; MAX, Sam Rocha; POPPY, Marlene Slaughter; JENNA, Erin Diamond
GENRE: Buddy Comedy, Heist
FORMAT: Short Film
ACCESSIBILITY: Closed Captions - English, Closed Captions - Spanish, Audio Description (read by the director) - English
SCREENING INQUIRIES: whitney@whitneychitwood.com
director’s statement
Bury your gays? NO WAY! Wrap 'em in knitwear!
As a queer transwoman it's vital to me to tell stories of joy centering queer/trans characters without our identities being a source of conflict or pain. I wanted to make a comedy that's a warm hug about some hard truths; and nothing is funnier to me than people taking something ridiculous incredibly seriously.
Amid the shenanigans, goofery, and tomfoolery, "Sam Wants Her Sweater Back" visually and narratively presents two specific themes. The neon-drenched fantasy world juxtaposed with reality's inviting warmth illustrates the absurdity of avoidance, while the characters' ranging interactions with doors depicts their capability to move on from the past.
At some point, we've all contrived worlds where we cast ourselves as the dutiful hero, rescuing someone else so we can avoid confronting our own pain - abandoning nuance for strict "winners and losers". Especially after heartbreak, it's easy to forget the only way out is through and only by looking to our communities for understanding and care can we mend ourselves.
Final brag for the road: 90% of our cast & crew are POC, LGBTQ, and/or women identified. As a first time filmmaker, cultivating that community has been one of my greatest honors.
I hope "Sam Wants Her Sweater Back" leaves you awash in appreciation and love for your own beautiful, chaotic, life-affirming friendships and community (regardless of who keeps the sweater).
director’s bio
Former horsegirl and current grownup gay lady, Whitney Chitwood (she/they) is a Chicago based writer/director who was raised by two theatre owner/director parents in small-town Illinois. She was selected by the Emmy-nominated OTV for their Atlas Ambassador program (2025) alongside her short film Sam Wants Her Sweater Back, which is about to begin its festival run. A co-production with Full Spectrum Features (Desire Lines, Signature Move) SWHSB’s screenplay received Seed & Spark’s Mark Duplass Spotlight and finished Top 10 in Cinequest’s Screenwriting Competition.
Currently, Whit’s queer anti-Western series Kid is in development with Anarchists United & Lilly Wachowski.
Prior to moving behind the camera full time, Whit toured nationally as a headlining comedian. Her debut album "The Bakery Case" premiered at #1 on iTunes and Top 10 on the Billboard Comedy Charts.
As an artist, Whit’s work always passes the hell out of the Bechdel Test and strives to center LGBTQIA+ characters without queerness being the central conflict, ideals integral to her production company Witch It Productions, LLC.