Gen X and Gen Z Filmmaking Team Nominated for Best Screenplay at Big Apple Film Festival
A poster for the recently nominated Occam's Beard
Gen X and Gen Z filmmakers create a psychological drama exploring identity, mental health, and the blurred line between performance and reality.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Occam’s Beard, a new short screenplay from Camelback Films, has been named an official Semifinalist in the 2025 Big Apple Film Festival. Written by Harry Cooke and David Ezell, the film marks a rare collaboration between two filmmakers from different generations: Ezell, a Gen X storyteller with a background in clinical psychology, and Cooke, a Gen Z actor-writer whose intuitive, contemporary approach brings emotional immediacy to the screen.Set within the blurred boundaries of performance and delusion, Occam’s Beard follows PJ Phillips, a former child star haunted by his past fame, who comes to believe that his trusted therapist has been replaced by an impostor. The story examines the fragile intersection of identity, mental health, and the thin line between performance and reality.
“We wanted to explore how perception shapes truth,” says David Ezell. “For an actor—or anyone—the question of what’s real, of who is telling the truth, is becoming increasingly complicated in the modern era.”
“Everyone, actors especially, has questioned others’ authenticity after seeing how good people can be at acting,” adds Harry Cooke. “That mistrust is what we wanted to explore with Occam.”
A Cross-Generational Collaboration
Occam’s Beard embodies Camelback Films’ mission to unite perspectives across generations and disciplines. Ezell and Cooke—representing the Gen X and Gen Z ends of the creative spectrum—merge intellectual insight with emotional rawness, creating work that speaks to both eras.
“Camelback Films was built on the belief that collaboration between generations doesn’t dilute artistic vision—it deepens it,” says Ezell.
About Camelback Films
Camelback Films is a New York–based independent production company founded by Harry Cooke and David Ezell. The company focuses on character-driven stories that bridge psychology and art, bringing theatrical discipline to cinematic storytelling. In addition to Occam’s Beard, the team recently completed production on their upcoming documentary Paper Moon Rise, which retraces the Kansas-to-Missouri road trip of the 1973 classic Paper Moon.
Festival & Contact
The Big Apple Film Festival takes place November 10-13. 2025 in New York City, celebrating emerging voices in independent cinema.
Press Contact:
David Ezell
📧 David@camelbackfilms.nyc
📞 (347) 302-2585
David Ezell
Camelback Films
+1 347-302-2585
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Occam's Beard Sizzle Reel
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