LIVING WITH A VISIONARY
Animated short, 2026, 15 minutes
Pencil and Watercolor Crayon on Vellum
Garden Shed Productions/Cartuna
After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. A true story.
Narrated by Academy Award nominee James Cromwell (Babe, L.A Confidential), and based on John Matthias’ memoir first published in The New Yorker, Living with a Visionary is a soulful, bittersweet reflection on John’s fifty-year marriage to Diana, an art curator grappling with Parkinson’s. As Diana’s medication besets her with vivid, often beautiful hallucinations, John, now her caregiver, adapts to her imaginary world. When the Covid-19 pandemic separates them, John is forced to admit he can no longer care for Diana, and struggles to free himself from a psychiatric ward. In John’s final phone conversation with a Covid-positive Diana, he reads her the first poem he ever wrote for her, and is left with the memories of her visions.
Starring: James Cromwell with Katherine LaVictoire
Casting by: Kristi Reed
Music by: Simon Panrucker
Sound Design and Mix by: Nick Gotten
Executive Producers: James Belfer, Adam Belfer, and Stephen P. Neary
Produced by: Stephen P. Neary and Mireia Vilanova
Written and Directed by: Stephen P. Neary
2026 Sundance Film Festival - Short Film Jury Award: Animation
2026 AFI Fest - Winner Grand Jury Award for Animation
2026 Indy Shorts International Film Festival - Winner Animated Audience Choice Award
2026 Bucheon International Animation Festival - Winner Special Distinction Prize, International Competition
2026 Philadelphia Film Festival - Winner Best Short
2026 Navarra International Film Festival - Winner Best International Short
2026 Bend Film Festival - Winner Best Animated Short
2026 Breckenridge Film Festival - Winner Best Animated Film
2026 Sidewalk Film Festival - Winner Audience Choice for Best Narrative Short
2026 Vashon Island Film Festival - Winner Audience Award for Best Short
2026 Silver Frame Film Festival - Winner Best International Short Film
2026 Salute Your Shorts - Winner Best Animated Short, Honorable Mention Best Local Short
2026 Flatpack Festival - Winner Audience Award
2026 Fear No Film - Utah Arts Festival - Winner Audience Award for Documentary
2026 Mt. Gretna International Film Festival - Winner “Vita Maxima” (Best in Show), Best Animation, Best Editing, Audience Award Best Animation
2026 MoliseCinema Film Festival - Honorable Mention International Competition
2026 Sulmona International Film Festival - Special Mention Animated Shorts
2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
2026 Miami Film Festival
2026 Dallas International Film Festival
2026 San Francisco International Film Festival
2026 Animayo International Film Festival
2026 Animafilm International Animation Festival
2026 Fest Anča International Animation Festival
2026 SouthSide Film Festival
2026 Tribeca Film Festival (Special Screening)
2026 Rooftop Films
2026 Raindance Film Festival
2026 Ouray International Film Festival
2026 Animator
2026 BFI We Crip Film Festival
2026 Film Independent Artist Development Showcase
2026 Nevada City Film Festival
2026 Hollyshorts Film Festival
2026 Lone Peak Film Festival
2026 Victory International Film Festival
2026 Bolton Film Festival
2026 Calgary International Film Festival
2026 Edmonton International Film Festival
2026 Naples International Film Festival
2026 Chambana Film Society
2026 dotdotdot
2026 15 Short Film Festival
2026 Silver Lake Shorts (October)
2026 Woodstock Film Festival
2026 Animation is Film
2026 Slough Motion Film Festival
2026 Hamptons Film Festival
2026 Twin Cities Film Festival
2026 ReadingFilmFEST
2026 Aesthetica Film Festival
2026 Coronado Island Film Festival
2026 St. Louis International Film Festival
2026 Heartland Film Festival
2026 SCAD Savannah Film Festival
2026 FilmQuest
2026 BITBANG Festival Internacional de Animación
2026 Thessaloniki Animation Festival
2026 Inclús – Barcelona International Disability Film Festival 2026
2026 Tampa Animation Festival
2026 Short Film Festival Cologne
Animated short, 2026, 15 minutes
Pencil and Watercolor Crayon on Vellum
Garden Shed Productions/Cartuna
After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. A true story.
Narrated by Academy Award nominee James Cromwell (Babe, L.A Confidential), and based on John Matthias’ memoir first published in The New Yorker, Living with a Visionary is a soulful, bittersweet reflection on John’s fifty-year marriage to Diana, an art curator grappling with Parkinson’s. As Diana’s medication besets her with vivid, often beautiful hallucinations, John, now her caregiver, adapts to her imaginary world. When the Covid-19 pandemic separates them, John is forced to admit he can no longer care for Diana, and struggles to free himself from a psychiatric ward. In John’s final phone conversation with a Covid-positive Diana, he reads her the first poem he ever wrote for her, and is left with the memories of her visions.
Starring: James Cromwell with Katherine LaVictoire
Casting by: Kristi Reed
Music by: Simon Panrucker
Sound Design and Mix by: Nick Gotten
Executive Producers: James Belfer, Adam Belfer, and Stephen P. Neary
Produced by: Stephen P. Neary and Mireia Vilanova
Written and Directed by: Stephen P. Neary
2026 Sundance Film Festival - Short Film Jury Award: Animation
2026 AFI Fest - Winner Grand Jury Award for Animation
2026 Indy Shorts International Film Festival - Winner Animated Audience Choice Award
2026 Bucheon International Animation Festival - Winner Special Distinction Prize, International Competition
2026 Philadelphia Film Festival - Winner Best Short
2026 Navarra International Film Festival - Winner Best International Short
2026 Bend Film Festival - Winner Best Animated Short
2026 Breckenridge Film Festival - Winner Best Animated Film
2026 Sidewalk Film Festival - Winner Audience Choice for Best Narrative Short
2026 Vashon Island Film Festival - Winner Audience Award for Best Short
2026 Silver Frame Film Festival - Winner Best International Short Film
2026 Salute Your Shorts - Winner Best Animated Short, Honorable Mention Best Local Short
2026 Flatpack Festival - Winner Audience Award
2026 Fear No Film - Utah Arts Festival - Winner Audience Award for Documentary
2026 Mt. Gretna International Film Festival - Winner “Vita Maxima” (Best in Show), Best Animation, Best Editing, Audience Award Best Animation
2026 MoliseCinema Film Festival - Honorable Mention International Competition
2026 Sulmona International Film Festival - Special Mention Animated Shorts
2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
2026 Miami Film Festival
2026 Dallas International Film Festival
2026 San Francisco International Film Festival
2026 Animayo International Film Festival
2026 Animafilm International Animation Festival
2026 Fest Anča International Animation Festival
2026 SouthSide Film Festival
2026 Tribeca Film Festival (Special Screening)
2026 Rooftop Films
2026 Raindance Film Festival
2026 Ouray International Film Festival
2026 Animator
2026 BFI We Crip Film Festival
2026 Film Independent Artist Development Showcase
2026 Nevada City Film Festival
2026 Hollyshorts Film Festival
2026 Lone Peak Film Festival
2026 Victory International Film Festival
2026 Bolton Film Festival
2026 Calgary International Film Festival
2026 Edmonton International Film Festival
2026 Naples International Film Festival
2026 Chambana Film Society
2026 dotdotdot
2026 15 Short Film Festival
2026 Silver Lake Shorts (October)
2026 Woodstock Film Festival
2026 Animation is Film
2026 Slough Motion Film Festival
2026 Hamptons Film Festival
2026 Twin Cities Film Festival
2026 ReadingFilmFEST
2026 Aesthetica Film Festival
2026 Coronado Island Film Festival
2026 St. Louis International Film Festival
2026 Heartland Film Festival
2026 SCAD Savannah Film Festival
2026 FilmQuest
2026 BITBANG Festival Internacional de Animación
2026 Thessaloniki Animation Festival
2026 Inclús – Barcelona International Disability Film Festival 2026
2026 Tampa Animation Festival
2026 Short Film Festival Cologne