The Last Act
Short Film
Project Type: Short Film
Project Status: Post-Production
Producer, Director, and Writer: Zilong Zee
Co-Producer: Joyce Lao
LOGLINE
An aspiring Broadway actress, constantly overlooked due to her size, reaches her breaking point after a humiliating audition—leading to a shocking act of violence that spirals into a psychological nightmare.
SYNOPSIS
The Last Act follows Jacqueline, an oversized, struggling musical theater
actress living in the hustle and bustle of NYC. After enduring countless rejections and
humiliations, Jacqueline’s frustrations reach a breaking point when a casting director
cruelly insults her at an audition.
In a desperate spiral, Jacqueline kidnaps Andrew, a pretentious producer, and drags
him to a basement to force him to confront the industry’s callousness. However, the
lines between reality and Jacqueline’s performance blur as it’s revealed that the entire situation may be part of a twisted film production.
With sharp dark humor and a suspenseful edge, The Last Act explores the relentless
pursuit of success, the weight of societal expectations, and one woman’s descent into
madness as she fights to have her final moment in the spotlight.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
The Last Act is a dark drama exploring the emotional toll of rejection in the entertainment industry. The story tackles themes of body image, societal expectations, and the intense pressure faced by aspiring artists.
It delves into the psychological impact of constant criticism and the breaking point where ambition, vulnerability, and desperation collide. The film serves as a commentary on the harsh realities of show business and the cost of chasing dreams in a world that often values appearance over talent.
Meet The Filmmakers
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Zilong Zee
Director/Producer
Zilong Zee, is an actor, singer, and songwriter, with a diverse artistic background. A graduate of the European acting school Cours Florent in Paris and the New York Film Academy’s musical theater program, Zilong has performed in numerous musicals both across the U.S. and internationally.
His performances have graced prestigious stages like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Zilong’s talents extend to screen acting, with several appearances in TV show sand independent lms, some of which have premiered at major film festivals, including Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.
As a pop music songwriter, his music is available on all major streaming platforms. In 2022, Zilong moved from New York to California and founded Vision Z Productions, aiming to deliver bold, unique stories to audiences around the world.
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Joyce Lao
Co-Producer
Joyce Lao is a New York City - based actress, performer, producer, director, arts educator and arts administrator. She has a degree in Psychology (pre-med), Special Education, MA in Music, MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College and attended Juilliard, Stella Adler School of Acting and HB Studios.
She grew up competing as a dancer, singer, orator and created her versions of performance art. She has produced, acted and written several lms that have been screened in the lm festival circuit. Her Directorial debut, “Hecuba” won Runner – up as Best Ensemble and for Best Director at the Ancient Drama Festival and has produced and created theatre experiences for The NYC Fringe festival, Midtown International Theatre festival and lately, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - all well received. Her latest short film, Eva's Gabriel received nominations and awards.
As an artist and performer, she also has the passion to help and promote other talents - most especially multi-talented people of color especially talents of Asian, POC, and Indigenous descent. This passion turned into a vision. She has been establishing herself as a creative professional and founded The Ally Artists Group. She also introduced her own arts education programs and founded The Young Artist .
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Adam Weinberg
Director of Photography
Adam Weinberg is a Director of Photography and Director who has worked on episodic TV (HBO, Oxygen), commercials (Google, Estee Lauder), feature lms (King of Cool, Serial Killer in Harlem), documentary (Thrillist, UNICEF), branded content (Mercedes, Samsung), music videos (Atlantic Records, Sony Music Entertainment), and industrials (MSNBC, Starbucks).
Projects he has shot have aired on broadcast TV, have won awards at lm festivals, and have reached millions of views on streaming platforms. Along with having overseen hundreds of productions, many from pre-production through delivery, Adam has also worked as a producer, video editor, and colorist on large scale productions.
He has been hired to work on projects all over the world, and has shot many A-list actors, industry leaders, and household names such as Je Goldblum, Kendall Jenner, Zoe Kravitz, John Cena, Martha Stewart, Karlie Kloss, David Guetta, and Victoria Beckham.
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R.D. Womack
Editor
R.D. Womack II is a director, producer, and editor from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Womack began his career as an editor and creative director for trailers and marketing.
As an editor he cut award winning trailers for Disney, Lionsgate, and Marvel; including titles such as Avengers Infinity War, Thor Ragnarok, and many others. Womack has produced and directed multiple feature films; winning accolades at various film festivals, including multiple "Best Director" and "Best Film" awards. His latest project "In This Gray Place" is streaming on Paramount+.
Womack currently serves as the Executive Director of the Wyoming International Film Festival.
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Daniel Calvo
VFX artist
Daniel Calvo is a highly experienced Post Producer, VFX Artist, and Colorist with over 15 years in the film and commercial industry. His expertise spans feature films, short films, commercials, promos, and music videos, working with both major production companies and independent filmmakers.
In recent years, he has been actively involved in cloud-based post-production projects across multiple countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina, where he is based. His extensive client list includes top-tier companies such as EL DESEO, PATAGONIK, 4HUMANS, TRONCO, FLAMBOYANT PARADISE, MU FILMS, PLENTY, 3DAR, and global brands like Coca-Cola, Ford Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Sonos, Johnson & Johnson, and Dannon, among others.
Daniel is the founder of ALDEA, a boutique post-production studio that delivers high-quality services, including VFX, 3D animation, color grading, and motion graphics. His meticulous attention to detail, strong communication skills, and deep understanding of composition, color, light, and shadow allow him to bring a creative and technical edge to every project.
Your Help
THE LAST ACT is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!