Losses & Gains

Giant Void recently lost one of its own: Sheila Ivy Traister.

I first met Sheila in late July 2024. This was our first in-person meeting to discuss the possibility of her playing Dr. Sato in Giant Void. The producers and I were all in agreement: based on her self-taped audition, Sheila was Dr. Sato. And as we sat down with our iced teas and started talking, my feelings were completely confirmed.

Dr. Sato was one of the hardest casting problems of the film. I needed someone who could play a deep thinker. I was looking for an observer fascinated by her subjects, and someone open to, perhaps yearning for, unimagined possibilities hidden within reality. And suddenly there she was, in the flesh, sitting across the table from me. A highly intelligent human being, someone eagerly experiencing and loving the world and people around her. And so aware of your presence. To converse with Sheila was to feel seen and heard.

Now she’s gone, and I wish I had seen and heard more of her. She leaves behind the lives she’s touched, including mine, and the lives she’ll continue to touch through her remarkable work. May we all strive for a similar legacy.

In lighter news I know Sheila would’ve been proud to read, here’s a non-exhaustive list of what Giant Void’s cast and crew have been up to.

Shahjehan Khan starred in a music video for a band that he’s currently touring with (in Denver September 22). He’s running a podcast about Pakistani bands and nightclubs in the 1960s. He’s in Deli Boys, a hit crime comedy on Hulu. He’s in Aftermath, a Netflix movie that was in the #1 position for a while this spring. And just to prove how cool he is, Shahjehan appeared on season 2 episode 7 of The Walking Dead: Dead City. Ok, Shahjehan, we get it. You’re cool.

Stop what you’re doing and ask yourself: Will I be in New York City in the next three months? If the answer is yes, you need to see the Elaine Hendrix-produced Ginger Twinsies, a parody inspired by Elaine’s iconic portrayal of Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap (1998). This play was one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever seen. Imagine Tim Robinson headlining a troupe rioting drag queens. Tickets here.

Molly Burnett and Tyler Laracca had a great conversation on Tyler’s podcast, Pretend Worlds Real People. Lots of good Giant Void nuggets in that episode. Molly is also going through one book every month with Alyssa Tabit Smith on their A Novel Bunch podcast.

And Russell Sams brought his magic to 2025’s Kindred, as well season 3 episode 7 of the SyFy series SurrealEstate.

Locally, Andrew Baird, Zoe McGuire, Brian Landis Folkins, Daevon Robinson and DU alum Edmund Tyler all worked together on the indie feature Uck. Sheevani Ignasinski performed in a short film. Jeff Steele also made a short, which premiered at Screamfest 2025. Kathleen Elsa has been traveling the world doing her sound magic for Netflix documentaries, TV shows and short films, as well as setting up her own podcast coming soon. Our DU interns are also busy, with Claudia Cutler shooting her first short film and Abbie Menard plugging right into the local film scene at Dragonfruit Video.

GV team, if I missed anything just drop me a line!

Postproduction progress has been slow but we’re making headway. Next post will have details plus a teaser, so stay tuned.