Filmmaker - Storyteller
Why Are You Like This? (2025)

It's all fun and games... unless you're Kara.
Starring: Melanie Thompson, Marisa Hood, Nate Hapke,
Shiva Ayama, Kelsey L. Moore, Javier Prusky,
CB Mullen, Niya Wright, Daniel Koren, and Whitney Montgomery
Directed by Nate Hapke
Written by Rosie Grace & Nate Hapke
Produced by Rosie Grace & Nate Hapke
Director of Photography Nicholas Ferreiro
Gaffer Eddy Scully
1st Assistant Camera Sean Singer
Camera PA Maclaine Dirksen
Production Designer Daniel Koren
Costume Designer Rosie Grace
Makeup Department Head Lian Uritsky
Makeup Artist Daniela Babcock
1st Assistant Director Sarah Soderquist
Script Supervisor Caroline Kauffman
Key Production Assistant Hayward Crawford
Production Assistant Alisia Gutierrez
Production Sound Mixer Sandra Joen Perez-Tejeda
Edited/Colored by Nicholas Ferreiro
Re-recording Mixer Justin Lebens
Score by Caleb Parker
Artist’s Statement:
I get inspired to create by a lot of things and I am grateful for all of them.
1) Friendship or kinship with people you actually like spending time with and, furthermore, who like doing what you like doing (making movies, watching movies, playing games, see also etcetera). When you find your people, your team, your fellow creatives who want to make stuff with you, it's really special. And inspiring. And fulfilling. Melanie Thompson and Marisa Hood are these people for Rosie Grace and me.
2) Producibility. Available locations we can use for free? Check. Talented friends who can stretch a dollar in front of and behind a camera for the sake of creativity? Check. A fun concept that is contained, builds on what you explored in your second feature film and your last short ensemble comedy? Check.
3) Fun. This project was a lot of fun to make. It's the first time in a while where we got to say "Based on a true story." One of our leads, not naming names but Melanie, is an incredibly sweet person who happens to take games quite seriously and personally. Even the slightest misstep by a competitor might be enough to set her off. It's one of the many things that makes friendship with her so special. We had heard stories about this, and even witnessed it in a small sample ahead of a game night earlier this year when one of us said - this could be a movie.
That's all Rosie and I needed. We knew we had to make something this year. We wanted to stay in the same narrative space as our second feature film Surprise! with the ensemble comedy nature. We had our concept as a jumping off point, and used the structure of Ride Share as a starting point for the writing. From there, what's the story? A person who takes games too seriously? That's a character. When that compulsion threatens friendships and a relationship to the point that a couple needs to attend therapy in order to move forward? That's a narrative. Okay so there's a therapy session and maybe that can be the framing device, and the different game nights can be flashbacks used as supporting evidence for one of characters to help the other realize and accept that they have a problem. So it's really about someone admitting they have a problem? Yup.
I loved making this movie. I loved making it with my friends. I loved making it producible. And I loved having fun while making it.
Theatrical Trailer
Stills
Behind the Scenes
Interviews/Press/Reviews
Laurels/Screenings/Awards
Official Selection - WORLD PREMIERE - DANCES WITH FILMS:NY - 2024
Official Selection - New York CineFest 2025
Official Selection - Pasadena International Film Festival 2025
Official Selection - Detroit's Trinity International Film Festival 2025
Official Selection - The Valley Film Festival 2025
Official Selection - Rock the Shorts Film Festival 2025
Official Selection - Newark Independent Film Festival 2025
Official Selection - North Hollywood CineFest 2025
Official Selection - Simi Film Fest 2025
Official Selection - Salt City Film Fest 2025
Nominee - Best Comedy - New York CineFest 2025, Simi Film Fest 2025
Nominee - Best Short, Best Comedy, Best Lead Actress - Melanie Thompson, Best Ensemble Cast, Spirit Award, Committee Award - Newark Independent Film Festival 2025
Honorable Mention - Blackbird Film Festival 2025
Winner - Best Comedy - Detroit's Trinity International Film Festival 2025
Winner - Best Ensemble Cast - Newark Independent Film Festival 2025