JAKE

BARK (2017)

Co-writer, director, editor

*Winner of the Programmer’s Standout Award, Hell’s Half Mile Film Festival                                        *Winner of the Best Windy City Feature, Blowup International Arthouse Film Festival

“After the sudden loss of their mother, three suburban siblings struggle to move forward as witnessed by their dog, Leadbelly. This mumblecore drama from Chicago beautifully captures sibling relationships and grief while never resorting to exaggeration or over-simplification… Directors Anna Nilles and Marco Jake aren’t afraid to linger on boredom or real-time mundanity (introduced with an opening quote from the poet John Berryman, “Life, friends, is boring.”) But the film gives us plenty to chew on, most significantly in its rich characterizations of its three leads.

All told, it’s an impressive first feature from Nilles and Jake who tap perfectly into the attitudes and personalities of its young characters, never overselling the drama but finding plenty of emotion in unlikely places.” —No Budge review