Film Synopsis
The Quest for Sleep is a documentary that follows real characters whose struggles with sleep threaten to unravel their waking lives. The character of “Sleep” narrates, acting as a poetic and insightful foil to our cast, and leads the audience to experts who illuminate the science behind how we sleep and what keeps us awake. Powerful 3D animation takes us inside the brains of our characters as the stories playing out in their lives echo across their synapses.
Sleep
OCTAVIA SPENCER
Sleep Narrator
Octavia Spencer is one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents as an executive producer and Academy Award® winning actress. She is best known for her outstanding role in The Help and the films Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water, and Fruitvale Station. She can currently be seen in the second season of Truth Be Told. Octavia's ability to take on a wide range of characters gives way to her nuanced narration, bringing to life the voice of Sleep itself in our film. Tying together compelling storytelling and science, Octavia offers a poetic, witty, and insightful voice to the struggles and hopes of our real characters.
Experts
Real Voices
Osmosis films is an award-winning creative studio founded in 2010 that combines global production resources and a unique collaborative process to bring powerful narratives to life across all media types and platforms. Their films include the Academy Award short-listed documentary The Lottery and ESPN's 30-for-30 Fernando Nation. Osmosis' team has created premium documentary content for HBO, ESPN 30-for-30, A&E, A24, Vice, and more.
Rachel is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker with over 15 years of experience in the documentary space. Highlights of her work include Mavis! and A Matter of Taste, both picked up by HBO, and she is the co-creator and Executive Producer of A&E's acclaimed series, The Killing Season.
Most recently, Rachel co-produced the Emmy-nominated feature documentary, Born to Be, about the Center for Transgender Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is drawn to character-driven documentaries from the most earnest to the most absurd and is fascinated by work that sheds light on tucked-away stories.
Michael is a dynamic healthcare executive with 25 years of experience across multiple disciplines. His core areas of expertise are marketing strategy, brand development and communications.
Christie is a healthcare communications veteran with more than 30 years of experience in almost all major therapeutic categories. Throughout her career, clients and colleagues have counted on Christie as a true communications partner, providing insights and counsel that spark "aha moments."
James is a producer of documentaries, narrative feature films, theater, television, and interactive design. His films have been shortlisted for the Academy Awards, and he has produced content that has premiered on HBO, Showtime, ESPN, Amazon, Netflix, and other major networks and streaming platforms. Additional film work has been featured at the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes, Berlin Film Festival, and numerous other festivals worldwide. James leads the Osmosis Films team of award-winning creatives in their mission to make powerful, empathetic, and visually stunning multimedia.
Todd is known for his work on Happy!, Yes, God, Yes and Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream. His exploration of natural light and ability to create an intimate setting helps illustrate and pull audiences into the minds of people suffering from insomnia.
Troy is an Emmy-winning composer, editor, and producer. He has scored multiple award-winning films including 306 Hollywood, The Hottest August, Bulletproof, Born to Be, The Disrupted, The Dog, and Mountain Fire Personnel, which have premiered at major festivals including Sundance, Toronto, SXSW, HotDocs, Tribeca, MoMA, NYFF, and True/False.
Josh has developed and produced premium, Emmy-nominated documentaries and other factual media for over a decade. Clients include Netflix, Amazon, Audible, National Geographic, Discovery, HBO, VICE, truTV, Strategic Education, and dozens of nonprofits.
Alison is a content strategist with Osmosis Films, specializing in visual communication strategies, content development, audience engagement, and more. She works across all content types, from feature-length documentaries to social campaigns. Previously, she provided content and marketing strategy and execution to a range of startup companies and clients.