ShortFest 2024: 'ILY, Bye' director talks comedy, working with Megan Stalter, Rainn Wilson

While it may be socially acceptable — and even endearing — to say "I love you, bye" when ending a phone call with loved ones, it's a little inappropriate when saying it to an employer. Even worse is when you make your follow-up apology phone call somehow more awkward.

That's exactly the situation a down-on-her-luck Siobhan finds herself in the short film "ILY, Bye." The "high dumb, high stakes" comedy, as director Taylor James puts it, is one of 310 films part of the 30th annual Palm Springs International ShortFest, taking place June 18-24.

"ILY, Bye" will screen at 6 p.m. June 20 at Regal Palm Springs as part of the "Failure to Launch" program.

The short film stars "Hacks" actress Megan Stalter and "The Rookie" actor Kanoa Goo, and features the voices of "The Office" actor Rainn Wilson and TikTok comedian Benito Skinner.

Goofy, unemployed Siobhan (Stalter) can't seem to get her life together until her friend Gary (Goo) connects her with her boss. The only thing she needs to do is call his office and set up a time for an interview. Unfortunately, that proves to be an impossible task as Siobhan is the most unprofessional person in the world. When she leaves several unbelievably embarrassing and inappropriate voicemails for Mr. Litchfield (Wilson), she has to craft up a plan to erase them from his work phone, which, as expected, is full of plenty of complicated twists for Siobhan.

"ILY, Bye" is James' narrative directorial debut after creating music videos and content for beauty and fashion brands. It's been a "scary" jump, he admits, but meeting other filmmakers on the film festival circuit has been a highlight. He will be attending ShortFest for the first time with Goo and potentially Stalter.

Making a comedy is always a challenge, whether it be a short or feature-length film, and it's especially daunting for a first-time filmmaker. James said that even before he made his film, people were telling him that comedies were difficult to program at festivals.

"There's a lot of festivals that are just a lot more serious than I am. My film, in particular, is high dumb, high stakes. It's more of an escape, and that's the type of stuff I really like to make and watch," James said. "I love a heartbreaking, serious film as much as the next person, but I also think it's so important to have those moments as a culture to watch films to escape and to laugh and to just find joy."

As a queer filmmaker himself, he added that he wanted to create a story that wasn't "devastating" and traumatic, but instead mirrored his and his friends' day-to-day lives, which include being "funny and stupid" and sometimes a bit "problematic."

James was inspired by a very universal human experience — saying the wrong thing to the wrong person — and how anxiety might make something so innocuous feel so much bigger. For Siobhan, it's ending a voice message with "I love you, bye" to a potential employer. It's harmless enough, but what makes the situation even worse is how she keeps calling back and leaving more wild messages, single-handedly destroying any employment chances and potentially costing Gary his job.

The director said he wrote the roles of Siobhan and Gary for Stalter and Goo because of their friendship and chemistry. He added that he's a "friend and a fan" of Stalter, who, along with her work on the comedy series "Hacks," posts humorous videos on social media that he is always laughing at. While most of the short film was scripted, there were times when Stalter could punch up scenes or go off on an improvised tangent, James said.

The character of Mr. Litchfield wasn't written specifically with Wilson in mind, but James knew it had to be played by an actor who people know and identify as a straight actor, he said. That plays a big part when Siobhan uncovers a secret about Mr. Litchfield while lurking around his office.

As he eyes his first ShortFest, James said he's most looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and creatives in the desert.

"It's so rare that you have the opportunity to be in a space with that many other people that are in a similar place as you in their careers," James said. "It's so much work and so much passion, and so to get to be in a space with so many people that experience that same joy and drama of making a short film is really exciting."

If you go

What: "ILY, Bye" screening at the 30th annual Palm Springs International ShortFest

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, June 20

Where: Regal Palm Springs, 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs

Cost: $15 for general admission, $12 for Film Society members

More info: www.psfilmfest.org/shortfest-2024/

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'ILY, Bye' with Megan Stalter, Rainn Wilson coming to Palm Springs fest