"Cracked" Finds Horror and Renewal in a Morning Routine

Jessica Rizk spent years unable to shake a single image: eggs blending into a woman's body. She chased it through oil paintings that never quite satisfied her, then decided the only way through was to give it more dimensions. The result is Cracked, her first short 2D animated film, a hand-drawn descent into a depressive psyche where flickering lights, invasive roaches, and accumulating grime become impossible to ignore.

A Lebanese-American director, writer, and multidisciplinary artist based in New York, Rizk completed a three-year animation program at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2024 and finished Cracked in 2025 — animating, inking, coloring, and building the whole film largely on her own. The film screens in HollyShorts' Animation I block, and it announces a distinctive voice: edge and aggression, delicacy and femininity, all at once.

Key Takeaways

• Cracked is a psychological horror built from a single haunting image — eggs dissolving into a woman's body — that Rizk couldn't leave behind.
• Two years and roughly 7,000 hand-drawn frames went into five minutes of solo 2D animation.
• Rizk's throughline: rock-bottom is a good place to be, because you're about to climb out.

A conversation with the filmmaker about obsession, grime, and the meditative grind of animating alone.

Interview

What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?

For years, I was stuck on an image of eggs blending into a woman's body, which I had unsatisfactorily explored in oil paintings. I couldn't figure out why those images were so compelling to me or why I couldn't move past them, so I decided to explore them in more dimensions through film. The first thing I had to figure out was, why eggs? Eggs are a routine breakfast food, something you can eat without planning or thought. Why are they blending into her body? It could be explained by a dissociative state, where she goes through the motions of her daily routine while neglecting any sense of self. This film stepped into a depressive psyche through these images. Eggs crack, and humans crack too. The former is necessary for birth or renewal, while the latter describes mental breakdowns. I included both those themes in Cracked. Why now? There's an abundance of depression and dissociation out there, and Dolly Parton is taking a break from singing, so God help us.

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically?

2D hand-drawn animation is a beast, but you don't appreciate just how beastly it is until you're actually trying to make a 2D animated film by yourself. I had originally planned to spend a year on it, but it took two for just five minutes of animation — 7,000 frames. I learned so much by doing the storyboarding, animatic, character design, backgrounds, animation, inking, coloring, and sound effects. An advantage in indie animation is that you can pivot at any time. If you realize your story would be improved by inserting a key moment when you're already very deep into production, you can make it on the spot. On Cracked, I realized a few months in that the protagonist would benefit from a moment of introspection. I didn't have to reconvene all the actors and organize a shoot. I could just draw it.

What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?

I think the aesthetic of the film is very me. It's got edge and aggressive strokes, but it's also delicate and feminine. I've always been very drawn to that dichotomy. In music, I think Poppy's album I Disagree, especially her song "Concrete," captures that spirit well. Cracked also draws from the visual artists that have most inspired me, like Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec.

What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?

Cracked takes place in one room with dynamic shots. The hardest creative decision was not creating a 3D model of the room to reference for the background designs from different perspectives. I could have built one in Blender and just used it as reference for all the shots. Instead, I had to maintain consistency with no visual reference beyond imagination or memory — the setting is inspired by my old Brooklyn apartment — and perspective guides. I ultimately think it added more character by having the perspectives slightly off. It's also good practice.

What tool, technique, resource, collaborator, or mindset shift helped most during production?

You have to enjoy the process of making it. I like to think of animation the way my grandma approached knitting. Something meditative to do with your hands while you watch a show or listen to music. It's thrilling when you start to see all the pieces come together. Before you know it, a few years have gone by and you have a minute or two to show for them.

What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and what would you share with others?

I enjoyed the sense of accountability I felt making this independently. There was no one to save me. If I didn't figure it out, no one was going to. I think that will make me a stronger filmmaker when I have larger projects to manage. I would recommend animation directors get a good grasp of each step, so they feel empowered to step into any part of the process if needed — to effectively bring their vision to life and provide better direction to their teams.

What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts?

I'm so grateful for the way HollyShorts champions indie filmmakers and the platform they provide. I think it sends an empowering message to other filmmakers that a film you make alone at home can compete on a global stage with such talent. I'm shocked and honored to be sharing my block — Animation I on Aug 14 — with the 2026 Oscar winner "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," among other great works. Thank you, HollyShorts team. And what I hope audiences take away is simple: rock-bottom is a good place to be. You're about to get out of your rut.

Main Cast & Crew

• Jessica Rizk — Director, Creator, and Animator. A Lebanese-American director, writer, and multidisciplinary artist based in New York City, she completed a three-year animation program at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2024 and finished her first short 2D animated film, Cracked, in 2025. She is currently developing a feature-length animation script and a short film.
• Soren Anderson — Original Score and Sound Design. A pianist and composer who studied Economics at Harvard College. Rizk and Anderson are married and frequent collaborators.

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