Yale Alumni’s “Floating Carousel” Wins Award at Woodstock Festival

Delilah Napier and Lucy Powers, both graduates of Yale University, celebrated the premiere of their feature film “Floating Carousel” at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 6, 2023. The film, a dark comedy that explores modern dating in New York City, was awarded the “Ultra Indie” award during the festival.

“Floating Carousel” draws upon the personal experiences of Napier and Powers, particularly a striking coincidence from 2021. Both women downloaded the dating app Hinge and ended up going on a date with the same man within four days. Napier noted, “We realized he followed this psychopathically manipulated routine, and he had his script down to a T.” This revelation inspired them to examine the patterns and dynamics of contemporary dating.

Collaboration Rooted in Yale Experience

The partnership between Napier and Powers began in their undergraduate years at Yale. Both majored in theater and performance studies, meeting on their first day and collaborating on multiple projects throughout their time at the university. For their senior thesis, they co-created a film titled “Voyeur,” which centered on theater students at Yale and won the best U.S. feature film and an audience award at the 2020 SoHo International Film Festival.

Their creative collaboration continued after graduation with the short film “The Compound” in 2021 and the comedy “Victor Versus the Metaverse” in 2022. “Having met at Yale, we now have so much shared history and people in common,” Napier explained. “It’s nice to share a common vernacular of stories and people when we’re writing together.”

Exploring Modern Relationships

“Floating Carousel” delves into the impact of app culture on relationships, highlighting how dating apps create a transactional nature in connections. Napier expressed that while these apps can connect individuals, they often lead to “fake intimacies” that can paradoxically foster feelings of loneliness. “We’re trying to explore this idea of having all these people all around you, but these fake intimacies sometimes make us feel closer than we are,” Powers stated.

The film’s narrative weaves together a diverse cast of characters, including a Gender Studies master’s student, a chaotic philanderer, and a professional cuddler, all of whom navigate a series of dystopian dating scenarios. Actor Glori Dei Filippone, who portrays Alex, described her character as “not afraid to leverage her sexuality to get what she wants.” Filippone hopes audiences will find relatable aspects within the film, emphasizing its deeper themes of love and connection despite human imperfections.

Ultimately, Napier and Powers aim to highlight the complexities of human experiences, tackling darker themes through a satirical lens. Powers reflected, “We really want there to be comedy and levity at the heart of our work always, because we think that actually coming together, laughing at things that are scarily familiar to people is how we can connect.”

The Woodstock Film Festival, founded in 2000, serves as a platform for independent filmmakers, showcasing innovative projects and fostering a community for film enthusiasts. With the success of “Floating Carousel,” Napier and Powers continue to pave their path in the film industry, combining humor with poignant reflections on contemporary life.