Cool, darkly funny and always surprising, Broken Gardenias is a touching comedy-drama about two very different girls who embark on a journey of self-discovery and blossoming love through the heartland of America. Jenni (Alma S. Grey), an orphaned semi-savant, is having a tough time: her beloved pet turtle has died and she returns home to find out her valley girl housemate has inexplicably kicked her out. Suddenly, she is homeless, at rock bottom, and sitting with a box of her belongings in the park.

Luckily, just as she hits this all time low she meets Sam (A. Jack Morocco), a confident street hustler, and immediately they form a bond. Together they steal a car and embark on a zany, dream like quest to find Jenni's long lost father in LA, and along the way, in addition to a series of brilliantly conceived encounters, their unlikely intimacy grows.

This is a wonderful film, shot on a ridiculously small budget of £5,000, which forced a creative shooting style that is fresh and great to watch. Humour is the balm of life and is used to great affect as we discover that on a search for her father, Jenni ultimately finds herself.

---