Betty & Mary: Neighbors
About the Film
After murdering their sleazeball boss and blowing up their workplace, two dysfunctional strippers — one jaded, one guilt-ridden — try to lay low, shake off the hangover, and figure out if their new neighbor with wings is here to help…or just judge the shit out of them.
In this dark comedy with a Shakespearean twist, two unlikely roommates - Betty, a jaded GenX stripper, and Mary, a guilt-ridden millennial stripper - wake up after a night of blood, secrets, and sisterhood. What starts as another groggy morning quickly unravels into a surreal spiral of sex dreams, guilty confessions, and a murder most foul... of their sleazy strip club boss.
As memories of the previous night's crime slowly return - daggers, cover-ups, and an explosive grand finale - their banter reveals a relationship built on sarcasm, survival, and maybe a little madness. But just as they start to question their fate, an ethereal new neighbor appears at the door… with wings. Witty, irreverent, and soaked in noir-tinged absurdity, Betty & Mary: Neighbors blends sitcom snark with Shakespearean tragedy, asking: How do you bury a body, blow up a club, and still make rent?
Writer's Statement
My stories always begin with a character. I don’t outline so much as I listen. Once I meet her, she tells me where we’re going. And Betty? She showed up loud, unapologetic, and very hungry.
She was born from a long-simmering obsession with two of my dream roles — Lady Macbeth and Martha from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I started to wonder: what kind of woman would be the unholy lovechild of those two powerhouses? Turns out her name is Betty, and she’s got a lot to say.
Betty & Mary: Neighbors is the second in a “triptych” of shorts exploring the ever-shifting dynamic between two women who can’t live with — or without — each other. What ties them together is my fascination with what makes women tick: their camaraderie, their ambition, their unspoken rage, and how they’re asked to pay for their “mistakes” in a patriarchal world. Tonally, I lean into ambiguity. I love stories that don’t end with a neat bow — that linger just enough to let the audience wrestle with what happens next. I’m less interested in resolution than I am in impact.
Ultimately, Betty & Mary: Neighbors is a darkly funny, surreal, and deeply human exploration of survival, loyalty, and what it means to burn it all down... and still wake up next to someone who gets it.
— Dana Lyn Baron
Director's Statement
Returning to direct the next chapter of Betty & Mary felt like slipping into a familiar fever dream—and I mean that as the highest compliment. After directing Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare, I thought I had a handle on these two. I was wrong. This new installment is bolder, darker, and even more hilariously unhinged. It leans hard into moral messiness, female rage, and the strange, tender bond that somehow keeps Betty and Mary tethered together through it all.
When I first read the script, I remember yelling “WHAT?!” at the page and immediately texting Dana, “Your brain is a wonder that should be studied for science.” That still stands. She’s created characters who are deeply flawed, painfully funny, and so very alive. I love that we don’t tie anything up neatly. I love the risk of it. The ambiguity. The ride.
This film invites you to laugh, cringe, squirm, and question what you’d do in their shoes. It’s a joy—and a bit of a dare—to direct.
— America Young
Festivals & Awards
Cast & Crew
Here's the Pitch
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We’re currently raising the remaining funds needed to complete post-production and prepare Betty & Mary: Neighbors for its festival run.
Thanks to our fiscal sponsorship through Film Independent, all donations are tax-deductible and directly support completion of the project. If you’d like to play a part in getting this launched onscreen, please get involved below.
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Betty & Mary: Neighbors is a fiscally sponsored project of Film Independent, a non-profit independent media arts organization. Film Independent will receive grants for the charitable purposes of Betty & Mary: Neighbors, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Betty & Mary: Neighbors must be made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Behind the Scenes
Betty & Mary: Neighbors Secures Fiscal Sponsorship with Film Independent
1/5/26
Winner - Best Comedy Screenplay - Betty & Mary: Neighbors at Hollywood Just4Shorts
1/5/26
Screenplay Semi-Finalist at Indie Short Fest - Betty & Mary: Neighbors
1/5/26
Betty and Mary: Neighbors, the second installment in the Betty and Mary trilogy, has been named a Semi Finalist for its screenplay at Indie Short Fest. Written by Dana Lyn Baron, the script stood out in the festival’s competitive monthly lineup, which recognizes excellence in short form screenwriting.
Screenplay Finalist at Independent Shorts Awards - Betty & Mary: Neighbors
1/5/26
The screenplay for Betty & Mary: Neighbors, the second film in the Betty & Mary trilogy, has been named a finalist at Independent Shorts Awards. Written by Dana Lyn Baron, the screenplay continues to gain recognition on the international festival circuit as the trilogy moves toward production of its next chapters.