Five Minutes to Midnight: Inside the Pressure and Passion Behind “MONDAY”

If the world were ending in five minutes, would you panic, confess your secrets, chase desire—or try to save everyone? In this candid roundtable, the cast of “MONDAY” reveals how a frantic 48-hour shoot, sudden role swaps, and real-life vulnerability turned a race-against-time short film into a deeply personal—and award-winning—reflection on how we live when time is running out.

Featuring Montrece Hill (Jasmine Miller), Tryphaena Singleton (Dr. Marshall), and Olivia Cate (Disgruntled Wife).

ART, ALL-NIGHTERS & THE APOCALYPSEInside the Frenzied, Funny Birth of “MONDAY”What do you pitch when you’re exhausted, on Zoom, and given 90 minutes to sell an idea that could make or break a 48 Hour Film Project? If you’re David Fritzson, you shock the room, quote Mallrats, promise a sex scene, and gamble everything on five minutes left to live.In this candid Richmond Film Network podcast episode, writers David Fritzson and Anson Kessinger unpack the chaotic, collaborative creation of the short script for the film "MONDAY," made for the City Producer 48 Hour Film Project. With a rotating pool of writers pitching ideas under extreme time pressure, Fritzson’s offbeat, apocalyptic-comedy concept—rooted in urgency, moral clarity, and pants-down honesty—wins out. Joined by co-writer Caitlin Whitaker, the trio writes through the night until 4 a.m., navigating technical mishaps, disappearing dialogue, and the relentless clock that defines the 48-hour experience.The conversation explores how trust, shared humor, and veteran instincts helped shape a cohesive story that integrates required elements organically rather than as box-checking exercises. Fritzson and Kessinger reflect on pitching under pressure, embracing collaboration over competition, and planting Easter eggs. At its core, Monday asks a simple question with global stakes: when panic hits and time is running out, what choices will you regret—and which ones will define you?

FLEXIBILITY, FOCUS & 48 HOURS

What would you do with your last five minutes on Earth?
That question—posed half in jest, half in existential dread—hangs over this podcast conversation with the cast of “Monday,” a film written, shot, and edited in just 48 hours for the 48 Hour Film Project's international City Producer Competition.

What begins as casual introductions quickly turns into a candid, funny, and surprisingly profound reflection on chaos, creativity, intimacy, and trust under extreme pressure.

Recorded after the film’s completion, the discussion brings together actors Louis Rivers, Leah Webster, Lisette Glodowski, Lamont Gonzalez, and Lee Lawson, all of whom participated in the film. They recount the uniquely nerve-wracking ritual of waiting for a 1 a.m. casting email, memorizing lines at dawn, driving hours on little sleep, and stepping onto set with no time to overthink—only to discover a production that was unusually organized, professional, and emotionally safe.

Ultimately, the podcast paints “Monday” not just as a successful 48-hour film, but as a reminder of why artists keep saying yes to impossible timelines: because in the chaos, something honest—and occasionally magical—can still break through.