Spiral Bound

By: Abigael Olson

Coo Cinema Club’s latest short film, “spiral bound,” officially released on December 9th, 2025. Written, directed, and edited by Coo Cinema Club President Abigael Olson, the film follows college senior Dorothea (played by Em Mercer) as she navigates the creation of her capstone project and the anxieties that come with it. Dorothea is joined by her best friend Val (Kadie Huls), who organizes a road trip to try and distract Dorothea from her spiral. Along the way, she gets tough love and advice from her friends, Mars (Kali Knakmuhs) and Jules (Bethany Dunkle), and her sister Rory (Faith Holmen). “To me, ‘spiral bound’ is about the importance of female friendships, especially in times that are difficult or tumultuous,” says lead actress Em Mercer. “It insists upon leaning on those relationships and finding the beauty in life through the people you love.” “spiral bound” began filming in 14 mid-October and was largely produced and edited throughout the month of November. The Coo Cinema Club held an on-campus premiere in Big Z as the film was simultaneously uploaded to their YouTube channel. The premiere also featured a Q&A panel featuring Em Mercer, Kadie Huls, Kali Knakmuhs, Bethany Dunkle, Abigael Olson, and composer Trinity Tague, along with a comedic Behind-the-Scenes video by Charlie Wood and Faith Holmen, now available on the Coo Cinema Club’s YouTube channel. The film recently screened at Lift Off Global Network’s Filmmaker Sessions Film Fest and is being considered for several other entry level festivals. “spiral bound” will also be featured at USF’s Undergraduate Research Symposium during the coffee break at 10:40 AM in the library.