Occam's Beard

The Simplest Answer is Rarely Correct

Occam's Beard — Plot

Occam’s Beard is an award-winning psychological thriller centered on a tense therapy session between a former child actor and his longtime psychiatrist. What begins as a routine appointment gradually unravels into a confrontation over memory, identity, and the stories people create to survive emotional trauma. Through fragmented flashbacks and shifting perspectives, the film explores the instability of memory and the danger of overly simple explanations in both psychology and human relationships. As buried truths emerge, the boundaries between perception and reality begin to blur for both men. The screenplay received Best Short Screenplay honors at the Big Apple Film Festival, was named a Top 10 finalist for the Filmmatic InRoads Fellowship, and in June 2026, was awarded Best Short Screenplay at the Cannes Film Awards.

• Runtime
• 25 min
• Genres
• Drama, Thriller
• Director
• David Ezell

Occam's Beard — Cast

Luke Kelly-Sass Joey Ellison William Lerberg JP Ellison John DeFilippo Virgil Caruso RN