Jeff Osborne’s directorial debut, “Anesthesia,” will make its world premiere on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at North Hollywood CineFest, marking a milestone for the award-winning writer and director.
Anchored by a powerhouse ensemble that includes Aaron Staton (Mad Men), Marianne June Noscheze (FBI: Most Wanted), Arthur Waite (The SpongeBob Movie), and Tim Neff (Westworld), “Anesthesia” is a high-concept short written by John Harden that blurs the line between emotional trauma and psychological suspense. The film follows a business executive who meets his childhood mother in an anesthesia app.
“I made ‘Anesthesia’ to entertain, but also to inspire hope and balance in an uncertain future ruled by tech billionaires.” says Osborne. “This short is my showcase piece as a multi-hyphenate director, where I doubled as the DP, editor, and VFX Artist. It was a bet on myself. If I was going to ask anyone to believe in my voice, I had to prove I believed in it first.”
Osborne is no stranger to accolades. His pilot screenplay, “The Isthmus,” ranked in the top 1% on Coverfly and won Best Screenplay at the 2024 New Media Film Festival TITAN Awards, earning the attention of industry leaders, including HBO and producers Basil Iwanyk (Sicario) and Shannon McIntosh (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
Osborne’s credits include Associate Producer and VFX Supervisor for “The Hill” (Dennis Quaid) and VFX Producer on “Sweetwater” (Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven). He was an editor for “Love Me Dead” (RJ Mitte, Dove Cameron) and “Never Heard” (David Banner). He was also the Director of Photography for “An Evergreen Christmas” (Robert Loggia, Naomi Judd) and “No Postage Necessary” (George Blagden, Raymond J. Barry).
While taking “Anesthesia” through the festival circuit, Osborne is writing his feature debut. Titled “Midnight,” the feature film is a psychedelic thriller based on true events. The $2.5 million project dives into the unraveling of a young man’s identity after a mind-bending top secret, government experiment goes awry. “Midnight” is advancing with collaboration opportunities for producers, investors, and distribution partners.
“Anesthesia” will continue its impressive festival run as an Official Selection at several upcoming festivals, including the Academy award-qualifying San Jose International Short Film Festival. The film has also secured an award nomination at the upcoming Film Fest LA 2025, where it will be screening on November 8, 2025 at Regal Cinemas at LA Live.
Osborne and Reagent Productions are pursuing strategic distribution partnerships for “Anesthesia” while securing representation for Osborne as a director and screenwriter. For inquiries, contact Jeff Osborne via the film’s profile on IMDb, Instagram, or Cinevite.
