What Happens in Vegas

What Happens in Vegas

Directed by Jewell Karinen

A suburban goth goes to great lengths to find out “what happens in Vegas.”

In this comedic short film about outsiders, our protagonist Angel hears a radio ad and becomes secretly obsessed with finding out what happens in Sin City. She bashfully tries praying to God for answers, and even attempts a seance, but nothing can answer the question at hand. While Angel wonders if there is life beyond the subdivision, her other half Sisterfriend must grapple with the thought of losing her friend to the outside world.

Director Statement

I’m a queer filmmaker with a history of hanging out at the outcast school-lunch table. Inspired by “Los Espookys” and “Edward Scissorhands,” this film is a love letter to all of the weirdos who taught me how to be myself. It takes on one of my favorite topics: the strange complexity of young adult female friendship.

“What Happens in Vegas” is a comedic short film about two goth girls and their weird, codependent friendship. Angel and Sisterfriend are outsiders living in stark contrast with their idyllic, monotonous suburb. Dressed in black and protected by goth aesthetics on the outside, Angel and Sisterfriend are soft on the inside. They’re barely adults, and find refuge and safety in their sisterfriendship.

There is nothing more special than the intimate delight of having someone who matches your freak. But what about the sadness that comes with potentially leaving them behind to discover yourself?

Director Biography

Jewell Karinen is a director whose work fuses high-concept whimsy with bittersweet comedy. She recently completed her new short film “What Happens in Vegas,” supported by the inaugural Silver Lake Shorts Fellowship grant. Jewell was a participant in the 2025 Women in Media Activate Impact Initiative program for emerging filmmakers, and the 2019 WhoHaha Spring Creators Lab. Prior work includes micro-shorts “Earthlings” and “Ghostfriend,” and surreal short film “10-10” co-directed with Belle Adams. As a filmmaker, Jewell’s work often hooks the audience with surreal, fantastical aesthetics, then sticks the landing with unexpectedly grounded emotional narratives.

Jewell also hosts and produces the Parasocial Social Club podcast with Charlie James. TTRPG fans might recognize Jewell from her time hosting Tabletop News, or as Ecstasy in “The Party,” an ensemble comedy web series about a group of D&D friends that GamingTrend called a “refreshing blend of comedy and psychology.”

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