TRAILER
THE SIGN
Short movie, Drama, Comedy
A woman’s jog through the park turns to panic when she finds herself dialing 911. But things are not always as they seem...
***
Written and Directed by Melissa Mars, The Sign presents a singular visual language, crafting an immersive mise-en-scène by restricting the frame to a point of view from the legs down—keeping faces entirely out of frame. Inspired by animation techniques that remain at a child’s eye level, this creative choice fosters a deeply sensory and subjective experience. What’s left outside the frame is where imagination makes the invisible visible. Through this perspective, the film amplifies its powerful message on disability awareness, particularly for those with invisible disabilities.
The Sign will have its world premiere at the Garden State Film Festival 2025 on March 29, marking the start of its festival run.
“What’s left outside the frame is
where imagination makes the invisible visible.”
Melissa Mars, writer & director
In the media
What they say about The Sign...
Meet the
CAST & CREW
Melissa Mars
Director | Writer | Producer | Actor
An international award-winning actress, singer-songwriter, and filmmaker, Melissa Mars crafts bold and thought-provoking stories. Born in France with Algerian roots, she’s been described as “Tinker Bell transformed by Tim Burton” (Le Monde). Her latest film, The Sign, uses a unique visual language to amplify awareness of invisible disabilities, continuing her signature blend of immersive storytelling and powerful themes.
In The Sign, she also portrays the legs of the Karen character, exploring how body language and natural stance can convey emotion and depth beyond facial performance.
Monica Blaze Leavitt
Voice Actor
The other half of the Karen character’s performance is brought to life by the incredible voice of Monica Blaze Leavitt. An Artistic Founding Member of the award-winning theatre company Transport Group, Monica has been featured in its Off-Broadway productions, including The Audience, All the Way Home, Requiem for William, and Our Town. With an MFA in Acting from the University of Virginia, she has spent over twenty-five years as an actress, director, fight director, dialect coach, and voice & diction coach in NYC.
Having previously voiced the AI in The Last Touch, Monica was the perfect choice for The Sign. With Karen’s character existing solely through voice and movement, Monica shaped Karen’s presence through tone, rhythm, and personality—without ever showing her face.
For his acting debut,
Domino eagerly used his talents to help raise awareness about service dogs and the misconceptions they face in public.
Introducing Domino
Service Dog | Actor
Domino, a standard poodle, was born in 2020 in sun valley, California. He comes from a long lineage of working standard poodles. He was raised, and trained by Canine Support Teams (CST) in Murrieta, California. After spending over a year with CST’s Puppy Raisers completing the foundation of training and socialization where he excelled at an extraordinary rate, he was selected for their advanced training program in one of California’s longest-running Pups in Prison programs, where he was paired with a dedicated inmate trainer. Over the next several months, he mastered nearly 90 service tasks tailored to different disabilities and needs.
Once he demonstrated proficiency in a specialized set of tasks, he was matched with his handler, who underwent an intensive two-week training at CST to learn how to communicate and work effectively as a service dog team. Since fall 2021, Domino has been assisting his handler daily in New York.
The Sign marks Domino’s acting debut. When offered the role, he didn’t hesitate—using his talents to help raise awareness about service dogs and the common misconceptions they face in public spaces.
STILLS
The Sign Stills
All Rights Reserved © Made in Mars Studios
The Journal
Featured Reviews
Powerful and Educational
Reviewed by a service dog trainer—none other than Max Bingley, who trained dozens of service dogs at Canine Support Teams (CST) in Murrieta, California, including Domino and his handler!
This film effectively captures the everyday challenges that service dog handlers face, from public misconceptions to unwarranted scrutiny. (…)
“An excellent tool to encourage positive change”
The film’s message is both powerful and educational, reinforcing the importance of service dogs and the rights of their handlers. The inclusion of the statement “Not all disabilities are visible” is a crucial reminder for the public to be more understanding and informed. (…) the film promotes awareness, respect, and the need for better education on service dog laws and accessibility. It serves as an excellent tool to foster empathy and encourage positive change in how service dog teams are treated.
MORE REVIEWS
The Sign gets its first review featured on BVS Reviews under the beautiful title A Service Tale... [READ FULL REVIEW]
Calvin Schwartz Praises The Sign as Profound and Provocative on ‘We The Species’ Podcast... [READ FULL REVIEW]
Promoting The Sign
Filmmaker's Interviews
Calvin Schwartz Praises THE SIGN as ‘Profound and Provocative’ on ‘We The Species’ Podcast
Garden State Film Festival Interview for THE SIGN
Featured in French Cultural Media Outlet Itinéraires 26
First Interview for THE SIGN with DigiPops TV
An insightful conversation on the filmmaking of The Sign during Mars’ interview for the Garden State Film Festival Spotlight!...[WATCH FULL INTERVIEW]
Melissa Mars is the guest on Calvin Schwartz’s podcast We The Species, where they discuss... [WATCH FULL INTERVIEW]
Melissa Mars is featured in the French cultural media outlet Itinéraires 26!... [READ MORE]
This interview with Play it Forward on DigiPops TV, marks the launch of The Sign...[WATCH FULL INTERVIEW]
