The Test
A Short Film
A raw and intimate portrait of a couple in their 40s facing an unplanned pregnancy.
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Starring JOE MINOSO and SARAH JEANETTE TAYLOR
Directed by MARY KAY COOK
Written by SARAH JEANETTE TAYLOR
The Synopsis
Unexpectedly pregnant, a mid-40s couple faces the challenging decision to dive back into newborn baby chaos, or to cherish the family they’ve built, in a timely story of choice.
The film seeks to shed light on the deeply personal and nuanced conversations surrounding abortion and a woman’s right to bodily autonomy.
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The Director's Statement
I work at the intersection where art meets activism. I believe all art is political, so it’s best to be intentional. Nothing could be more personal than the decision to grow a family, yet we live in a country where bodily autonomy is not guaranteed. One in four women will have an abortion in her lifetime, yet access is restricted by timing, place, and economics. Most Americans agree that abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest—but what if having another baby simply isn’t best for you or your family?
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With The Test, I wanted to tell this story through an unapologetically female gaze, with intimacy, honesty, and humanity. As my narrative directorial debut, this film reflects both my creative voice and my belief that storytelling can spark conversation that transcends politics and centers compassion.
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- Mary Kay Cook
The Team
Starring Joe Minoso (Chicago Fire) and writer Sarah Jeanette Taylor, production wrapped in August 2025, with a Chicago-based, all-female-identifying crew.
CERTAIN AGE PRODUCTIONS and RARE BIRD STUDIOS and FULL SPECTRUM FEATURES
Present THE TEST
Directed by MARY KAY COOK Written by SARAH JEANETTE TAYLOR
Starring JOE MINOSO and SARAH JEANETTE TAYLOR
Produced by MARY KAY COOK and NICOLE BERNARDI-REIS
Co-Produced by EUGENE SUN PARK and JASON MATSUMOTO
Director of Photography STEPHANIE DUFFORD Production Designer BROOKLYN DAVIS
Edited by JENNY SCHAYE Music by QUINN TSAN
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
Mary Kay Cook is an Emmy Award-winning film & television producer and director. Her work has been featured at international film festivals, in theaters, and on the major television and streaming networks. Recent film highlights include PERPETRATOR (Berlinale & Tribeca), THE THIEF COLLECTOR (SXSW), and WITH THIS LIGHT (AFF). Her work in television includes MY NEXT GUEST W/DAVID LETTERMAN (Netflix), SOUTH SIDE (HBO Max), and EMILY IN PARIS (Netflix). Featured on Newcity’s FILM 50 List, Mary Kay served for over a decade as the President of the Midwest Film Festival Advisory Council, and is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
WRITER / LEAD ACTOR / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Sarah Jeanette Taylor is an actor, writer, and director working across stage, screen, and audio. She has performed in regional theatre for over two decades, including work with Shakespeare & Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Back Room Shakespeare Project. Sarah has directed more than 20 productions and developed original works through residencies and education programs nationwide. Her screen credits include short films, commercials and independent features. She holds an MFA in Acting from Roosevelt University and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Certain Age Productions.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / PRODUCER
Nicole Bernardi-Reis is producer and director whose work spans narrative shorts and feature films, documentary features and television series. She recently produced and co-directed With This Light (2024), which won the 2022 Austin Film Festival Documentary jury prize and screened worldwide at festivals, the Vatican, the UN and broadcast. Further producing work includes No One Asked You (2024) Algren (2021) (“Riveting" —The Hollywood Reporter) and Radical Grace (2015), (“Exhilarating…among the year’s best films” by RogerEbert.com). Additionally, she has produced and programmed film festivals and conferences, film pitch sessions and screenwriting competitions.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephanie Dufford studied painting at Rhode Island School of Design in 2002 and 2003 before bringing her skills to the study of cinematography at Columbia College Chicago. Her final project at Columbia, a short shot on 35mm film, earned her the ASC's Heritage Award and the ICG's Emerging Cinematographer Award in 2009. Upon graduation, she joined Local 600 as a camera assistant. She had the incredible opportunity to be cinematographer Seamus McGarvey's mentee on various projects he shot in 2010 and 2011. Over the years, Stephanie has stayed busy shooting 13 independent features to date, and several have earned her national recognition.
For more information or to request a screener, please email thetest.certainage@gmail.com