AUSTIN, Texas — Writer and director Jordan Held is only 19 years old, but she's introspective beyond her years.
"I think storytelling is so important because it puts you in a place that you might never expect yourself to be in, even if you can't exactly relate,” Held said. “Listening to someone can sometimes be enough."
She just won the Young Filmmakers Competition at this year's Austin Film Festival. Her award-wining film, "Ovaryacting," was a project she made when she was only 17. She wrote, directed and edited it the summer before her senior year of high school to submit to colleges.
"It's my baby, so this was the first thing that I really made on my own, for myself," Held said.
Held likes creating slice-of-life comedy situations that people can relate to.
"["Ovaryacting"] is about a boy who looks like he's about to maybe steal something from a poor pharmacy, but as the film goes on, he has to make a very personal purchase for his younger sister and buy her pads," Held said.
PHOTOS: Shots from "Ovaryacting"
The lead actor in the film is Held's friend from home, Caleb Malis.
"I wrote it with him in mind, and I knew that there were some lines that I wanted him to kind of take off with," Held said.
Malis has been acting most of his life and went to a performing arts school in California with Held.
"She called me, like, Friday night and was like, 'Hey I'm doing my college thing, do you want to help out?' and I was like, 'Sure, I'm free,'" Malis said.
Now from just a college admission project, the short film has taken them to 23 different film festivals.
"It's super gratifying to be in a room where you're like, 'OK, you were invited to this place,'" Malis said. “They like, they heard your name, and they were like, ‘Yeah, you can come.’"
Held said traveling to Austin for a film festival feels special.
"Being surrounded by so many talented filmmakers, especially at the Austin [Film Festival], was incredible, and I felt like I really belonged," Held said. "This is the first one where I'm like, 'OK, this is starting to go somewhere.'"
Where she's going is creating more projects as a young woman in this industry.
"Being in this sphere right now, as a woman, is so inspiring," Held said. “I’m glad that I’ve gotten my chance to really prove myself.”
She plans to keep writing and directing comedies in the future.
"Not only does it make people feel less alone, but it also makes people laugh, which are both special," Held said.
Held's film, "Ovaryacting," will be available to view on YouTube after her festival runs.
The Austin Film Festival continues until Thursday, Nov. 2.