Festival favorite and 2024 Mometu Short Film Contest winner lands streaming home
Backlog, Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal’s searing short film inspired by the real-life U.S. Senate Hearing to end America’s national rape kit crisis, is now available to stream for free on Mometu.
The film, which has already collected an impressive string of awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and Best Women Director at the 29th DGA Awards (West Coast Division), Limelight Award at the 2024 Ojai Film Festival, 2024 Social Justice and Media Anthem Award, and took top honors at the 2024 Mometu Short Film Contest, now joins Mometu’s catalog of acclaimed, independent stories.
A blistering portrait of systemic failure and the survivors left in its wake, Backlog confronts the staggering truth: millions of rape kits in the U.S. remain untested, sometimes for years, sometimes forever. Anchored in real-life testimony and driven by a powerful lead performance and a sharply crafted script, the film channels institutional negligence into an urgent, emotionally charged call for justice.
“We recognized Backlog as something special the moment it crossed our desk,” said Bryan Louzil, Mometu’s VP of Business Development. “It’s unmistakably original and comes from a distinctly independent voice. It was an honor to crown this film as the winner of our 2024 Short Film Contest, and now we’re thrilled to bring it to audiences everywhere.”
Speaking on the film’s impact and inspiration, Rosenthal said: “This film sheds light on a painful truth, in the United States, millions of rape kits go untested, leaving survivors without answers and justice indefinitely delayed. Valerie [Neumann] and I remain committed to ending the national backlog and urging lawmakers to take meaningful action. Backlog has resonated with audiences around the world, underscoring the widespread mishandling of sexual assault cases on a global scale. Everyone has the power to be an ally, and even the smallest step toward supporting a survivor is a step toward justice.”
A feature-length version of the film is currently in development, with Jacqueline and Valerie seeking studio and production partners to bring this story to a wider audience. For inquiries, please contact Jack Peterson at 3 Arts.
Backlog is now streaming for free on mometu.com.
