By Design: Amanda Kramer on Her Sundance Film & Avoiding Cliché

Juliette Lewis will star in “By Design,” a dramedy directed by Amanda Kramer, which has secured a North American distribution deal following its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

The film, described as a kooky body swap indie comedy, centers around themes of envy and obsession, according to Kramer. She cited “gorgeous chairs” as a key inspiration, alongside “the implicit and limiting morality of body swap movies” and “jealous women.”

Kramer described a remarkably smooth casting process with Lewis. She recounted meeting the actress at a cafe and presenting her with a role requiring minimal dialogue or physical exertion. “She was unfazed,” Kramer said. “Send it,” Lewis reportedly responded, immediately offering her phone number. Kramer added, “If she wants to do it, there’s no one else.” Lewis also signed on as a producer during that initial meeting, a decision Kramer described as “total synergy.”

The production also involved a collaboration with choreographer Sigrid Lauren, which Kramer highlighted as a particularly memorable aspect of the filmmaking process. Kramer noted the “hushed reverence” that descended on set when Lauren and her dancers arrived, with the crew becoming an engaged audience during dance sequences, often applauding each take. “There was a genuine sense in the room that these dance performances were the magic of our movie,” Kramer said.

When asked about the film’s relevance, Kramer offered a pragmatic perspective, stating that the story doesn’t necessarily *require* to be told now, but that its themes – envy, object obsession, and the desire for self-escape – are timeless. “We’re always filled with envy, we’re always obsessed with objects, we’re always hopeful for vacations from ourselves,” she explained.

Kramer, when considering alternative career paths, expressed a fondness for teaching high school theater. She also identified her “allergy to cliché” as a key characteristic contributing to her success as a storyteller.

Among her favorite films originating from the Sundance Institute or Festival, Kramer cited “Trust,” “Paris is Burning,” “The Brother from Another Planet,” and “Wild Tigers I Have Known.”