Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)

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Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)
Directed bySierra Falconer
Written bySierra Falconer
Produced by
  • Sierra Falconer
  • Grant Ellison
Starring
  • Maren Heary
  • Jim Kaplan
  • Karsen Liotta
  • Dominic Bogart
  • Tenley Kellogg
  • Emily Hall
CinematographyMarcus Patterson
Edited byChelsi Johnston
Music byBrian Steckler
Production
company
Release date
  • January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26)(Sundance)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) is a 2025 American semi-autobiographical anthology drama film directed, written, and produced by Sierra Falconer in her feature directorial debut. [1] An anthology film that also serves as Falconer's senior thesis film for the completion of her studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, it follows the lives of four people living around in Green Lake. Falconer called it "loosely autobiographical." [2]

Contents

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition on January 26, 2025. [2]

Synopsis

Set around Green Lake in northern Michigan, the film has four episodes:

  1. "Sunfish"
  2. "Summer Camp"
  3. "Two Hearted"
  4. "Resident Bird"

Production

Falconer and producer Grant Ellison, who are married, started discussing the film in 2022. Falconer, a film student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), grew up in Traverse City, Michigan and wanted to capture the experience of coming of age there, specifically at Green Lake, through film. [3] She felt like an anthology film structure, with four parts, "was the only way to tell this story well." [4]

Toward the end of 2022, Falconer and Ellison began working on financing; Falconer sought thesis funding from UCLA. [5] The next year, they began casting and putting together a crew. By that summer, they started production. The film received an SAG-AFTRA exemption to continue filming through 2023. [6]

A private screening was shown in the middle of 2024. [5] The film served as Falconer's thesis film, for UCLA's MFA in the Department of Film, Television & Digital Media, and was picked up for a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025. [7] [6] In January of 2025, Joanna Hogg joined the film as an executive producer. Falconer was also signed for representation to WME. [8]

Critical reception

Vulture, cautioning against the exhaustion of anthology films, lauded Falconer's approach, stating: "Steeped in the pleasantly lazy atmosphere of the title setting, the film is languorous, but not long. And you might find yourself thinking about it for days... These incomplete individual stories all dance on the edge of transformation, even though we can’t quite tell what comes next for these people." [9]

SLUG wrote that "Falconer delivers an evocative portrait of a cherished place, capturing its timeless quality through the lives of its characters." [10]

Moveable Fest found both Falconer's capturing of Green Lake's atmosphere to be "enchanting" unto itself but also lauded the storylines of each of her characters. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ "Film shot at Interlochen's Green Lake to get Sundance screening". Interlochen Public Radio. 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  2. 1 2 Hatzfeld, Katie (2025-01-24). "Sierra Falconer's directorial debut film 'Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)' explores place-specific truth". Park Record. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  3. ↑ Miller, Sean (2025-01-03). "Green Lake sets TC West alum's film at Sundance". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  4. 1 2 Saito, Stephen (2025-01-25). "Sierra Falconer, Karsen Liotta, Emily Hall & Tenley Kellogg on "Sunfish"". The Moveable Fest. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  5. 1 2 ""We Prioritized Story Over Logistics": Producer Grant Ellison on Sunfish - Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  6. 1 2 "Traverse City Filmmakers Selected for World Premiere at Sundance". The Ticker | Traverse City News & Events. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  7. ↑ "UCLA graduate student splashes into Sundance scene with feature-length film debut". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  8. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (2025-01-17). "WME Signs Director Sierra Falconer Ahead of Sundance Debut 'Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  9. ↑ Ebiri, Bilge. "A Languorous, 87-Minute Movie Worth Watching". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  10. ↑ "Sierra Falconer and Cast Bring It Home in Sunfish (& Other Stories of Green Lake) - SLUG Magazine". www.slugmag.com. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
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