Bluebird


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ABOUT

In the northern reaches of Maine, a local school bus driver becomes distracted during her end-of-day inspection, and fails to notice a sleeping boy in the back of the bus. What happens next shatters the tranquility of her small logging town, proving that even the slightest actions have enormous consequences.

In his striking and moving debut feature BLUEBIRD, writer/director Lance Edmands explores the interconnectedness of a small town in the northern reaches of Maine. When Lesley, the local school bus driver (Tony nominee Amy Morton, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), becomes distracted during her end-of-day inspection, she fails to notice a sleeping boy in the back of the bus. What happens next shatters the tranquility of her small logging town, proving that even the slightest actions have enormous consequences. Stricken by an overwhelming sense of guilt, Lesley’s fragility is further tested by her husband (Emmy nominee John Slattery, “Mad Men”)—a local logger preoccupied by the imminent closing of the town paper mill—and the boy’s mother Marla (Louisa Krause, KING KELLY), a disaffected young woman looking to take advantage of a delicate situation. Shot on location in the stark, frozen mountains of Maine, BLUEBIRD fosters a profound sense of place—chillingly capturing the setting’s lonely yet beautiful tone—thanks to the masterwork of cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes (MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE). The film boasts a powerful supporting cast including Emily Meade ("Boardwalk Empire"), Emmy winner Margo Martindale ("Justified," MILLION DOLLAR BABY), and Adam Driver (“Girls”).

Lance Edmands was born and raised in a small town in Maine and graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2005. His award-winning thesis film, VACATIONLAND, screened at dozens of festivals worldwide, including the Student Academy Awards. As an editor, Lance has cut several acclaimed features including WILD COMBINATION: A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL, and TINY FURNITURE. He has also directed several commercial campaigns for brands such as CHEVY, NATIONWIDE, FORD, and BLUE CROSS. His first feature as writer/director, BLUEBIRD, was invited to the 2010 Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Labs and was awarded grants from Cinereach, The San Francisco Film Society, and the Richard Vague/Chris Columbus Production Fund. BLUEBIRD premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and went on to screen at the Karlovy Vary, Vienna, Busan, Stockholm and Chicago International Film Festivals, picking up several awards along the way. BLUEBIRD is being released by Factory 25 and Sundance Artist Services.

CREDITS

Written and Directed by
LANCE EDMANDS
Produced by
KYLE MARTIN
Producers
GARRETT FENNELLY
ALEX SCHEPSMAN
Executive Producers
SUSAN SHOPMAKER
MICHAEL SACKLER
JULIA GODZINSKAYA
EMILY WIEDEMAN
JULIEN GAUBERT
LAURA HEBERTON
ANDREW NEEL
WIL O'LEARY
CHRISTINE VACHON
Co-Producers
BRAD PAYNE
ERIKA WASSERMAN
LIZZIE NASTRO
Casting by
SUSAN SHOPMAKER, CSA
Photographed by
JODY LEE LIPES
Editor
DINO JONSATER
Production Design
INBAL WEINBERG
Costume Design
DAVID TABBERT
Music by
SAUNDER JURRIAANS AND DANNY BENSI
In Association With
ROOKS NEST ENTERTAINMENT
WASHINGTON SQUARE FILMS
NOMOORE PRODUCTIONS
ACT ZERO FILMS
SEETHINK FILMS
GREENCARD PICTURES
THE VAN DER KAAY TRUST
IDYLL
KILLER FILMS

Cast
(In Order of Appearance)

Owen
QUINN BARD
Lesley
AMY MORTON
Milton
DAVID BUCHSTABER
Richard
JOHN SLATTERY
Dale
STEPHEN PAYNE
Marla
LOUISA KRAUSE
Walter
ADAM DRIVER
Doreen
REBECCA M DAVENPORT
Paula
EMILY MEADE
Brent
BRANDON WARDWELL
Wade
PATRICK MURNEY
Crystal
MARGO MARTINDALE
Deputy
J. KENNETH CAMPBELL
Doctor
ROBERT BURKE
Kim
NATALIE JOHNSON
Lyman
CHRISTOPHER MCCANN
Charlotte
PARISA FITZ-HENLEY

Press

  • “This gentle, soulfully acted drama has its own distinct identity, bringing a potent sense of place to its wintry Maine locations and a penetrating gaze to blue–collar characters in a depressed mill town.” - David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
  • “Gorgeously shot on film by cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), BLUEBIRD owes much to the strength of its cast, particularly the deeply empathetic Morton and the angst–riddled Krause...” - Eric Kohn, Indiewire 
  • “A heart-breaking American indie with a top-notch cast... As stunning a debut film I've seen since IN THE BEDROOM.” - Marshall Fine, The Huffington Post
  • “Lance Edmands’ fragile, arthouse–bound debut is a mournful throwback to more poetically inclined times.”  - Peter Debruge, Variety 
  • “A well–observed & striking debut about family, connectedness & consequences... as arresting and emotional as any drama I‘ve seen this year.” - Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist 
  • “Beautiful BLUEBIRD heralds arrival of an impressive new indie voice... Beautifully lensed, beautifully acted, beautifully written, Bluebird is a heartbreakingly beautiful film about the consequences of an ordinary life.” - Kate Erbland, Film School Rejects
  • “[The] highly particular visual approach rests a calm exterior over the roiling emotions within each character... BLUEBIRD is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement, especially for a first–time filmmaker.” - Jordan Hoffman, Film.com 

Screenings

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Contact

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