Portland-based filmmakers Desiree Van Til and Sean Mewshaw are scheduled to premiere their film “Tumbledown” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City in April.
The film, named for the mountain in western Maine, is a comedic love story about the widow of a folk singer living in a small Maine town and the New York writer who comes to town to write about her late husband. The two leads are played by Rebecca Hall and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Jason Sudeikis. Other Hollywood veterans in the film include Griffin Dunne, Blythe Danner, Dianna Agron and Joe Manganiello.
Van Til wrote the film’s screenplay and acted as executive producer while Mewshaw directed. Van Til said Monday the film is set in Farmington, where she grew up, and that the film was “many years in the making.”
The two filmmakers live in Portland with their two young children.
Van Til and Mewshaw have each worked in the film industry for more than a decade, but this is the first feature film they have worked on together. Mewshaw’s credits include working as a production assistant on major films such as Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” and “Something’s Gotta Give” starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Van Til’s credits include associate producer of “13 Going on 30” starring Jennifer Garner and of “Drillbit Taylor” starring Owen Wilson.
“Tumbledown” has been selected as one of the 40 “spotlight” presentations at Tribeca, where it will have its world premiere. The festival, known as a launching pad for films, runs April 15 through 26.
Though “Tumbledown” is set in rural Maine, it was filmed in small towns in central Massachusetts, including Princeton and Concord. Concord was the stand-in for Farmington, Van Til said.
Van Til and Mewshaw had wanted to shoot the film in Maine, and they moved here in 2007 specifically to make “Tumbledown.” Like other filmmakers, they lobbied state officials for financial film incentives that might bring more productions to Maine. Van Til said Monday she is currently working on another Maine-based film, and hopes that one will be shot in Maine.
For more information on the filmmakers and “Tumbledown,” go to the Rusticator Pictures website.
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