Night time Nurse

The fifteenth version of U.S. in Progress—an business market cum post-production prize competitors held in the course of the Polish-based Tauron American Movie Competition—started on a very unorthodox foot this 12 months. Although the pageant’s primarily based within the Southwestern, thousand-year-old metropolis of Wrocław, this system’s worldwide cohort landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport, almost 200 miles away from AFF’s house base, within the days previous the occasion itself. 

Inconveniently, the Wrocław airport underwent intensive renovations from October 26 by way of December 4 of this 12 months. Because the AFF and its U.S. in Progress showcase unfold between November 6-11, the timing couldn’t be extra headache-inducing. But for these of us fortunate sufficient to fly out for the festivities (collaborating filmmakers and producers, European and American pageant programmers, gross sales brokers, the odd journalist), this Warsaw detour solely additional exemplified the immense group, dedication and generosity indicative of the staff behind U.S. in Progress. 

A handful of American filmmakers—between six and 10, although this version boasted a charmingly uneven 9—are chosen to display screen 20 minutes of their work-in-progress narrative options in varied states of completion. Most simply want ending touches—coloration correction, sound mixing, VFX, rating—earlier than they’re picture-locked. These WiP samples are divided into two blocks over one afternoon, screened solely for worldwide business folks in addition to Polish post-production firms, the latter finally awarding filmmakers of their selecting with funds that may assist in finishing their options. 

It’s a novel method for establishing an American-Polish co-production, but the tasks that usually emerge from U.S. in Progress really feel distinctly DIY and evocative of the present U.S. panorama by way of political, aesthetic and cultural sensibility. (It has been rumored that one USIP programmer feels strongly against interval items, which might make full sense given its constant “of the second” output). Some standouts from latest editions embrace Sarah Friedland’s Acquainted Contact, India Donaldson’s Good One, Paula González-Nasser’s The Scout, Amanda Kramer’s By Design and Pete Ohs’ Erupcja. Certainly, there’s a concerted woman-forward presence to USiP, and this 12 months was no exception. 

As there are about 20 awards totaling $160,000 obtainable for individuals, everybody goes house a winner. Some could win extra money than others, however this straightforward reality meant that there was no palpable sense of rivalry among the many competing events. Through the inaugural (and really historically Polish) Warsaw welcome dinner, I sat with two producers, Vero Kompalic and Gia Rigoli, who had been presenting Pocket Dream on behalf of co-directors Julia Baylis and Sam Visitor. They succinctly gave their spiel, noting that their edgy noir—a couple of socialite (Stacy Martin) who hires a broke caterer (Spike Fearn) to drive her to easternmost Lengthy Island for a large price—was shot within the Hamptons. Because the duo is Los Angeles-based, that they had no concept how far-off this rich getaway spot truly is from New York Metropolis itself, inflicting instant grumpiness with an at instances four-hour commute between their Manhattan and Hamptons capturing places. They had been awarded as much as $5,000 for title design from XANF and as much as $5,000 for foley from Aeroplan. Maybe these comparatively small winnings needed to do with the 20-minute pattern dropping viewers 20 minutes into the characteristic, whereas most different groups determined to start out from the movie’s opening moments. Whereas I discovered a kinetic chase scene inside a dreary Hamptons McMansion riveting, the character motivations could not have been instantly clear to different viewers. In any case, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the movie included on a future Sundance lineup announcement, as Baylis and Visitor’s earlier quick, Wiggle Room, bowed on the quickly to be Boulder-based pageant to a lot success again in 2021. 

As dinner prolonged into an unprecedented fourth hour, a gaggle was fashioned to liberate us and hit an area bar for the cultural necessity of sampling Polish vodka. Filmmaker and fellow New Yorker Talia Lugacy sat diagonally from me and divulged that in contrast to nearly all of her NYC-based productions, this one is ready in a rural group. Through the screening I gleaned extra about Ruby Street, her Appalachia-set portrait of an aged lady roaming MAGA-land. Maybe probably the most “in progress” of all of the WIP tasks offered—no tangible narrative was offered, save for some very sullen weeping at a headstone and a parade sequence—which is probably going why it racked up beneficiant post-production awards, as these firms may feasibly depart extra of a tangible imprint on the ultimate product. XANF awarded as much as $10,000 of VFX whereas Earworks and Aeroplan supplied as much as $10,000 every for sound. 

On the bar, I spoke with Jaffe Zinn, cinematographer and co-producer of Mackenize, who supplied some visible references for the mission off the bat. The one that the majority piqued my curiosity was documentarian Les Clean, whose longtime choice for dreamy 16mm movie inventory is being channeled for this observational coming-of-age story. It’s primarily based on director Mylissa Fitzsimmons’ adolescent plot to hitchhike to LA and marry teen heartthrob Mackenzie Astin, and the director’s thespian avatar, 11-year-old first-time actor Lucya Yusimov, is revelatory in her naturalism. The movie acquired one of many extra prestigious awards, $10,000 from Platige Picture. Zinn’s luxurious visuals toggle between meticulous and playful; Fitzsimmons’ course is equally exacting but versatile, permitting her younger actress to improvise whereas additionally guiding her by way of a journey she as soon as launched into.

The clear standout of the USiP showcase was Georgia Bernstein’s erotic thriller Night time Nurse. Produced by Canadian Liane Cunje (who additionally produced gross-out style maverick Alex Phillips’ newest, Something That Strikes), the movie tackles a disturbing premise with dexterous empathy. Employed at a high-end reminiscence care facility after an intensive stint of unemployment, a younger lady (Mimi Rogers) works the night time shift caring for a dementia affected person (Bruce McKenzie). Their conceptions of actuality could also be totally different, however sexual chemistry is conjured nonetheless. It’s perverse amalgamation of Acquainted Contact and Babygirl, and I used to be shocked that extra individuals weren’t delay by the predatory relationship that solely begins to take maintain within the sequence we noticed (which omits an establishing prologue). The putting visible vocabulary of the movie heralds a rising but assured expertise—it was unattainable to not really feel sure that the remainder of the movie can be as spectacular. This assuredness translated into $10,000 of post-production providers from Orka, a $6,000 sound combine from Soundflower and a journey grant on behalf of New Europe Movie Gross sales to return to Poland for post-production wants. The cherry on prime has been Night time Nurse’s inclusion within the 2026 Sundance lineup, the place it can premiere within the fest’s “forward-thinking” NEXT part. Because it seems, everybody’s response was proper on the cash. 

Bernstein isn’t the one USiP filmmaker heading to Park Metropolis in January, as Liz Sargent’s Take Me Residence, offered in Poland by producer Apoorva Charan, will premiere within the U.S. Dramatic Competitors. Sargent’s sister Anna stars as a model of herself, an grownup with a cognitive incapacity who should navigate her dad and mom’ personal mortality and what which means for her future care. Awarded $5,000 of coloration grading providers from Fixafilm, the movie depicts the unforgiving panorama of the American healthcare and social welfare programs however is rife with ample moments of levity, courtesy of the naturally charming Anna. The characteristic expands on Sargent’s 2023 wanting the identical title, which additionally premiered at Sundance. On the Tribeca Competition this previous June, Sargent gained the biggest movie manufacturing prize on this planet—the AT&T Untold Tales $1 million grant—with the intention to help the completion of Take Me Residence. New York audiences can all however anticipate to come across Sargent’s bittersweet drama on the downtown fest after spring thaw. 

I felt that two different movies offered in Poland would make excellent sense. The primary, Suzi Yoonessi’s Mom Wolf, is a heartfelt, raunchy drama a couple of lady (Melissa Leo) on the cusp of a post-retirement journey to Japan out of the blue tasked with caring for her estranged daughter’s kids (Yoonessi’s personal youngsters). With cash now tighter than common, she decides to start out an OnlyFans account, the place her toes are the star of the present. Yoonessi gained large at USiP, awarded as much as $10,000 of coloration correction from Black Photon and $25,000 from ATM Digital to make use of towards digital studio providers on her subsequent mission. The opposite mission is She Retains Me Younger, an LA-set cringe comedy from Doron Max Hagay, whose intensive TV credit embrace Hacks and SNL. Perhaps it’s simply the transient glimpse of John Early I caught, however the movie appears ripe for the comedic second. Two longtime associates (Blair Beeken and Katy Fullan, co-writers with Hagay) expertise a rift of their relationship when a teenage lady (Shay Rudolph) asks one for a photoshoot, revving up a critique of codependent dynamics. The tone is an element Friendship, half Frances Ha, however its humorousness is comparatively quotidian and this ended up being one other private favourite. Fixafilm granted $5,000 value of FVX, whereas New Europe gross sales supplied promotional and script consulting providers for Hagay’s subsequent characteristic, which is able to absolutely heighten an already sturdy visible and narrative sensibility that mines from the absurdity of Los Angeles.

Sundance has lengthy been thought-about the annual barometer for the state of American indie movie, however maybe it’d be extra prudent to look to U.S. in Progress for a extra condensed survey of what’s percolating on this realm away. Venice, SXSW, Cannes, Tribeca, Slamdance, TIFF, Locarno—whether or not premiering at a European or (North) American pageant, the success price for USiP tasks, notably in recent times, is sort of staggering. After all, a few of this may need to do with the truth that many of those festivals ship their programmers to Wrocław (this 12 months boasted personnel from Venice, Tribeca and Locarno), however that reality alone is merely one other accolade for the showcase itself. The curation right here is held in extraordinarily excessive regard, and the tasks are resultantly sturdy sufficient to talk for themselves in simply 20 minutes.