Independent Feature Film THE WARM SEASON To Have Simultaneous World Premieres In Boston and Santa Fe

The new indie sci-fi feature The Warm Season will have its world premiere on February 18 simultaneously at the Boston SciFi Film Festival and Santa Fe Film Festival.

Producers Julie Crosby and David Youse made the announcement. Written by Adam Seidel and directed by Janet Grillo, the story reveals how a woman's purpose is redefined when the extraterrestrial she encountered as a child returns to reclaim what was left behind.

The 98-minute feature was filmed in the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (and home of America's first and only spaceport) and Los Angeles, California, during the summer of 2022. The Warm Season's principal cast is Carie Kawa (Clive), Michael Esparza (Mann), Daniel Dorr (Mitch), Cynthia Mace (Carlene), and Gregory Jbara (Sam). The female-driven production team includes Director Of Photography Sarah Brandes, Production Designer Tiffany Del Guidice, Set Decorator Katie Renault, Costume Designer Susie Ouderkirk, Executive Producer Kit Seidel, Composer Lillian Rebecca Mcdonough, Editor and Co-Producer Soojin Chung.

"The Warm Season is important because, in a cinematic world of fantastical special effects and superheroes, we explore the human condition with humor and heart," said Grillo. "We are also proud to have received the ReFrame Stamp for Gender Balanced Production, awarded to features that hire women or individuals of other underrepresented gender identities/expressions in four out of eight key roles including writer, director, producer, lead, co-leads, and department heads."

The Warm Season begins in 1967 with 12-year-old Clive playing in the New Mexican desert behind her family's remote motel, taking photos with her trusty Polaroid, when a Mexican worker mysteriously appears before her. But he doesn't behave like the immigrant ranch hands in the area. His name is Mann, he's from another planet that is dying, and he's searching for a new place for his kind to live. As dark sedans swoop to capture him, Mann hands Clive a glowing orb, asks her to hide it, and promises he'll be back.

Now it's 25 years later, and Clive's still waiting, struggling to keep the flailing motel afloat and her aging mother, Carlene, alive. Her husband, Mitch, urges Clive to sell the motel, restart their life and revive their love. But Clive holds onto the secret and the stone, too stuck in the past to pull herself into their future. And then Mann returns.

"David and I were told that if we wanted to produce a film under one million dollars, we shouldn't do sci-fi, and we shouldn't include kids, animals, or a remote location. We had all of those things, plus Covid, and we came in on budget," said Crosby, founding partner of Cromono International.

"The story is about a strong woman on a healing journey. Messy. Emotional. Intense. Raw. Honest. There's laughs, and there are tears, and there are real relationships. These kinds of stories are affecting. That's what we were trying to do," said Kawa.

The Boston SciFi Film Festival screening of The Warm Season will be Saturday, February 18, at 12:30pm EST at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA, 02144. Immediately following, the audience is invited to a Q&A panel with Janet Grillo (director), Adam Seidel (screenwriter), Cynthia Mace (Carlene Sanada), Gregory Jbara (Sam Ringo), and Soojin Chung (editor and co-producer). Tickets to the screening and panel are $15.00; an all-access ticket is$195.00 and can be purchased here.

The Santa Fe Film Festival screening of The Warm Season will be Saturday, February 18 at 10:30am MST at the New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe, NM, 87501. Immediately following, the audience is invited to a Q&A panel with cast and crew Carie Kawa (Clive Sanada), Daniel Dorr (Mitch Smith) Michael Esparza (Mann), and Sarah Brandes (director of photography). Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased here.

Visit thewarmseason.com to watch the official worldwide trailer and behind-the-scenes video.

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