Jessie Barr’s feature directorial debut has secured distribution. Oscilloscope Laboratories snagged North American rights to “Sophie Jones” and plans to release the coming-of-age story in the first quarter of 2021. Deadline broke the news.
“Sophie Jones” is “inspired by true experiences of grief, girlhood, and growing up,” and tells the story of a 16-year-old girl (Jessica Barr) reeling from her mother’s death. “As she struggles with her loss and the challenges of being a teen, Sophie tries everything she can to feel something again, while holding herself together,” the source teases.
The film’s star, Jessica Barr, is writer-director Jessie Barr’s cousin. The pair penned “Sophie Jones'” script together and are among the project’s exec producers.
“Enough Said” filmmaker Nicole Holofcener exec produced the teen drama, which made its world premiere at last year’s Deauville Film Festival.
“’Sophie Jones’ has been a true labor of love and I’m beyond thrilled that the film has found its home with Oscilloscope,” said Jessie Barr. The Sundance Fellow continued, “This is a dream come true. Oscilloscope’s love for filmmakers, commitment to creative collaboration, and passion for the film make me confident ‘Sophie Jones’ will reach its audience. We can’t wait to share it.”
O-Scope’s Aaron Katz added, “We are very excited to be bringing ‘Sophie Jones’ to audiences. Jessie has crafted a heartfelt and honest coming-of-age portrait that reignited a range of teenage emotions I thought I had long since escaped. The film’s naturalism and relatability provided an 80-minute escape to normalcy in what has undoubtedly been a hell of a year.”
Asked if the experience of directing her first feature was comparable to what she thought it would be like, Barr told The Moveable Fest, “Honestly, there wasn’t time to even think about it! And because it was my first time making a feature, I didn’t have anything similar to measure it by or compare it to. I knew it would be challenging,” she acknowledged, “but I had no idea how magical, devastating and wild it actually would be. It happened so quickly and I just had to go, go, go, [knowing] that there was no room for expectation, fear or doubt. I think my naivete was useful and necessary too in a lot of ways actually,” Barr explained. “It made me open. The level of will and belief that is necessary to sustain throughout the process of bringing a film to life is hard to describe. I don’t think I realized how much making a film like this takes over your life, your entire being. It has been like a companion for the past two years, every day all day, eat, drink, sleep, and dream about it. I’m learning about boundaries!”
