Nat (Tony Revolori) is leaving his old Arizona life in the dust for a chance to study photography at a Los Angeles art school. Along the way, he runs into one slight hitch: his car won’t start. That’s where Richard (Jason Mantzoukas) comes in. Not only is he a complete stranger at the “professional level of drinking and driving,” he’s the (self-proclaimed) “best mechanic in town.” What follows becomes the trip of a lifetime.
“The Long Dumb Road” follows these two completely different strangers as they travel together across the American Southwest. Its official press release promises a journey complete with “an assortment of old flames, fellow travelers, kooky cons, and Good Samaritans” that ultimately leads to an “epic bond” between the two. Casey Wilson, Grace Gummer (“Francis Ha”), and Taissa Farmiga (“6 Years”) round out the cast.
Hannah Fidell co-writes, directs, and produces. She previously directed Farmiga in “6 Years,” a romantic drama following a young couple figuring out how to move forward after college. She also wrote and directed “The Teacher,” which premiered at 2013’s Sundance.
“The Long Dumb Road” was financed by Gamechanger Films, a company that funds female-led features. The pic’s producers include Jacqueline “JJ” Ingram and Kelly Williams.
Fidell previously spoke with us about the difficulties of breaking through the budget ceiling as a female director. “It’s been my experience that the indie/festival world is very female-director friendly,” she said. “It’s those higher-budgeted projects where it seems to be harder to break through. Just keep making good shit — that’s all a person, male or female, can really do.”
“The Long Dumb Road” hits theaters November 9, and will be available on demand November 16.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpzifCt8_SA
