Another movie filmed in Enid and Northwest Oklahoma will make its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next year.
“To The Stars” was chosen from among 14,250 submissions to the festival and will make its world premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Salt Lake City at Sundance Mountain Resort.
Set in 1960s Oklahoma, “To the Stars” centers on the powerful friendship forged between a shy farmer’s daughter and the reckless new girl in town. The independent coming-of-age story stars Kara Hayward (“Moonrise Kingdom”), Liana Liberato (“The Best of Me”), two-time Emmy Award-winner Tony Hale (HBO’s “Veep”), Malin Akerman (“Watchmen”), Shea Whigham (“Take Shelter”), Jordana Spiro (“Ozark”), Lucas Zumann (“20th Century Women”) and Adelaide Clemens (“Rectify”).
The film is produced by Kristin Mann and Laura D. Smith and directed by Martha Stephens, whose previous film, “Land Ho!”, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and won the John Cassavetes Award at the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Enid served as the primary hub of activity for the production during filming in Oklahoma, with additional filming in Wakita, Kremlin, Hennessey, Pond Creek, Perry and Bartlesville. Production began in early March in Enid, with filming throughout the community and surrounding region for 18 days, followed by three days in the Bartlesville area in June. Principal photography concluded in August.
Northern Lights Films, Foton Pictures and Rockhill Media used the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program administered by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office for the production.
“Filmmakers working on a small budget have more opportunities to select Oklahoma communities like Enid for their projects thanks to the incentive program from the Oklahoma Film + Music Office,” Visit Enid Director Marcy Jarrett said in August. “Once ‘To the Stars’ chose Enid, the cast and crew shopped in Enid retail stores, dined in Enid restaurants and stayed in Enid hotels, creating an economic boost for our local businesses. Plus, ‘To the Stars’ filming here on the heels of ‘Wildlife’ gave Enid residents a huge sense of community pride.”
“OF+MO wishes to congratulate the entire ‘To the Stars’ team on a successful wrap of production in Oklahoma,” OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky said following principal photography for the film. “We are grateful to our film-friendly community partners both in Enid and across the state for their support, which has allowed this production to spotlight Oklahoma’s diverse locations as well as increase positive economic impact among a variety of local businesses across the state.”
“To the Stars” will be shown next year at the festival as one of 16 films in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include “Wildlife,” “Eighth Grade,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” and “Swiss Army Man.”
Story provided by Enid News & Eagle
Written by Cass Rains