Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Laurel Parmet, the Writer-Director of The Starling Girl

One of the most exciting things about starting each year with the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Captivating stories, soon-to-be iconic shots, and timely cinematic conversations are all cornerstones of the 2023 Festival slate - and those are all birthed from the hearts and souls of these filmmakers. That means that this year we have the privilege of being introduced (or reintroduced for returning filmmakers) to the artists behind 111 features, 64 shorts, and four indie episodic projects.And while we learn a lot from the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about these filmmakers as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our Backstory questionnaire!Laurel Parmet's enthusiasm for film is infectious. I've always wanted to make films. I love the collaboration filmmaking requires. I love taking an audience on a journey and connecting to people that way, she says. Parmet grew up on film sets - her father is a cinematographer and her mother works in costumes - and her passion for filmmaking led her to the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where The Starling Girl premiered in the U.S. Dramatic category. I think it's the most fun job in the world. When I'm making films with my friends and with people I love, it's such a rush, there's nothing else like it.

The writer-director's feature debut follows Jem (Eliza Scanlen), a 17-year-old girl living in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky, as she tries to reconcile God's will with her own desires - including her desire for a romantic relationship with her youth pastor (Lewis Pullman). Kara Durrett, a producer on the film, received the Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Fiction at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The Starling Girl was acquired by Bleecker Street following its premiere, and the film will be released in theaters later this year.

Below, discover Parmet's personal ties to the film's story, what kept the film crew going during late-night shoots, and how Sundance Institute's artist programs helped her to develop the project.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-laure...
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