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originally published: 05/25/2023 

(LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ) -- The Lighthouse International Film Festival celebrates its 15th edition this June 7-11 in Long Beach Island. The festival's opening night film is the East Coast Premiere of Brittany Snow's Parachute and the closing night film is the World Premiere of Isabel Ellison and Ryan Guiterman's Loud & Longing.

Parachute runs 97 minutes and will be shown on Thursday, June 8th at Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. The film, which won the Best First Feature Award at SXSW 2023, stars Courtney Eaton, Thomas Mann, Kid Cudi, Francesca Reale, Gina Rodriguez, Joel McHale, and Dave Bautista. The screening takes place at 7:30pm.

In her inspiring directorial debut, actress Brittany Snow, who is known for her playful performances in Pitch Perfect and Hairspray, brings to the screen an intimate dramatic account of two young people struggling with emotional challenges and finding comfort in each other’s strengths and deficiencies.

Inspired by a whirlwind true story of unconventional romance, Riley, played by Courtney Eaton (Mad Max Fury Road, Yellowjackets), is determined to overcome her issues with body image, food, and love, but soon falls for another addiction: her friend Ethan.

Eaton impresses in her highly nuanced role, which garnered her the "Best Performance Award" at SXSW. Her chemistry with co-lead Thomas Mann, with his quiet charisma, is exceptional and charges this film with both optimism and disappointment.

 

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The two leads are surrounded by an amazing supporting cast of Kid Cudi, Francesca Reale, Gina Rodriguez, Joel McHale, and Dave Bautista, all led by the sensitivity and honesty of Snow (winner of “Best First Feature Award” at SXSW) and producer Lizzie Shapiro (LIFF favorite Shiva Baby and LIFF 2020 juror).

Loud & Longing runs 94 minutes and will be shown at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences on Sunday, June 11th. This stunning, powerful dissection of trauma and longing stars Max Carpenter, Danny Kornfeld, Ryan Czerwonko, and Isabel Ellison. The screening takes place at 7:30pm.

Lucy and Lucien are two childhood friends who share a deeply troubled past and struggle to maintain their sanity and sobriety as they cut their teeth in the New York City arts and theater scene. As their breakout moment arrives, both are forced to grapple with a legacy of childhood trauma, addiction and loss. They must rely on their chosen family of artists and sex workers to help bring them through their dark night of the soul.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.lighthouseff.com