Laurie Simmons

My Art
2016
Films Index

Ellie Shine (Laurie Simmons) is a single artist living in New York City. Ellie has a good life: a stable teaching job, successful friends, and a loyal, aging dog named Bing. As her decades-old dream of a respectable place in the art world becomes more elusive, her frustration with her lack of recognition feels alarmingly urgent. When she is offered the summer house and studio of a famous friend she seizes the opportunity to hit the reset button on her life and work. She unwittingly finds inspiration in two out-of-work actors who maintain the gardens at her summer retreat: Frank (Robert Clohessy), a recent widower trying to reassemble his life by turning his back on a mediocre acting career, and Tom (Josh Safdie), a young, hungry actor whose wife (Parker Posey) has a less ambitious vision for their idyllic country life. Joining them is John (John Rothman), a thrice-divorced, disillusioned lawyer looking for a summer distraction. This unlikely trio helps Ellie reinvent her artistic identity by participating in her DIY art videos—improbable recreations of old Hollywood films. They accompany Ellie on an odd and unexpected journey toward finding her late-blooming artistic momentum.

North American Premiere: Tribeca Film Festival 2017
World Premiere: Venice International Film Festival 2016

Starring: Laurie Simmons, Lena Dunham, Robert Clohessy, John Rothman, Josh Safdie, Parker Posey, Blair Brown, Barbara Sukowa

Director: Laurie Simmons
Screenwriter: Laurie Simmons
Cinematographer: Tom Richmond
Editor: Betsy Kagen
Composer: Will Epstein
Executive Producer: Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Richard Edwards
Producer: Andrew Fierberg
Associate Producer: Danielle Bartholomew, Mark Lukenbill, Mary Simpson
Line Producer: Tina Piccari

My Art