My First Film
My First Film is a 2024 American drama film directed by Zia Anger, who the screenplay with Billy Feldman. A film based on Anger's experiences, it stars Odessa Young as a young filmmaker who recounts the struggle to make her first feature film.
The film had its world premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen on March 19, 2024, then had a limited release on August 30 before streaming on Mubi on September 6. It received critical acclaim.
Cast
- Odessa Young as Vita
- Devon Ross as Dina
- Cole Doman as JJ
- Jane Wickline as Alexis
- Philip Ettinger as Dustin
- Eamon Farren as Joe
- Eleanore Hendricks as Sylvia
- Sage Ftacek as Bobby
- Jackson Anthony as Sound Guy
- Seth Steinberg as Sam
- Sarah Michelson as Doctor
- Abram Kurtz as Cash
- Ruby Max Fury as Dad
Production
Between 2010 and 2012, Zia Anger shot her first feature film Always All Ways, Anne Marie with her family and friends as cast and crew, but the project was rejected by multiple film festivals and left as "abandoned" on IMDb. Anger then created an interactive live performance due to her frustration with filmmaking and festivals, using a TextEdit documentary and QuickTime files of the feature film, involving viewers through iMessage and AirDrop.Anger and Billy Feldman began writing the film's screenplay during the COVID-19 pandemic. Odessa Young, Devon Ross, Cole Doman, Jane Wickline, Philip Ettinger, Eamon Farren, Eleanore Hendricks, Sage Ftacek, Jackson Anthony, Seth Steinberg, Hailey Gates, Sarah Michelson, Abram Kurtz, and Ruby Max Fury joined the cast of the film in November 2022, with Anger set to direct and Mubi set to produce and distribute.