Lightning Entertainment proudly announces the Cannes World Market Premiere of THE SUMMERLAND PROJECT, a suspenseful sci-fi romance where a desperate husband is given the chance to save his wife by having her mind transplanted into an artificial body. The film features a raw, hypnotic performance by newcomer Angela Billman in the title role, alongside Ben Whitehair (BETTER CALL SAUL, NASHVILLE) and Ed Begley Jr. (PORTLANDIA, YOU’RE NOT YOU, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT). Rounding out the cast is veteran actress Kate Vernon (NCIS, THE 100, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) andEddie Jemison (iZOMBIE, MASTERS OF SEX).
The Film is currently in post-production with a delivery date of mid-June.
“It’s a thrill to be sharing this movie with industry members in Cannes,” says Lightning Entertainment’s Mathilde Epstein. “It’s rare when a film packs such commercial viability into a smart and provocative story. We are excited to show footage of THE SUMMERLAND PROJECT to distributorsfor the very first time.”
Police officer, Carter Summerland, desperately seeks a bio-medical breakthrough to save his dying wife, Amelia. When a private firm approaches him about an experimental program that will transplant his wife’s mind into an artificial body, he consents. The trailblazing procedure leaves both Carter and Amelia unclear about whether it’s really her. The film follows Amelia’s isolation as a sole member of a new species, her bodily rights called into question along with her human identity. An undertow of dread threatens the Summerland’s marriage as Carter grapples with whether he can ever truly know if Amelia is his wife or an elaborate and horrifying counterfeit.
“We were all sensitive to the fact that this technology is already here, we’re right on top of actually being able to transplant life itself,” says director Adam Orton. “We wanted to shape a narrative around the inevitable questions that’ll arise when we start transplanting the essence of a loved one into a host. With such a talented team in front of and behind the camera, we’ve achieved something truly amazing that defies the limits of what humans are capable of and the possible dangers when technology takes over.”
This film was produced by Alex Levine and Enrico Natale.
Lightning Entertainment is representing international rights on the film.
