The new trailer debuted for The Planters, a dark comedy written, directed, starring and crewed by longtime friends Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder. 1091 Pictures is set to release the film in theaters in September 2020 followed by a rollout on digital and on-demand December 8th.
The Planters follows Martha Plant (Kotcheff), an awkward telemarketer who’s down and out– sucking at her job and grieving her recently deceased parents. When she finds unlikely friendship in Sadie Mayflower (Leder), a bubbly vagrant with multiple personalities, Martha discovers having three friends in one may be more than she bargained for. The film’s cast is rounded out by New York theater actor Phil Parolisi, and cinema veteran Pepe Serna (Scarface, Downsizing) in supporting roles.
Kotcheff and Leder shot for 127 days entirely without an on-set crew and in isolation, save for trips to the local supermarket, a bike shop, and gas stations for lengthy drives to remote desert locations. Assuming all on-set roles, including but not limited to cinematography, production design, costumes, and hair & make-up, Kotcheff and Leder may have very well found a loophole in the filming concerns productions currently face in the Covid-19 landscape.
From the filmmakers: “‘The Planters’ is a farcical love letter to our friendship, and we are over the moon to team up with 1091 Pictures for its release. Our film is really about a group of isolated, lonely people who find connection and meaning through one another. Living in the times we are in now, it feels more apropos than ever to be releasing it into the world.”
After being named a recipient of the 2019 Women in Film Finishing Fund grant, The Planters swept up awards at nearly every film festival attended. Accolades include Raindance Film Festival’s Film of the Festival, Austin Film Festival’s Comedy Vanguard Jury and Audience Awards, Nashville Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Audience Award, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Song, San Francisco Independent Film Festival’s Narrative Feature Jury Prize, Omaha Film Festival Feature film Honorable Mention, Fargo Film Festival’s Best in Show Award for Best Directors, and Cleveland International Film Festival’s Honorable Mention for Originality and Vision in the New Direction Competition.