Alex Andre’s award-winning feature film directorial debut Pratfall stars Joshua Burge (The Revenant, Buzzard, Relaxer, and stars in Joel Potrykus’ upcoming Vulcanizadora) as a troubled New Yorker roaming the city who runs into French tourist and ends up on life changing journey.
The made its World Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival 2023 where it won the Best Feature Narrative Spirit Award, and most recently made its UK premiere at Manchester Film Festival 2024 on March 23, where it won the Best Actress Award for Chloé Groussard.
Pratfall will open for a week-long theatrical release in Los Angeles at Laemmle Royal beginning April 26, and will also be released the same day on all major VOD platforms in North America including Apple TV, Amazon Prime and more via Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group.
Pratfall centers around Eli, a deeply troubled New Yorker grappling with a devastating loss. His life becomes an unending cycle of sleepless nights, relentless self-conversation, and a diet of coffee and hot dogs. Eli’s daily routine is disrupted when he crosses paths with Joelle, a captivating yet down-on-her-luck French tourist. Stranded in Central Park, Joelle yearns to explore the city but finds herself trapped among its misfits. Despite Eli’s initial hostility, she latches onto him, seeking a guide in this foreign urban landscape.
What ensues is a sleepless tour of the city, an unusual yet poignant journey led by Eli, who embellishes his narrations, painting an image of New York that is as compelling as it is haunting. Joelle’s curiosity and unwavering optimism serve as a beacon of light in Eli’s world of darkness, initiating an unlikely bond between these two disparate souls. However, their shared journey is not without its perils. The sinister forces that shape New York City loom large, threatening to engulf both Eli and Joelle.
Andre served as a one-man crew on location as both director and cinematographer, working with his ensemble of actors.
“This intimate involvement enabled me to shape the film in its minutiae, crafting a narrative that is as intimate as it is grand, much like New York City itself,” said Andre. “Pratfall is a darkly comedic and tragic exploration of loss, loneliness and the profound longing for connection that lives within us all. The juxtaposition of our two lead characters, Eli and Joelle, both stunningly portrayed by Joshua Burge and Chloé Groussard, allows us to venture into the raw corners of the human psyche against the beautifully frenetic backdrop of New York City.”
Watch the trailer for Pratfall.