Story House Partners, the Montana-based production branch of Story House House Inc., will begin production on its first feature film in October. Titled “St. George,” the film is a family drama written and directed by Andrew Pastides.
The film focuses on two brothers who deal with grief after the death of their sister. One of the brothers suffers from Down syndrome, and the other brother becomes his closest family member to his caregiver. However, when the boyfriend of his late sister’s deceased, life re-enters again, things get worse and forces both brothers to face the flaws in their family head on.
“St. George” was developed by the National Down Syndrome Association to ensure authentic representation of its nervous characters and expand conversations about the community. “I am drawn to the gray realm. A space where tragedy and humor overlap, a space where love and loss coexist. With “St. George,” Pastides said in a statement. “I am drawn to the gray realm. I wanted to explore how silence around sadness has the ability to love us completely.
The film will be held in Missoula, Montana and bring production to Mountain West following the investment of storyhouse partners in the local film industry. In addition to the film, Story House Inc. develops a 47-acre studio campus in Missoula and a 240-acre community in Sheridan, Wyoming.
By working with lawmakers to develop Storyhouse Montana, the company hopes to build a production ecosystem in underserved regions in the US, where other large projects have declined.
James Brown III, co-founder and creative officer of Story House, said, “It makes a lot of sense that “St. George” is Story House Partners’ first feature film. We feel both this powerful responsibility to begin our production journey with stories.
“St. George” is produced by Sean Patrick Higgins, James Brown III, and Matt Lauria, and filmed by Bianca Batti.
