Official Selection of Tiantan Award
The Summer Book
Charlie McDowell
Finland, United Kingdom, USA
Producer:Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Charlie McDowell, Aleksi Bardy, Kevin Loader, Kath Mattock, Helen Vinogradov
Screenwriter:Robert Jones
Cinematographer:Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Editor:Jussi Rautaniemi
Sound Designer: Micke Nyström
Composer:Hania Rani
Production Designer:Lina Nordqvist
Production Company: Helsinki Filmi, Free Range Films, Stille Productions, High Frequency Entertainment, Case Study Films, Black Bear Pictures
World Sales: Charades
Cast:Glenn Close, Emily Matthews, Anders Danielsen Lie
Synopsis
Based on Tove Jansson’s beloved novel, The Summer Book tells the story of Sophia, a nine-year-old girl who is growing up fast, and her grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life. Together with Sophia’s father, they spend time at their family’s summer home on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland, exploring the islet, talking about life, nature and everything but their feelings about Sophia’s mother’s death and their love for one another. By the end of the summer, emotional wounds are healed, bonds are deepened, and the grandmother is able to leave this life peacefully.
Director

Charlie McDowell
Charlie McDowell, a British/American filmmaker. Charlie’s directorial debut, The One I Love, had its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, and was also nominated for Best First Screenplay at the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards. Another of his films, The Discovery, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. His previous feature, Windfall sold preemptively to Netflix in an eight-figure deal and was released on March 18th, 2022. In November 2022, McDowell launched Case Study Films alongside Lily Collins and Alex Orlovsky. The production company will look to tell compelling and outside-of-the-box stories through a commercial eye in both film and television. Recent projected helmed by Case Study include Memory, which received accolades at the Venice Film Festival as well as an Indie Spirit nomination for Chastain.
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