family portrait
by lucy kerr, 2023

Catalog Number: FTF-152
Length: 73 minutes

Family Portrait follows a sprawling family on a morning when they have planned a group picture. After the mother disappears and one of the daughters becomes increasingly anxious to find her and take the picture, the rest of the family appears to resist any attempt to gather. Initially presenting itself as a realistic portrayal of a family on an idle but hectic summer day, the film progressively descends into a realm where time and space lose their grip, transforming the family portrait into a solemn and enigmatic ritual of transition.

Written and Directed by Lucy Kerr
Produced by Megan Pickrell, Frederic Winker
Co-Produced by Rob Rice
Executive Produced by Brittany Reeber
Cinematography by Lidia Nikonova
Edited by Karlis Bergs
Sound Design by Andrew Siedenburg, Nikolay Antonov
Production Design by Tim Nicholas

Starring: Deragh Campbell, Chris Galust. Katie Folger, Rachel Alig, Robert Salas, Silvana Jakich

Festivals: Locarno Film Festival (Winner: Best Director), Black Canvas Contemporary Film Festival (Best Director Award), Chicago International Film Festival, El Gouna Film Festival, American Film Festival (Poland), International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Unknown Pleasures, Hainan Island IFF (Winner: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Artistic Contribution), Houston Cinema Arts Festival, D’A - Barcelona Film Festival, Fest Du Femmes Festival

WATCH THE FILM

June 28th - July 4, 2023
Metrograph, New York, NY info

July 12-18
Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL, info

July 19th & 20th 
Now Instant, Los Angeles, CA, info 

PRESS

"Still waters run deep in this feature debut... Somewhere between Hereditary and L’Avventura.”
-David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“Highly Cinematic. Kerr’s debut is an intoxicating portrait.”
-Jordan Mitzer, The Hollywood Reporter

“The film’s deceiving familiarity slowly erodes, morphing into an unsettling, formally astute brain-tickler.”
Carlos Aguilar, Variety

“Begins as a slippery drama before gradually descending into something closer to surreal horror.”
-Chase Hutchinson, Collider

“Surreal. The dysfunctional family genre gets A Lynchian twist.”
-Grant Hermanns, Screen Rant

"Spellbinding. Straddles the line between experimental, indie and magical realism.”
-Joshua Encinias, Brooklyn Magazine

“An almost mystical exploration of anxiety and melancholia. It’s hard to think of a film that better captures the underlying sense of menace seeping into the monotony of everyday life.”
-Lee Jutton, Film Inquiry

“Deftly crafts a landscape with an unstable pulse.”
-Saffron Maeve, Screen Slate

“Carefully conceived, brilliantly acted, precisely executed.”
-J Paul Johnson, Film Obsessive

“Fascinating. A brilliant first film.”
-Herbert Gambill, Mystery Catalog

“An audacious debut. Filmmaker Lucy Kerr rearranges domesticity into eeriness.”
-Shelagh Rowan-Legg, The Film Stage

“Deeply personal. Family Portrait is a startling discovery.”
-Chris Cassingham, In Review Online

One of the most fascinating and exciting movies of 2024, Family Portrait grabs hold and doesn't let go.
-Sean Patrick, Vocal Media Geeks

"A low-key fever dream. Unnerving. Quietly haunting."
-Neil Young, Screen Daily 

"Set up as a thriller while garnished with the vibes of a mystery. The result is intriguing and unsettling.”
-Abhishek Sharma, Film Threat

"Hauntingly strange. Highly atmospheric and meticulously crafted.”
-Stephen Dalton, The Film Verdict

"An enigmatic family mosaic. Eerily compelling.”
-Redmon Bacon, Journey Into Cinema