Awkwafina’s ‘Kate Might Die,’ ‘Outside of Cleveland’ With Alex Wolff Among Projects Selected for U.S. in Progress

Eight independent films in the final stages of editing have been selected for the U.S. in Progress co-production forum at Tauron American Film Festival in Wrocław, Poland.

“Kate Might Die,” directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, boasts some recognizable names including Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Ken Jeong and Zosia Mamet.

Its protagonist appears to have the perfect life: she has just landed her first big film job as a production designer, is training for a marathon and her husband is about to finish rehab. But then she finds out she has stage two breast cancer.

Juggling career, family, treatment and her husband’s fragile sobriety, she must decide what kind of life she wants to live after cancer and with whom – if there is an after cancer. Still, she handles it all with tongue firmly in cheek. After all, if we’re not laughing, what’s the point of anything?

It’s produced by Whitewater Films and co-produced by Balcony 9 and Sweetheart Entertainment.

“This film is based on a true story… but weirder,” admits the director.

“It’s about a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer, trying to run the New York Marathon, but our version also has her being chased by giant boobs, stumbling through a battleground of 100 dead Awkwafinas and getting swept into a flash mob led by Anthony Ramos.”

She describes it as “tragicomedy about mortality, ambition and marriage.”

“I never wanted to make a ‘cancer movie’ that treated illness with kid gloves. Cancer is fucking terrifying. It is also awkward, messy, funny, sexual and surreal.”

In “Outside of Cleveland,” Colin West follows Max (played by Alex Wolff) who returns to his childhood home when his parents (Jim Gaffigan and Sarah Wayne Callies) decide to sell it. But when he falls asleep, he wakes up as a teenager in 2009.

The film is produced by Brain Scratch Productions, 1515 Films and Sub_Sequential Pictures.

“A few winters ago, I found myself back in Ohio, helping my parents pack up my childhood home. Sleeping in my old bedroom, I felt the distance between the 18-year-old kid I used to be and the person I’d become,” says West.

“This film was born from that strange mix of nostalgia, regret and possibility that comes with going home. We ended up shooting the film in Ohio, too, so the story mirrored my own journey making it: a love letter and a farewell.”

He adds: “It’s about the lives we didn’t live and making peace with the one we’re living right now.”

Kristen Buckles Cantrell’s “Swim Fishy” is about a woman who, after learning she’s unexpectedly pregnant, hits the road with her estranged sister to redefine what motherhood means to her.

The film is produced by 2801 Productions and co-produced by Bentonville Studios, Route 88 Films, and Billy Mumphry and Sons Films. Lola Kirke stars.

“Swim Fishy” is a story about “intergenerational family trauma,” says the director, “and how it shapes us but hopefully doesn’t define us; the narratives and perceptions we cling to; and the connections that come back to us in murky and messy ways.”

Also taking on family bonds is “Your Dad,” produced by Scallion Studio and directed by Benjamin Chung-Ying Eckersley.

It shadows Li, who visits New York for the first time. His son, Chinese architect Kun, is reluctant to see him. But not Kun’s boyfriend Michael.

The film marks the very first role outside of China for Li Cong Xi, known for “An Elephant Sitting Still,” “The Sun Also Rises” and “Devils on the Doorstep.”

“This is a film about the possibilities and limits of identity. The protagonist, Michael, whose Chinese identity has been eroded by successive generations, is desperately curious about Kun’s dad. Kun’s dad has never seen a Chinese person like Michael,” says Chung-Ying Eckersley.

“This film grapples with what we strive to inherit, preserve and recreate in ourselves. ‘Your Dad’ sensitively excavates a slice of life that is both unmistakably New York and a globally resonant story of family ties across borders and oceans.”

Oliver Edwin’s “Situation #64” focuses on a performance artist Melissa, who is known for the work she used to create with her partner, Alex. Now, she wants to explore what led to their separation.

Alex is reluctant, but when his new partner Clio arrives, Melissa is quick to realize that she might have an even grander piece on her hands. As the new couple are pulled into the gap between art and reality, the erotic becomes mixed with the surreal.

New York-based company The Space Program, also behind “Sorry to Bother You” and “Shiva Baby,” produces, with The Dazey Phase and Escape Route Films attached as co-producers.

“An independent American film with European sensibility, with ‘Situation #64’ I have tried to examine our era’s sacrifice of intimacy for spectacle through the lens of a performance artist creating her most important work,” explains Oliver Edwin, who stars alongside Hari Nef and Louisa Jacobson.

“Woven through this narrative are my very personal anxieties about whether I can dedicate myself to making this kind of art while juggling the living of a normal life. I feel lucky to be part of the wave of queer cinema in New York telling stories like these, and to be working with actresses as talented as Hari and Louisa.”

Personal anxieties turn to horror with “Scary New Year,” where two childhood friends, Wendy and Peter, have to deal with him committing a violent act she feels responsible for.

When he invites her to his annual Scary New Year celebration, desperate to rekindle their friendship, Wendy puts aside her reservations and rejoins Peter in their yearly tradition of frightening their friends. But as Peter’s increasingly disturbing party games turn sinister, the partygoers find themselves stranded with a sociopath and a quickly rising body count.

Ruby Mannequin Films produces, with DieDieVideo and Divide/Conquer co-producing. Rachel Kempf and Nick Toti direct.

“We set out to make a slasher movie that wasn’t just a throwback or a superficial homage to 80s slashers, but one that recreated the conditions and techniques of those older, low-budget films as much as possible,” they say in a joint statement.

“We shot on 16mm. We filmed a live burn scene rather than using CGI fire. We cast young actors whose careers we hope to help launch, rather than established stars. However, ‘Scary New Year’ is also very distinct from its predecessors. It’s a slasher about friendship and the fear of growing up, with complex characters and plenty of heart. And some really fucked up kill scenes.”

Finally, Jared Goodman’s “Buyback,” produced by Run It Hot in association with Rockhill Studios and Hardball Entertainment, is a “suburban heist film told through the lens of a coming-of-age story,” notes producer Daryl Freimark.

In the film – starring Gyula Owen Asztalos, Saniyya Sidney and Ignacio Diaz-Silverio – three suburban teenagers discover they can turn unsecured guns into cash through a state-run gun buyback program. Led by Will, a reckless 16-year-old struggling with his mother’s death, the friends begin stealing firearms from neighbors and exploiting the program to make thousands of dollars.

Soon, they are forced to confront the consequences of what they have set in motion and how far they are willing to go for one another.

“Our three young leads give standout performances,” adds Freimark.

“What begins as a simple juvenile scheme snowballs into a nail-biting thriller, complete with a motorcycle chase across the George Washington Bridge and increasingly ambitious set pieces. Touching, thrilling and fresh, with the three suburban teens always at the heart of the film, ‘Buyback’ is both a troubling look at how easily kids can access unsecured guns and a spellbinding story that tackles a pressing social issue with urgency and originality.”

Goodman adds: “Coming from documentary filmmaking, I’ve always been drawn to stories rooted in the real world that feel larger than life. ‘Buyback’ does just that, taking a timely and important issue and weaving it into a coming-of-age story that organically evolves into a full-blown heist thriller.”

“Our incredible crew pushed the boundaries of what was possible for a film of our size, while our talented cast brought authenticity and heart to the film through some truly memorable performances. It’s incredibly rewarding to see all the hard work come together into a film that feels true to what we set out to create.”

“I find match-making hugely exciting. The moment when the jurors discuss which project could benefit most from their awards – and we have 13 awards this year – is the happiest,” says Urszula Śniegowska, director of the festival.

“I feel like a godmother, with a small g, when I see a Polish company’s name in the finishing credits of a project that’s premiering at Sundance or Cannes. This sharing platform makes sense, and I hope we can help foster more lasting collaborations between Polish and American producers in the future.”

Monica Semczyk, the U.S. in Progress coordinator, adds: “This year, participants will step outside the cinema and have the opportunity to visit the Lower Silesia region. We will embark on a location scouting tour following Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Fatherland’ and learn about the area’s rich history. Castles and medieval churches await.”

“U.S. in Progress is exactly the right place for ‘Swim Fishy’ at this stage. It’s a chance to connect with European partners who understand how intimate, character-driven stories can travel,” said Kristen Buckles Cantrell.

The 16th edition of the event will take place from Nov. 17-19. It’s organized with the support of the Polish Film Institute, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Lower Silesia Wrocław Film Commission – DCF and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

Here’s a list of projects:

“Buyback”

Director and screenwriter: Jared Goodman

Producers: Daryl Freimark, Jared Goodman, Will Holt, Dan Botwinik

Cast: Gyula Owen Asztalos, Saniyya Sidney, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Michael Hyatt, Derek Cecil, Max Casella, Amy Hargreaves.

Synopsis: Three teenagers turn unsecured guns into cash through a state-run gun buyback program. What starts as a thrilling hustle exposes just how many guns are hiding inside the homes of their seemingly safe community. But when their increasingly dangerous scheme becomes a plan to escape their troubled families, the stakes spiral beyond their control.

“Kate Might Die”

Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan

Writers: Yuri Baranovsky, Angela Gulner

Producers: Joel David Moore, Nicholas Weinstock, Rick Rosenthal, Sarah J. Cornelius, Katrina Kudlick, Ojan Missaghi, David Wachs, Chase Hinton

Cast: Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Ken Jeong, Zosia Mamet, Jimmi Simpson, Lauren Tom, Ben Wang

Synopsis: Kate McAnneny is so close to winning: she just got her first big film job as a production designer, she’s training for the New York City Marathon, and her husband’s about to finish rehab, again. But then, a teeny little lump is discovered, and Kate’s suddenly got stage two breast cancer. Kate spirals, and so does reality.

“The Lonely Woman”

Director: Boy Harsher

Produced by Base 12 and Spacemaker

“Outside of Cleveland”

Director and screenwriter: Colin West

Producers: Chad Simpson, Daniel Erdman, Drew Johnson, Heather Francis, Chadd Harbold

Cast: Alex Wolff, Brooklynn Prince, Jim Gaffigan, Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael Ian Black, Lois Smith

Synopsis: Summer 2027. Max writes jingles in Chicago and wonders where his life went. When his parents sell his childhood home outside of Cleveland, he drives back to help them pack. That night, he falls asleep in his old bedroom and wakes up in the winter of 2009, 18 years old again.

“Scary New Year”

Director: Rachel Kempf and Nick Toti

Screenwriter: Rachel Kempf

Producers: Liane Cunje, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath

Cast: Lauren Viteri, Sam Hook, Beck Nolan, Amelia Ann, Zach Schnitzer

Synopsis: Childhood best friends Wendy and Peter have always shared a love of horror movies, but Peter’s obsession with gore is cast in an unsettling new light when he commits a violent act that Wendy feels responsible for. Four months later, Peter reaches out to an estranged Wendy with an invitation to his annual Scary New Year celebration at his parents’ remote cabin.

“Situation #64”

Director and writer: Oliver Edwin

Producers: Lizzie Shapiro, Lexi Tannenholtz, Jason de Beer, Jake Casey, Hari Nef

Cast: Hari Nef, Louisa Jacobson, Oliver Edwin

Synopsis: Melissa Pomeny is one of the world’s most celebrated performance artists, renowned for the daring work she creates with her partner in love and in art, Alex Androse. But three months after their rupture she returns to their upstate compound with plans for their chef d’œuvre: one final work that will exhume the moment that led to their downfall.

“Swim Fishy”

Director and screenwriter: Kristen Buckels Cantrell

Producers: Nathan Mardis, Michelle Cameron, Charlotte Gilbert, Caleb Wall

Cast: Lola Kirke, Pauline Chalamet, John Gallagher Jr. with Raul Castillo and Jenny O’Hara

Synopsis: After learning she’s pregnant, a reckless, independent woman hits the road with her sister to confront the wounds of their past. But when she brings along her equally impulsive friend, old tensions and buried truths resurface, forcing the sisters to reckon with who they’ve been to each other – and who they want to become.

“Your Dad”

Director: Benjamin Chung-Ying Eckersley

Producers: Sophie Luo, Beatrix Chu

Cast: Michael Hsu Rosen, Li Cong Xi, Liu Chao

Synopsis: When Li, the grieving father of Chinese architect Kun, visits New York for the first time, his son is reluctant to see him. But Kun’s aimless Chinese-American boyfriend Michael is desperate to connect with this total stranger.