“Returning to Earth” was just selected by the Santa Fe international Film Festival, taking place in dates October 16-20, 2024.
The original idea for “Returning” was conceived by actor-producer, James Ferrari (“A Mouthful of Air,” which co-starred Amanda Seyfried and Paul Giamatti,) Ferrari was invited on a retreat in Centennial Valley in Montana, which is where the film was eventually shot. While on the retreat, the story started to come to him. Then he got back and pitched the story to screenwriter Terrell Tannen, who wrote the screenplay. Finally he brought the 19 page script to director Tim Hunter, who said ” I took it on because I liked the script and felt it packed a feature-length-worth of theme and emotion into a 19-page script.”
“Returning To Earth” tells the story of a recovering alcoholic father, who goes to visit his estranged daughter, who has chosen to live on her own in Montana. His arrival marks the one year anniversary of the suicide of his son. The father and daughter have agreed to meet to spread his ashes- but after all their pain, can they reconcile?
Ferrari chose Tim Hunter to direct, because of his feature, “Rivers Edge,” which garnered an Independent Spirit nomination. Like “Rivers Edge,” “Returning” the landscape becomes a character in the story. In “Returning To Earth,” Zoe, a young woman, has chosen to live alone in the wilderness, as a means of navigating the world and her own past.
When asked how Helena came into the picture, Hunter said he knew of Helena Howard’s work in “Madeline’s Madeline,” and knew she would be perfect for Zoe. In the film, Helena’s character has made peace with her brother’s death. Then when father and daughter come together in nature, they are forced to confront their buried emotions and try to get past their grief and anger to reconcile as a father daughter.
Ferrari is in discussions to expand “Returning to Earth” into a limited series.
Helena Howard is currently starring in Izabel Pakzad’s indie debut feature, “Find Your Friends,” costarring Bella Thorne, which will be released later this year. James Ferrari is starring in Cameron Bossert’s comedy pilot about insurance adjusters grappling with climate change, “Maladjusted.”
