That first-time feature filmmaker Hannah Peterson has been mentored by both Chloé Zhao and Sean Baker is readily apparent in her debut feature, “The Graduates,” a deep-feeling and enormously affecting look at life after terrible tragedy.
Per the film‘s official synopsis, it “follows a young woman, Genevieve (breakout Mina Sundwall), as she prepares to graduate high school in the aftermath of a tragic event. As she navigates an uncertain future alongside a community that is also searching for ways to heal, they turn to each other to find hope and a way forward.” The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, where it scored strong critical reviews and won the Best Cinematography award on behalf of DP, Carolina Costa.
In IndieWire’s review of the film from last year’s Tribeca, this critic wrote, “Peterson’s film is about the world that exists after a terrible crime, not the one before, not the one during, certainly not the one that caused it. In this world, there are only survivors, and they’ve all pursued different versions of what ‘normal’ feels like after the worst possible thing has happened. (Of note: the film makes for a wonderful companion piece to Megan Park’s SXSW winner ‘The Fallout,‘ though both filmmakers approach similar material with different, just as vivid viewpoints.)”
The film is written, directed, and edited by Peterson, and is executive produced by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”), Pinky Promise CEO/Founder Jessamine Burgum & President Kara Durrett, Phenomenal Media Founder and CEO Meena Harris, Juliet Liu, and John Cho, who also stars in the film. The producers are Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi, Taylor Shung, and Jessamine Burgum.
The Future of Film is Female will release the film in theaters across the U.S. starting on Friday, November 1, kicking off with Metrograph in New York. This deal marks the first distribution partnership for founder Caryn Coleman’s The Future of Film is Female, and an expansion from its exhibition-focused mission as they plan to release select independent films directed by women or nonbinary directors with a bespoke release plan for each film.
Check out the first trailer for “The Graduates,” an IndieWire exclusive, below.
