The summer movie season might be best known for its big-budget blockbusters and franchise sequels, but there’s a notable benefit for indie film lovers as well: the films that premiered at Sundance begin to open in theaters. The next few months will see several festival circuit hits open in arthouses, but few are more anticipated among cinephiles than “Earth Mama.”
Savanah Leaf’s directorial debut, which follows a single mother struggling to navigate the welfare state with her third child on the way, was widely seen as the arrival of a bold new cinematic voice on the indie film circuit. A24 bought the project months before it even made its way to Sundance, and a new trailer is offering audiences a preview of what they have to look forward to this summer.
“Earth Mama” is written and directed by Savanah Leaf. The cast includes Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Keta Price, Doechii, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Bokeem Woodbine, Kami Jones, Slim Yani, and Dominic Flike.
The film’s official synopsis from A24 reads: “With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area community, she works to make a life for herself and her kids, in this singular debut feature from filmmaker Savanah Leaf.”
“Earth Mama” received overwhelmingly positive reviews after premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, with critics singling out the raw honesty that the Leaf was able to capture in her debut feature by casting newcomers in key roles.
“Learn the names Savanah Leaf, first-time feature filmmaker, and Tia Nomore, first-time feature actress, right now, because their debut film “Earth Mama” is a shimmering stunner,” IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio wrote in his review of the film. “A former Olympic volleyball athlete, Leaf has a canny eye for locating the subversion and beauty within a welfare-system drama about a single mother fighting for her life and children. What sounds, on paper, like a challenging sit is actually a wondrous 97-minute feature, whose director and star are obviously poised for greatness.”
A24 will release “Earth Mama” in theaters on Friday, July 7. Watch the trailer below.
