‘Summering’ Makes Sundance Debut After Filming In Utah

PARK CITY (Jan. 30, 2022) — “I have a long relationship with the state of Utah,” director James Ponsoldt told the audience after the virtual Sundance Film Festival screening of his latest feature, “Summering.” Filmed in the state last year, the imaginative movie follows four young girls who are forced to face the reality of entering middle school in an unconventional way.

“We filmed it in the great state of Utah in the summer of 2021, while there were fires burning in surrounding states, and there were temperatures up to 105 degrees while we were filming,” Ponsoldt said. “So the idea of premiering it in the heart of winter in Park City and in Salt Lake City means the world to us.”

Sundance “feels like a second home” to Ponsoldt, whose other films “Smashed” and “The Spectacular Now” found a home at the festival. He and his team chose Utah for this feature because they wanted a place that felt both universal and specific as the backdrop of this narrative about young female friends, telling stories and finding adventure in their hometown.

Producer P. Jennifer Dana called Utah “an incredibly welcoming state” in which to film.

“This is the second film I’ve made here, and I have to say it’s a great place to work,” she said during a post-screening Q&A. “From a production standpoint it’s super helpful, and from a creative place it can really bring a lot.”

“Summering” is not just memorable for its setting, but for its cast of young actresses who have the chemistry of real friends on the brink of adolescence. It feels purposefully reminiscent of “Stand By Me and “Kings of Summer,” but it provides a female perspective on narratives that are usually reserved for young boys - like “Now and Then” for the 21st century.

Co-writer Benjamin Percy said that was by design, written for his 12-year-old-daughter who would watch classic films or read epic books and ask him, “But where are the girls?”

Ponsoldt agreed. “When I was a young nerdy filmgoer in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there were a lot of coming-of-age stories about friendship, loss and grief that were always through the lens of a boy’s experience. And I wanted my daughter to be able to see herself in a story and not have to project herself onto a male narrative.”

The outstanding young cast makes “Summering” an especially memorable ode to childhood, imagination and what we leave behind as we grow up. “I think a lot of the time, kids can feel like they’re being patronized to or talked down to,” Lina Barnett said on behalf of the young cast. “What’s beautiful about this movie is it doesn’t do that. It talks to them like they’re real human beings and validates their pain.”

The adult cast includes Megan Mullally, Sarah Cooper, Ashley Madekwe and Sundance veteran Lake Bell who told audiences that the story serves as a "profound" introduction to the independent film world for young people.

Director of Programming Kim Yutani said the Sundance team selected “Summering” because it reminded them of “the films we grew up watching and still love.” It was featured in the kids category, which is selected in conjunction with the Utah Film Center.

“There’s a lot in Utah to film,” Dana said. “There’s just so much here. And I’d come back again. It’s been a great experience.”

Bleecker Street will release “Summering” later this year.