Genre
Synopsis
After the death of their father, the sisters IRIS AND EMILY, both in their 40s, return to their ancient family home in the Berlin countryside to get it ready for sale, and to search for a painting taken from their family during World War II. As the sisters dig through photos and papers, they discover painful secrets not only of their own past, but of their family’s as well. When Emily’s best friend Olivia, whose marriage is on the rocks, comes to visit with her family, relationships are even more upended, and uncomfortable truths are revealed. Meanwhile, Emily falls in love with a mysterious art restorer, who helps her see that things are not always as they seem. And as Iris and Olivia become entangled, Olivia’s marriage falls apart. Iris becomes increasingly desperate and tries to end her life. After Emily saves her sister, she is finally able to move through her grief and embrace life’s possibilities. Emily, Olivia and Iris will never be the same, but there is hope for new love and a new family.
Bio
Annette Apitz is an award-winning writer and director. She wrote and directed the feature film FIGHTING FISH, starring Val Emmich, Anna Moore and Halley Feiffer. Film Threat called FIGHTING FISH “a strong film with some tough subject matter ... memorable in its execution.” The film premiered at the 2010 Nashville Film Festival, screened at international festivals, and won Best Feature at the LA Femme Film Festival and Best Actress at the NY Visionfest. It streamed on Amazon and Hulu, and is now available on Apple+, Roku and more . The script had placed in the Top 50 for the Chesterfield-Paramount Writer’s Project and was a Top 25 Finalist for the Sundance Feature Film Lab.
Annette was selected to participate in the 2024 Cine Qua Non Script Revision Lab for her script "The Forger". Her screenplay adaptation of the novel "The Homemaker," written for Emmy-Award winning producer Jennifer Latham, was brought to the 2018 Stowe Story Lab, where it was a Vermonter Finalist.
Annette’s award-winning short films, which she wrote, directed, and produced, have screened at the Hamptons Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Florida Film Festival, as well as on PBS, HBO Latin America, the Baltimore Museum of Art and MoMA.
Annette has written for documentary films, feature films and documentary series, and has worked as a producer for documentaries and image films. She has been a panelist and moderator for New York Women in Film and Television and The Brooklyn Arts Council.
Awards History
Cine Qua Non Script Revision Lab 2024 - Attendee
