The Story
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Lovers is the story of, Ash is an aspiring writer in NYC, struggling with loneliness and a loss of creative inspiration. She gets a call from her best friend Tara with the news that their mutual friend and her ex Tommy has taken his own life. The two women decide to return to their hometown to attend his funeral and reconnect with their old close-knit group. They find themselves in the same old dive bar music venue where not much has changed, and the music is still the thing that brings everyone together. The group finds themselves having to confront the loss of their friend and the addiction issues that permeate artistic communities. They discover the power of coming together through music, and how healing it can be to have a space to grieve together. Ash is given the opportunity to see herself in a new way through the warmth and authenticity of the friends that have known her for so long. She slowly opens herself back up to the people she used to call chosen family, and to the possibility of finding love again.


Lovers Credits:
Writer/Director: Taylor McFadden
Executive Producer: Nathaniel Rateliff, Tony Minella
Producers: Lavinia Jones Wright, John Hermann, Taylor McFadden
DP: Bianca Butti
Cast: Angela Trimbur (Search Party, The Future), Amelia Meath (Grammy nominated Sylvan Esso), Benedict Samuel (Gotham, The Walking Dead), David Gborie (Royal Crackers), Frances Li (Fleishman Is In Trouble), Elizabeth Cappuccino, Matt Burns
Musical Performances By: Nicole Atkins, Sabine McCalla, Amelia Meath
Original score By: Justin Craig
Original songs By: Nathaniel Rateliff, Abby Hamilton
Featuring music By: John Prine, Hannah Cohen, Damien Jurado, Erin Rae, Riley Downing
Director's Statement

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Lovers is a deeply personal film that I started writing in 2018 following the loss of a dear friend to substance abuse. The story follows one woman's journey to open her heart back up to life and love, through the support of her community. The common thread throughout the film is the theme of connection through music– how a room full of people with different backgrounds can come together and have a shared experience. The irony is that sometimes it takes losing someone we love to remind us that we need each other and that our relationships are what matter. Writing Lovers was a way for me to process the loss of all the amazing creatives who have left us over the years, and to remind myself that we are all in this together.