Coming Attractions
Thomas Doherty and KiKi Layne in “Dandelion.” Courtesy IFC Films
On the (w)heels of widespread acclaim for The Bikeriders, two new films shot in the region are getting great buzz on the festival circuit.
McVeigh and Dandelion, both recently produced and shot in the Northern Kentucky area, are receiving early acclaim this season on the film festival circuit. McVeigh had its world premiere last month at the Tribeca Film Festival, while Dandelion has premiered at a number of festivals, including Cleveland International Film Festival, Chicago Critics Film Festival, and Nashville Film Festival.
McVeigh was written by Alex Gioulakis and Mike Ott, who also directs, and stars Alfie Allen as Timothy McVeigh, the Army veteran who carries out the plan to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, an act that claimed 168 lives and injured nearly 700 more.
“Alfie Allen impresses in this chilling account of the radicalization of the Oklahoma bomber,” Deadline’s Damon Wise wrote. “McVeigh does have something new to say about radicalization, that it’s not about religion or race or mental illness but a way to fill an empty vessel.”
Dandelion tells the story of a Cincinnati singer-songwriter searching for a career boost at a motorcycle rally, only to find love and her true voice. Written and directed by Nicole Riegel, the movie stars Kiki Layne from the Oscar-winning If Beale Street Could Talk and Thomas Doherty from the movie Descendants 2 and the TV show Gossip Girl.
In “The New York Times” review, Nicolas Rapold wrote, “(Dandelion) is filmed in an artful way that tunes into…sensations and feelings—not just at moments of outright drama, but also the many notes in between. In the end, Dandelion feels like one artist’s emotional prequel, leaving us wishing for even more.”
“Having independent films like McVeigh and Dandelion shoot in Greater Cincinnati shows that we have the talent, crew and locations that can serve any production, no matter the budget,” said Kristen Schlotman, president and CEO of Film Cincinnati. “We’re excited to watch these two movies find their audiences, not just in this country but internationally as well.”
Now in its 37th year, Film Cincinnati is the not-for-profit organization that works to promote Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as a destination for film, commercial, and television production. Productions shooting in the area contributed nearly $80 million in economic impact in 2017 and 2018.