SANTA FE - New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced today that the independent feature Big Sky is filming in New Mexico, starring Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, Kill Your Darlings), Bella Thorne (Shake It Up!, Raspberry Magic), Frank Grillo (The Grey, Warrior) and Aaron Tveit (Les Miserables, Graceland). Production will take place in October in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas.
The production will employ 40 New Mexico crew members, 10 New Mexico actors and background talent.
Producer is Randy Manis (The Calling, Kill Your Darlings), Matt Salloway (The Butler, So Undercover), Christina Papagjika (The Butler) and co-produced by Ricky Tollman (The Calling). Executive Producers are Michael Benaroya for Benaroya Pictures (Lawless, Margin Call, The Words) and Christine Vachon for Killer Films (Boys Don't Cry, Far From Heaven, HBO's Mildred Pierce, One Hour Photo) along with Jeffrey V. Mandel for TBD Syndicate (Murderball). Santiago Sanchez (Somos lo Que Hay, 72) is the Director of Photography.
Directed by Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are) Big Sky is the tale of Hazel (Thorne), a teenage girl who suffers a mortal fear of open spaces resulting in her never leaving the bedroom of the home she shares with her mom, Dee (Sedgwick). The strain on the relationship is taking its toll on both mom and daughter. In the last ditch attempt to cure her daughter, Dee enrolls Hazel in a high-end treatment facility in the desert, hoping they will finally find the help they require so that Hazel can begin to move forward form the horrors of her past that triggered her illness. When the unexpected occurs en-route to the facility, Hazel and Dee are forced to fight for their survival in the harshest conditions, and Hazel must tackle her worst fears before her fears consume her.