New York Theatrical for SXSW drama SOUTH MOUNTAIN | Q&A from Director & Colombia Film Division Chair Hilary Brougher

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A powerful, intimate, SXSW drama opening in New York at Cinema Village on April 3, Q&A with writer/director Hilary Brougher to follow select screenings. The film follows Lila (Talia Balsam) who is left to her own devices when her kids leave for the summer and her husband leaves for good. A mediation on a particular sort of love that grows in the wreckage of broken things; anger, revenge and self-discovery bring this tale of "home is where the heart breaks" full circle. Beautifully filmed, from multi-award-winning writer-director Hilary Brougher (STEPHANIE DALEY), and starring festival darling Talia Balsam (MAD MEN, HBO’s DIVORCE) and Scott Cohen (THE AMERICANS, GILMORE GIRLS); World Premiere in Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW 2019, a robust festival life includes BAMCinema Fest, Palm Springs IFF, Mill Valley, Heartland, and Mar Del Plata International Film Festivals. Prizes include the Grand Jury Prize, from the New Hampshire International Film Festival, and a Jury Prize for Excellence in Directing from the Naples International Film Festival. Alissa Wilkinson of Vox, praised SOUTH MOUNTAIN as “easily one of the best films I’ve seen all year "adding that "each scene feels vibrantly alive; director and writer Hilary Brougher has crafted a world in which nothing is cleanly resolved but a future is still possible." Currently 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers have praised the film, including Indiewire’s Eric Kohn who describes the film’s “exquisite acting" noting that “Balsam…brings an astounding naturalism to the role of a woman suddenly forced to confront a later stage of life on her own.” Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter calls the film "POTENT... Balsam makes Lila a thoroughly fascinating character." Variety's Nick Schager also touts "Balsam's superb lead turn" and film's "pitch perfect finale." Purchase tickets here
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Synopsis: As family ties dissolve, a woman must find a way to heal in the absorbing, emotionally layered new drama. Lila (Talia Balsam) is an artist and mother living in the Catskills who has selflessly devoted herself to everyone around her, often at the expense of her own happiness. When her husband (Scott Cohen) leaves her for another woman with whom he has already fathered a child, Lila plunges into an existential crisis that unfolds with simmering tension and a series of unexpected twists. Built around an extraordinary performance from Talia Balsam—at once tightly wound and achingly vulnerable—South Mountain is a fearlessly honest portrait of a woman coming apart in order to become whole.​
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FESTIVALS
**WORLD PREMIERE, NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION – SXSW 2019**
**SPOTLIGHT FILM – BAMCINEMA FEST 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019
– MIDLIFE ACHEIVEMENT AWARD**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – MARYLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019
– GRAND JURY PRIZE**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – MILL VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – WOODSTOCK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – HEARTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019
– JURY PRIZE, EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTING**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – HIGH FALLS WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – NEVERTHELESS FILM FESTIVAL 2019**
** INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE – WROCLAW AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2019 **
** SOUTH AMERICAN PREMIERE – MAR DEL PLATA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019 **
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020**​
CAST
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TALIA BALSAM (LILA) can currently be seen in the HBO series DIVORCE now in its third season. Other television credits include MAD MEN as Mona Sterling, HOMELAND and K STREET directed by Steven Soderbergh. She has worked extensively in independent films including LITTLE MEN directed by Ira Sachs, THE WACKNESS directed by Jonathan Levine, DON’T WORRY BABY directed by Julian Branciforte, LITTLE MANHATTAN directed by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin, RETURN directed by Liza Johnson, CONVICTION directed by Tony Goldwyn, CAKE EATERS directed by Mary Stuart Masterson and studio films such as ALL THE KING’S MEN directed by Steve Zallian and NO STRINGS ATTACHED directed by Ivan Reitman.

Talia’s upcoming films at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival are THE CLIMB by Michael Covino and WHAT IS LIFE WORTH with Michael Keaton ,directed by Sara Colavengo . She is also happy to be a part of the upcoming film THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK by David Chase and directed by Alan Taylor.

On stage, Talia originated roles in John Patrick Shanley’s PSYCHOPATHIA SEXUALIS, and VICIOUS (at 2nd Stage), THE LADIES ROOM (Tiffany Theater), SNAKEBIT (Remains Theater), GOOD TELEVISION (Atlantic Theater), and on Broadway in Neil Simon’s play JAKE’S WOMEN for which she received a Theater World Award and also had the pleasure of performing in with her mother, Joyce Van Patten.

Talia just directed her first short as part of a series by 17 other first time women directors, entitled EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED TO TELL MY DAUGHTER ABOUT MEN.

Talia was born in NYC, grew up in Los Angeles and New York and is the daughter of actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten. She resides in New York with her husband John Slattery and son Harry.​
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SCOTT COHEN (EDGAR) Recently released and current film projects include: THE LETTER, BRAID, ALL THE LITTLE THINGS WE KILL, WRITE WHEN YOU GET WORK.

Other titles include: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s AS YOU ARE, THE OTHER WOMAN, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, GET THE GRINGO , Adam Sandler’s THE WEEKEND, JACOB’S LADDER, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, THE MAMBO KINGS, Anastasia Traina’s NATURAL HISTORY, and many others.

Television work includes: GILMORE GIRLS, LAW & ORDER TRIAL BY JURY, THE 10th KINGDOM, NYPD BLUE, GOTTI, CARRIE DIARIES, STREET TIME, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, ALLEGIANCE, BILLIONS, THE FIX with Robin Tunney and Adwale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, THE SINNER, THE BOLD TYPE, among others. He is a SAG AWARD NOMINEE for THE AMERICANS. His producing credits include: Hallmark’s PEARL IN PARADISE, AMERICAN JIHAD, THREADS and THE 10th KINGDOM 2. Directing credits: NECESSARY ROUGHNESS webisodes for USA Network. Board member NYICFF, Advisory board BIFF, FCFF, and Actor’s Studio member.​
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Director-Writer | HILARY BROUGHER
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HILARY BROUGHER is a writer/director who lives and works in NYC. Her first feature, THE STICKY FINGERS OF TIME (1997) was presented at SXSW, and the Venice, Rotterdam, and Toronto Film Festivals. Her second feature, STEPHANIE DALEY, featuring Tilda Swinton and Amber Tamblyn, premiered at Sundance in 2006 where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and also played at Locarno, Deauville, as well as Milan where it won Best Director. She is a member of faculty in the MFA Film Program at Columbia University School of the Arts, and also the current Film Division Chair. Hilary is married to Cinematographer Ethan Mass and has two children.​
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