Locally Produced Film To Debut At Cannes Film Festival Event

By Mylena C. Ferman

A film produced by a Riverview Local, Steven Demmler, will debut at the Director’s Fortnight, an independent sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival, on Friday, May 15.

The Director’s Fortnight is “dedicated to showcasing the most singular forms of contemporary cinema,” according to its website. While it prides itself on being a non-competitive selection, many of the films are qualified for awards. One of these awards, the Caméra d’Or, is awarded to the best first feature film to encourage new directors to continue their craft.

Written and directed by Reed Van Dyke, Atonement is based on Dexter Filkins’ 2012 New Yorker article by the same name. The film follows a Marine seeking reconciliation with an Iraqi family he shot at during his deployment.

Steven Demmler explained the film is about how very different people “can still find a way to grieve and reconcile and love and move on together.”

Instead of digitally editing scenes, Atonement was shot entirely on film. The director’s decision, Steven Demmler said, was logistically challenging but well worth it.

“Bringing Atonement to life required extensive international collaboration, including multiple trips to Jordan and countless hours of coordination across time zones,” his wife, Christie Demmler, said.

Steven Demmler is no stranger to the film and TV industry though. Born and raised in New York City, he has a father who worked as a stagehand for the first 40 seasons of Saturday Night Live and a mom who was a Radio City Rockette for 26 years.

“I’m a crew baby, … which is the least useful kind of nepotism ever,” Steven Demmler said.

From a young age, he wanted to become a writer, but built a career in finance to fund his dreams. Now the founder of Talon Entertainment and a creative in various ways, Steven Demmler is proud that he has not boxed himself into a single role. For aspiring creatives, he suggests they erase their fear of rejection.

“Don’t be afraid to cold email anybody and ask them to coffee or zoom … but also don’t come in hot with asks,” he said.

Atonement has no public release date yet, but Steven Demmler is hopeful the film will be bought and distributed by the end of the year. His next film, an action-comedy named Synergy Systems, stars Eric Andre and begins production next summer.