In rural Pennsylvania, the loss of 15-year-old outsider Shaw Templeton's mother forces him into the unsteady care of his estranged, recluse father, William.

Interview with Director Nick Frangione

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Buck Run is deeply personal. It was cathartic, something I'd wanted to make for a long time and didn't realize it. I grew up in smalltown Pennsylvania and my mother passed away when I was a teen. My father and I grieved in our own way and for most of my early adulthood, we were distant. I made this film to bring us back together. It's really an expression of my love for him.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I think beneath any resentment or anger there's a desire to empathize, to understand. Ultimately grief brings us to acceptance. Buck Run is my way of giving the same kind of catharsis I experienced to audiences. It also has the potential to bring together two very divided parts of the country. On our festival tour, I've gotten to see this happen for people and that's been extraordinary.

William and John hunting for the last time

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Grief runs throughout the film - what do we do when, as if with the snap of a finger, we lose someone who was vital to our very existence? What happens when life demands of us that we change? Buck Run doesn't choose sides, it is as authentic a portrayal of these experiences as could be mustered by myself and a cast and crew of incredible artists from literally around the world.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Through screenwriter David Hauslein and my collective experiences growing up in rural Pennsylvania, a passionately planned visual language executed by cinematographer Anna Franquesa Solano (The Farewell), the creative and business influence of producers Nancy Degnan and Julio Lopez Velasquez, the genius of editor David Barker (Madeline's Madeline), intricate sound design from Leandros Ntounis (Dogtooth), color timing by Matthew Johnson (Attenberg), a delicate score by Chris Brokaw, and the performances by the amazing cast of James Le Gros (Certain Women), Kevin J. O'Connor (There Will be Blood), Amy Hargreaves (13 Reasons Why), Nolan Lyons (Boardwalk Empire), Alicia Goranson (Boys Don’t Cry), Jim Parrack (Fury), and Angus Macfadyen (Braveheart), Buck Run became richer and closer to my heart than I knew possible. It became bigger in scale and concept than I knew to be possible at the start.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I've had so many people talk to me about their own experiences with grief and losing a loved one, and how the film brought up memories and feelings they hadn't thought of or felt openly in a long time. It's also brought up a positive dialogue about the differences between life in the city and life in rural America. And I've had some conversations with people who feel challenged by the subject matter and don't want to look at the suffering that is tolerated in our country that's captured in the film.

Critically the film has been called by Variety "Evocative...", "Timelessly melancholy," "An audio-visual tone poem." In a recent review, Roger Costa called the film "A masterly done meditation on America's working-class dilemmas, broken fatherhood, abandonment, and acceptance." Overall it seems that people are getting the heart behind the story and that it's about empathy.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

It's been a very powerful experience hearing others' stories of grief and loss. I think one of the tough things about losing a loved one is the feeling that you are alone in your pain. And in what could appear to be a divisive time, every single audience we've shown the film to at festivals all around the country commented on seeing one another in a new and understanding light, I didn't realize how uniting the film would be.

Shaw walks away from William and John at Penn Mart

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

It's an honor to be included on www.wearemovingstories.com, and I hope it brings a wider awareness of the film. It's been amazing traveling with this film on the festival circuit and we'd love for that to continue in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

What's next for Buck Run is distribution. We've had a wonderful festival run, won four Best Feature Film Awards thus far and earned the kind of critical success we dreamed of. Now it's time to bring this film to audiences around the world.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'd love for people to have a new understanding of themselves and the ones they love as the credits begin to roll. And for an hour and 26 minutes, I'd love for us to see the humanity in one another.

I would also love for this incredible cast to get recognized for these authentic, one-of-a-kind performances--they completely immersed themselves in the characters and environment, and are all generous, humble people.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Are we willing to empathize? Can we truly accept our parents?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you wearemovingstories.com and thank you, readers! This whole experience has allowed me to discover my voice as a filmmaker and what I want to contribute to the world, and I so appreciate having the platform and support to express that. I hope this film makes a difference for you.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I'm developing another film with screenwriter David Hauslein, and a longtime passion project of mine. The producers are each working on multiple new projects, some of which I'm involved with, and Anna (DP) is traveling around the world shooting movies, we'll also be working together again.

Interview: October 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Buck Run

In rural Pennsylvania, the loss of 15-year-old outsider Shaw Templeton's mother forces him into the unsteady care of his estranged, recluse father, William.

Length: 1:22:26

Director: Nick Frangione

Producer: Nancy Degnan and Julio Lopez Velasquez

Writer: David Hauslein

About the writer, director and producer:

NICK FRANGIONE's Buck Run premiered Opening Weekend at Palm Springs International Film Festival and has won four Best Feature Film Awards at Flickers Rhode Island International, Fayetteville, Nordic International, and Santorini Film Festival, and the Orson Welles Award in directing.

DAVID HAUSLEIN is the author of multiple feature screenplays, including Buck Run, which had its World Premiere at the 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival. David's screenplays have been recognized in major competitions and continue to garner accolades from industry professionals.

NANCY DEGNAN is a co-founder of Intuition Film Productions and produced Buck Run, Silent Notes starring Daniel Durant (Spring Awakening) and After Forever, winner of five Daytime Emmy's.

JULIO LOPEZ VELASQUEZ is the CEO of Tomorrowland Production Company, a co-founder of Intuition Film Productions, and produced Buck Run and the recent LA hit play Dope Queens.

Key cast: James Le Gros, Kevin J. O'Connor, Amy Hargreaves, Alicia Goranson, Jim Parrack, with Angus Macfadyen, and starring Nolan Lyons

Looking for: distributors, sales agents, buyers

Facebook: Buck Run

Twitter: @directorfrangio

Instagram: @buckrunmovie

Hashtags used: #buckrunmovie #pennsylvania #palmspringsfilmfestival #film #filmfestival #cinema #drama #movies #awards #dtlafilmfest #fayfilmfest #sdfilm

Website: www.intuitionfilmproductions.com/buck-run

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Intuition Film Productions and Tomorrowland Production Company

Funders: Intuition Film Productions and Tomorrowland Production Company

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Closing Night Film of Kansas International Film Festival, Lonestar Film Festival