Experiencing Interruptions?

I Want To Live On Mars

In broad strokes, two young women (Pickles, very rural, and Breezy, very urban) are brought together by the mistakes or the circumstances of their guardians beyond their control. After months of prickly, unlikely friendship, and a series of poetically unexpected events, the two strike out on their own, leaving behind whatever scraps they had in exurban Pennsylvania in search of "Life on Mars."

I Want to Live on Mars was inspired by Centralia, a borough and ghost town in Pennsylvania. Its population has declined from 1,000 in 1980 to five residents in 2023 due to a coal mine fire that has been burning constantly beneath the borough since 1962.

It is an homage to what it’s like being a teenage girl, and living in the middle of nowhere with no real way of expressing yourself, and no opportunities. The search for the right place to film turned into me moving to Pennsylvania. The filmmaker, really wanted to explore the aspect of loneliness and emptiness in the human heart, as well as the people, and the environment in which these individuals immerse themselves. Are they going to try and break away from that, or will they let themselves sink into the abyss?

  • Mariya Somova
    Director
  • Mariya Somova
    Writer
  • Mariya Somova
    Producer
  • Joe Cyrus
    Producer
  • Jordan L. Sims
    Producer
  • Bradley Custer
    Producer
  • Alice Wells
    Producer
  • David J. Keogh
    Producer
  • Kevin Koperski
    Producer
  • Justin M. Thomas
    Producer
    Truth Through A Lens, Sophia Dawson PURPOSE
  • Matti Leinikka
    Producer
  • Anderson Boyd
    Producer
  • Mark Ezovski
    Producer
  • Gabriel Theis
    Producer
  • Anna Priscilla Robles
    Producer
  • Frederick Shaibani
    Producer
  • Bethany Stolar
    Key Cast
    "Pickles"
  • Claire Haller
    Key Cast
    "Breezy"
  • Martin Nikolov
    Key Cast
    "Robbie"
  • Mark Solari
    Key Cast
    "Mike"
  • Tatyana Kot
    Key Cast
    "Nancy"
  • Alexander Zubrienko Abe
    Key Cast
    "Flash"
  • Jenna You
    Key Cast
    "Monna Lisa"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sherman Oaks Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Oil Valley Film Festival

    United States
    Best Cinematography
  • Centre Film Festival

    United States
    Official Selection
  • New York No Limits Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    Official Selection
  • San Francisco Independent Film Festival
    San Francisco, California
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Queens World Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    Official Selection / Best Production Design (Feature)
  • Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival

    United States
    Best Feature
  • New Jersey International Film Festival

    United States
    Official Selection
  • Festival of Cinema
    New York, NY
    United States
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • The Indie Channel
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Mariya Somova

Mariya Somova is a Ukrainian political refugee who left home at the age of 16 to pursue a career in filmmaking. She began by dreaming up concepts and filming them on her small home camera. Eventually, she relocated to New York in order to gain industry exposure and opportunity in the field. She developed by working different industry-related jobs, during which she learned every aspect on set. Each experience along her path ultimately informed her most personal film yet, I Want to Live on Mars. Together with Joe Cyrus she co-founded and owns AuraPyre Productions, focusing on independent filmmaking and music production.

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