Experiencing Interruptions?

THE AERIALIST

An aerialist struggles to keep her job in a popular touring show, battling age, injury, and a young director scheming to make her quit.

  • Ned Farr
    Director
    A MARINE STORY, THE GYMNAST
  • Ned Farr
    Writer
    A MARINE STORY, THE GYMNAST, COASTLINE
  • Dreya Weber
    Producer
    A MARINE STORY, THE GYMNAST, RAVEN'S TOUCH
  • Alexandre Naufel
    Cinematographer
    Izzy Gets The F*ck Across Town, Southbound, A Marine Story
  • Robert Charles Mann
    Composer
    Ad Astra, Baskets
  • Dreya Weber
    Key Cast
    "Jane"
    A Marine Story, The Gymnast, Cher, P!nk
  • Morgan Bradley
    Key Cast
    "Runa"
    The Food That Built America, Dirty Laundry, Road To Boston
  • Thunderbird Dinwiddie
    Key Cast
    "Hathaway"
    The Walking Dead, Supernatural, Raven's Touch
  • Bernard White
    Key Cast
    "Spencer"
    Kidding, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions
  • Kelly Marcus
    Key Cast
    "Xavier"
    Hometown Killer, Good Girls Revolt, Golden State
  • Nadine Ellis
    Key Cast
    "Bianca"
    Hairspray, Let's Stay Together, Greenhouse Academy
  • Candice Coke
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Herrera"
    Once Upon a Time In Venice, The Algerian, Proven Innocent
  • Stef Tovar
    Key Cast
    "Dan"
    Contagion, Chicago Fire, Widows
  • Victoria Meade
    Key Cast
    "Paloma"
    Misty Button, Ode To Passion
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Performance, Music, Dance, LGBT, Women
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 42 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 18, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    130,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.20
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ned Farr

THE AERIALIST is Ned Farr’s third feature film.
His other features include A MARINE STORY, winner of 20 film festival awards as well as two screenwriting nods, and THE GYMNAST which won 28 awards, including 16 for Best Picture. Farr's screenplay COASTLINE finished in the top ten of Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope Screenwriting Contest, and his latest TV pilot TIN KICKERS won the ISA Fellowship in 2018. Farr also created the workouts and infomercials for Tony Horton’s P90X fitness program.

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Director Statement

Consider how extraordinary it is to see an aerialist or a circus performer up in the air. It’s almost impossible to tell their age, but one naturally assumes they’re young…how else can they do what they’re doing, right? In the circus tradition, though, it’s common to discover performers in their 40’s and 50’s because, in such a dangerous endeavor, you don’t exchange experience for youth. In the pop world…not so much. This ageism friction became something upon which to hinge a story when Dreya Weber approached me and said, “Hey, let’s make another movie!”

Dreya first started dancing and choreographing aerials for Cher’s Farewell Tour when she had turned 40. This was a whole new life direction for her, and this shift from being a former gymnast to taking on the role of aerial performer was fascinating to watch. In real life, what was supposed to be a three month gig turned into six years of hard touring, as Cher prolonged her farewell, and then settled into a residency in Las Vegas. Teaching P!nk how to fly and touring with her for several more years quickly followed. Then came Michael Jackson, Madonna, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera…this surprise fifteen year long career arc, and the fact that Dreya was usually twice the age of the other performers, inspired me to write THE AERIALIST. Plus I consider it extraordinary that at 57 she flies even higher, and so will the audience.