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Fremont, British Iranian filmmaker Babak Jalali's fourth feature film, is set to make its theatrical debut and will be released in select theatres in the United States and Canada. It will first be released in California at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco and the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael on Friday, August 25.
Fremont premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, opening to positive reviews, and was screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival as well. The drama film stars Anaita Wali Zada, Gregg Turkington (Antman 3), and Jeremy Allen White (Shameless).
Written by Jalali and Carolina Cavalli, Fremont is produced by Laura Wagner, Sudnya Shroff, George Rush, Marjaneh Moghimi, Chris Martin, and Rachael Fung, with Nickhil Jakatdar, Lata Krishnan, Akash Nigam, and Neda Nobari serving as executive producers.
Fremont's trailer shows glimpses of an immigrant trying to settle down into a new life
The trailer for Fremont was released on YouTube on August 3, 2023. It begins with a woman (Anaita Wali Zada) attending a therapy session where she is asked to share her experiences in Afghanistan and the situation in the region before her move to the United States. In the following shot, she tells her therapist (Gregg Turkington) that doesn't spend much time thinking because of her busy social life.
However, it's revealed that she doesn't have a social life at all, as she is seen having imaginary conversations at a dinner table, presumably preparing for an eventual date or appointment. In the shots that follow, her attempts to blend into her new life are showcased, and include her interactions with her therapist, close ones, colleagues, and a stranger (Jeremy Allen White) she meets at a diner.
Shot entirely in black and white, the trailer gives viewers glimpses of the experiences of an immigrant, who is trying to find themselves and life in a new country.
The synopsis for Fremont, as given in the description of the trailer, reads as:
"Each morning Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) leaves her tight-knit community of Afghan immigrants in Fremont, California. She crosses the Bay to work at a family-run fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Donya drifts through her routine, struggling to connect with the culture and people of her new, unfamiliar surroundings while processing complicated feelings about her past as a translator for the U.S. government in Afghanistan."
It continues:
"Unable to sleep, she finagles her way into a regular slot with a therapist (Gregg Turkington) who grasps for prospective role models. When an unexpected promotion at work thrusts Donya into the position to write her own story, she communicates her loneliness and longing through a concise medium: the fortunes inside each cookie. Donya’s koans travel, making a humble social impact and expanding her world far beyond Fremont and her turbulent past, including an encounter with a quiet auto mechanic (Jeremy Allen White) who could stand to see his own world expanded."
Fremont release schedule explored
While the complete release schedule of the Babak Jalali directorial is yet to be revealed by the makers, here's the confirmed list of theaters in which the film will be screened:
- Roxie Theater, San Francisco, CA - August 25
- Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, CA - August 25
- IFC Center, New York, NY - September 1
- Nuart Theater, Los Angeles, CA - September 1
- Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL - September 8
- Living Room Theaters, Portland, OR - September 8
- Independent Picture House, Charlotte, NC - September 8
- Living Room Theaters, Indianapolis, IN - September 8
- All Saints Cinema, Tallahassee, FL - September 8
- Space Gallery, Portland, ME - September 11
- Museum of the Moving Image, Queens, NY - September 15
- SIFF Cinema Center, Seattle, WA - September 15
- a/perture cinema - Winston, Salem, NC - September 15
- Vancouver International Film Centre, Vancouver, BC - September 15
- Images Cinema, Williamstown, MA - September 22
- FilmScene, Iowa City, IA - September 29
- Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Westhampton Beach, NY - October 20
Produced by Butimar Productions and Extra A Productions in association with Blue Morning Pictures, Fremont's maiden theatrical screening in the United States is slated to take place on August 25, 2023.
