Filmmaker Lawrence Michael Levine returns to Americana Film Festival after his quirky comedy Wild Canaries, screened at our 2015 edition. And he does so with a surprising and twisted story, and an excellent performance from Aubrey Plaza that has already received the Actor Achievement Award from Hollywood Critics Association in 2021. Presented at Sundance and Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Black Bear is a succulent and fascinating meta-film set in a rural retreat in the middle of the forest.
Involving a love triangle which features two of our favorite indie actors, Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn) and Christopher Abbott (James White, It Comes at Night), and the angelic Sarah Gadon, Black Bear is a two-part story that explores murky grounds such as the creative crisis, the archaism of traditional gender roles, the fragility of the artist’s ego, and the moral limits of art.
After wowing critics at the festivals where it was screened, Black Bear will be one of Americana’s most powerful filmic experiences. It is a feature that transforms with every scene, and proves that Michael Levine is an incredible indie director with a lot to tell.
