Sonoma movie producers wrap ‘Dear Zoe’

It was 33-degrees in downtown Pittsburgh, but on an independent film set in 'steel city,' it was supposed to be summer. Actors dressed in thin cotton shivered under heat lamps, ready to sell 'heatwave' when asked. Everyone wore low-rise jeans or Juicy Couture, reflecting the dominant sartorial vibe of the early 2000s.

That's when 'Dear Zoe,' a new independent feature film being produced by Brenda and Marc Lhormer, is set. Based on the young adult novel by Philip Beard, 'Dear Zoe' tells the story of a 15-year-old girl who tries to cope with the death of her sister by writing letters to her after she's gone. The film is directed by Gren Wells.

The Lhormers optioned the film rights from the author in 2010, and Marc tinkered with an adaptation off and on for a while. Last January he buckled down and finished the screenplay – he shares an 'adapted screenplay' credit with writer Melissa Martin – and, by late August, Marc and Brenda Lhormer were producing the movie – a key role that runs the gamut from financing the shoot to hiring the filmmakers to securing distribution.

The Lhormers have pretty serious film industry bona fides: they ran the Sonoma International Film Festival for seven years, they produced the cult classic 'Bottle Shock' in 2008, and they founded the Napa Valley Film Festival in 2009. Before that, there were stints with the U.S. Olympic Committee, Oracle and Microsoft, and before that, there was Stanford University, where the pair met in 1987.

Producing a movie, Brenda Lhormer said, is an intense experience. 'Twelve to 16 hour days and almost no down time,' she said. Production, pre- and post-, takes months, sometimes years. But the Lhormers don't intend to dawdle with 'Dear Zoe.'

'The work that goes into getting a film prepared is tremendous. Financing it, setting up the LLC and the bank accounts and hiring the director and key department heads… that all takes months,' Lhormer said. 'Just our prep time in Pittsburgh took seven or eight weeks. We started shooting in the middle of October, and wrapped on Nov. 23 in time for Thanksgiving. It's tempting to think 'this is great! We wrapped! We're done shooting!' But now we go into post (production), which can take four to six months. At the same time, of course, we're trying to sell the movie.'

Selling the movie may prove to be the least of it, as it turns out, if the stars align the way Lhormer thinks that they might. Already, a major studio and a major streaming service have expressed interest. 'I feel really positive about this film,' Lhormer said.

The movie stars Sadie Sink from 'Stranger Things' as Tess, Zoe's sister. Tess is heartbroken and angry about Zoe's death on 9/11, and furious about the way it's eclipsed by the tragic history of that day. 'For people who died on 9/11 — but outside of the terror attacks — their loved ones found their grief overshadowed by the nation's,' Lhormer said. 'People didn't care, only the family cared. And Tess can't get her arms around that.'

Restless and miserable, Tess decides she can't continue living with her mother, and decamps for her father Nick's house on the wrong side of the tracks. 'He's a loveable slacker who can't get his act together,' Lhormer said of the character played by Theo Rossi from 'Sons of Anarchy.' 'But they have a wonderful relationship.'

Tess forms a sweet relationship with a neighbor boy, too, and the two men help get Tess back on track. 'It's a very poignant and beautiful story about redemption and the healing power of love,' Lhormer said.

Dear Zoe is considered a low-budget movie by industry standards, typically defined as having production budgets under $15 million, Lhormer said. They saved some money by shooting in Pittsburgh, where Marc grew up, at locations like the elementary school he attended as a kid, where they were happy to accommodate a prodigal former student.

'We made it union. with more experienced crew. And we spent money on sets and costumes and extra shooting days to make the best movie we could within our budget constraints', Lhormer said. 'I only wish we could have had another two weeks of prep time!'

Post-production begins soon in L.A., and is typically where the real work begins for the Lhormers' filmmaking crew. 'You've got to have a great story, number one, and great acting, of course. But it's in post where the music is added, the sound is perfected, the pacing is tightened… In post-production it comes down to all the little things. We'll be obsessed with this movie for the next several months.'

The Lhormers and their collaborators — including co-producer Megan Goedewaagen, who grew up in Sonoma and was a production assistant on 'Bottle Shock' — have high hopes for the movie they plan to have finished by June 1. 'I think it could even be an awards season contender,' Lhormer said. 'It's a small movie, like 'Juno' or 'Ladybird.' And look what happened to them. We want to see the movie have a long life. We believe in the story, and the redemptive power of love.'

Contact Kate at kate.williams@sonomanews.com.