In Advisor Studio sessions, Sundance Collab Advisors share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing, documentary filmmaking, and producing for film and TV.


Join filmmakers Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson for an inspired conversation about the making of their second feature, Ghostlight, which premiered to critical and audience acclaim at our recent Sundance Film Festival. Keith Kupferer stars as Dan, a melancholic construction worker who finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter. Through a chance meeting with Rita, played by Dolly De Leon, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.


Kelly O’Sullivan wrote and starred in Saint Frances, which was directed and produced by Alex Thompson and premiered at SXSW in 2019. It won a Special Jury Prize for "Breakthrough Voice" and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature. Kelly received a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Actor, a John Cassavetes nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards and was also named one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film."


In this Advisor Studio, O’Sullivan and Thompson will discuss casting a real life family, working with a theater ensemble, the importance of emotional renewal through art, and working together as multi-hyphenates. Ghostlight will be released nationwide in the U.S. on June 14, 2024.


Live event registration for Sundance Collab Advisor Studios is free of charge. A recording of this event will be posted the next business day following the event. All registered attendees can watch the recording for two business days after it is posted. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $5.


If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.

Alex Thompson
Alex Thompson is a writer, director and producer based in Chicago. His debut feature, SAINT FRANCES, premiered at the '19 SXSW Film Festival and won the Grand Jury prize for "Breakthrough Voice" and the Audience Award. more...
Kelly O'Sullivan
Kelly O'Sullivan is a writer, director and actor. She wrote and starred in SAINT FRANCES which premiered at SXSW and won a Special Jury Prize for "Breakthrough Voice" and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature. SAINT FRANCES, released by Oscilloscope Laboratories, is one of the most acclaimed independent films of 2020. Kelly received a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Actor, a John Cassavetes nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards and was also named one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film." more...
Erica Elson
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN. more...

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