Festivals - FCAD 2023: The Sweet East, An Insightful Q&A with Director Sean Price Williams

By Mulder, Deauville, Centre International de Deauville (CID), 03 september 2023

In a cinematic blend of satirical surrealism and road trip, The Sweet East takes audiences on a captivating road trip through the East Coast of the United States. Directed by Sean Price Williams, making his directorial debut, and starring Talia Ryder, Earl Cave, Simon Rex, Ayo Edebiri, Jeremy O. Harris, Jacob Elordi and Rish Shah, the film had its world premiere at the Cannes 2023 Film Festival on May 18, 2023, as part of the Directors' Fortnight section.

Our media was present at the Centre International de Deauville on September 3 to discover the film and cover the meeting with director Sean Price Williams. Our video, shot in 4K, gives an insight into the creative process behind this highly successful film, starring the brilliant Talia Ryder.

The story of The Sweet East unfolds when a high school girl's class trip to Washington takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself separated from her classmates during a shooting at a pizza parlor. What follows is an original odyssey filled with encounters with particular cults and sects, each presenting unique challenges and guardians eager to draw her into their fold. Making his directorial debut, Sean Price Williams initially faced doubts about financing the film. However, thanks to the efforts of Alex Ross Perry, who relied on his agency's connections to secure an impressive cast, the project got the financial backing it needed.

After its premiere at Cannes, The Sweet East managed to attract attention. Distributor Utopia acquired U.S. distribution rights in July 2023, while French distributor Potemkine Film acquired French rights. The film was also presented at the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2023, prior to its official US release on December 1, 2023. The film, which was presented in France at the Deauville American Film Festival (see our Q&A video on our Youtube page), will be released in France on March 13.

You can find our review here

Synopsis: 
Lillian, a young high-school student, runs away from home on a school trip. In the course of her encounters, she discovers an unsuspected world. The mental, social and political fractures of the United States, filmed like a fairy tale or a variation on Alice in Wonderland.

The Sweet East
Directed by Sean Price Williams
Written by Nick Pinkerton
Produced by Craig Butta, Alex Coco, Alex Ross Perry
Starring Talia Ryder, Earl Cave, Simon Rex, Ayo Edebiri, Jeremy O. Harris, Jacob Elordi, Rish Shah
Cinematography : Sean Price Williams
Edited by Stephen Gurewitz
Production companies: Marathon Street, Base 12
Distributed by Utopia (United States)
Release dates: May 18, 2023 (Cannes), December 1, 2023 (United States), March 13, 2024 (France)
Running time : 104 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville