Utopia is releasing I Live Here Now, the feature directorial debut of Julie Pacino, on VOD platforms on April 21, 2026.
Shot on vibrant 35mm with striking 16mm sequences, I Live Here Now follows struggling actress Rose (Lucy Fry), whose life is upended by unexpected news just as a major career opportunity with top agent Cindy Abrams (Cara Seymour) comes into view. When her casual boyfriend Travis (Matt Rife) brings his overbearing mother (Sheryl Lee) into the fold, Rose is pushed to the brink and flees to The Crown Inn — a crumbling motel at the edge of nowhere. There, time fractures and reality bends. Haunted by sleep paralysis, splintered memories, and eerie motel dwellers — including the enigmatic Lillian (Madeline Brewer) — Rose begins to unravel as she’s forced to confront a buried truth her body has never forgotten.
Pacino directs from her own screenplay, channeling influences ranging from David Lynch to Dario Argento in what critics are already calling a bold debut. The film world-premiered at the 29th Fantasia International Film Festival in the Compétition Cheval Noir. Kyle Kaminsky produces.
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- I Live Here Now (2025) — Courtesy of Utopia.
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- I Live Here Now (2025) — Courtesy of Utopia.
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- I Live Here Now (2025) — Courtesy of Utopia.
The cast includes Lucy Fry (Bright, The Vampire Academy), Matt Rife (Wild ‘N Out), Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale, Cam), Sarah Rich (True Blood), Lara Clear (The Society), Cara Seymour (American Psycho), and Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks).
I Live Here Now arrives on VOD on April 21, 2026.
