THE FRIEND Special Screenings

US Premiere

Talent attending: Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Director)

Dane moves in with his best friends since college, Nicole and Matthew and their young daughters, to help the family when Nicole is diagnosed with cancer. Laundry and take-out boxes pile up around the house. The family’s life is upended, and Dane is there to ground them. He doesn’t plan to stay too long, but his impact on their family is greater than expected as he puts his own life on hold to support them.

Based on the award-winning Esquire article by Matthew Teague, THE FRIEND explores the trio’s relationship through vignettes from before, during and after the diagnosis. The lines of friendship and family begin to blur with Dane while other friendships fall away as death nears. Incredible performances from Jason Segel, Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson create a poignant and sincere tale of love, loss and grief. -Sarah Harris