EEPHUS Discovery

Both screenings to be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Carson Lund and writers Michael Basta and Nate Fisher.

Set in the crisp New England fall just before Halloween, the feature directorial debut of Carson Lund (also the cinematographer of CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT at this year’s AFI FEST) captures the wistful atmosphere of the last baseball game to be played at the fading, soon-to-be demolished Soldiers Field. Observing the game as it unfolds over the course of a single day, there’s a theatrical aspect to this nostalgic depiction of longtime local rivals somewhat mournfully playing out what, for many of the aging amateur ball players, is most likely their final outing. Lund presents his endearing, small-town characters with a uniquely whimsical yet somber charm, and there’s a timeless essence to the film since technology isn’t present – or needed – on the diamond. Having premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at this year’s Cannes, EEPHUS is an unconventional but welcome addition to America’s ever-growing canon of beloved baseball movies. –Julia Kipnis