LOS ANGELES — Gregory Blair’s latest film, 'The Mystery of Emma Thorn', has been nominated for Best Picture at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. The film also earned a Best Supporting Actress award for Lynn Lowry, who plays the title character. The honors add to its previously won Platinum Award for Best Narrative Feature from the International Independent Film Awards, as well as Lowry and Blair co-winning Outstanding Dramatic Performance at the Skiptown Playhouse International Film Festival.
“I’m stunned and incredibly honored to be included alongside an Oscar-nominated film like 'Hamnet',” Blair said. “We made a small, character-driven film — the kind of film that normally gets overlooked. But people seem to connect to the heartfelt place the film comes from and its message of love and acceptance above all else. I think that says something about how much we all want, maybe even need, to be reminded about what really matters, and I think 'The Mystery of Emma Thorn' does that.”
In the mystery-drama, beloved wife and mother Emma Thorn (Lowry) has gone missing. Husband Ari (Blair) and mildly autistic adult son Casper (Charles Chudabala) enlist a police detective (Kevin Caliber) to try to find her. But the circumstances under which Emma left are puzzling, and Casper suspects his father is haunted by something more than his wife’s absence. Bit by bit, the truth comes out, leading to a heartbreaking discovery.
“It’s ultimately a film about relationships and connection,” Blair said. “In a time when division and disconnection have become our society’s psychological pandemic, I wanted to tell a story reminding us why that’s not healthy; why we need to be patient and understanding toward one another. The characters’ struggles, their love, their family dynamics and their grief make the film so much more than a mystery; it’s an emotional journey about loss, love and the causes and costs of lies.”
'The Mystery of Emma Thorn' is the third feature for Blair, following the psychological thriller 'Deadly Revisions' and the comedy-horror 'Garden Party Massacre'. The film also features Xavier Roe as Oliver, cinematography by Sophia Cacciola ('The Once and Future Smash'), sound design by Chris Carlone ('Garden Party Massacre') and an original score by Everett Young ('Craving'). It will screen as an official festival selection in Los Angeles.
