by Alex Billington
May 14, 2024
Source: YouTube
"Ever been on a bull? It's the greatest rush of adrenaline..." An official trailer it out for a beloved indie film titled National Anthem, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker / photographer Luke Gilford. This premiered at the last year's SXSW Film Festival, and also played at TIFF, Mill Valley, and NewFest. The film is a fictional version of the story of Luke discovering the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA). Charlie Plummer stars as Dylan, who's from rural New Mexico. He takes a gig at the House of Splendor, a homestead built by a community of queer rodeo performers & ranchers, and soon the indefinable magic of an untamed America unfolds before him. SXSW adds: "Finding space to explore and discover himself, he becomes entwined in the life of Sky, a talented barrel racer and free spirit." Also starring Eve Lindley, Rene Rosado, Mason Alexander Park, and Robyn Lively. The film is also inspired by Gilford's photo book of the same name profiling real queer rodeo performers. It looks fantastic! What a magnificent trailer.
Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Luke Gilford's film National Anthem, direct from YouTube:
Dylan (Plummer), a 21-year-old who lives in rural New Mexico and works as a construction worker to help support his brother & alcoholic mother, joins a community of queer ranchers and rodeo performers. "Growing up in Colorado with his father in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, filmmaker & photographer Luke Gilford spent his formative years around the rodeo, an American institution that has often been associated with conservatism & homophobia. It was later when he discovered the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA), that he began to see himself as part of a rodeo family." National Anthem is directed by American filmmaker Luke Gilford, making his feature directorial debut after a few other short films previously. The screenplay is written by Kevin Best, Luke Gilford, David Largman Murray. Produced by Kevin Garland, Jasmine Daghighian, Mickey Liddell, Gina Marcheschi, and Pete Shilaimon. This initially premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival last year. Gilford's National Anthem film will debut in select US theaters starting July 12th, 2024 this summer with a wide release later that month. Is anyone interested?