Libby Ewing’s moving directorial feature debut centers on the evolution of an intensifying relationship between emotionally malnourished musical therapist Al (Samantha Smart, who also wrote the eloquent screenplay) and mercurial Charlie (Gabriela Ochoa Perez, in a breakout performance), a blunt, perceptive, and creative 17-year-old patient restlessly confined to a bed at a Texas hospital. Ewing’s film explores how this unexpected bond, one built around trust, goofiness, and candor, ushers in memories of a childhood trauma for Al while making her realize that she, too, needs comfort and healing. Framed in an oblong aspect ratio by ace cinematographer Luca del Puppo that evokes a cell-phone-like rawness and intimacy, Ewing’s award-winning Charliebird resonates with truth. It is a compassionate drama, one so confident that it feels like the work not of a first-time director but of a veteran filmmaker sent to remind us about the fragility of life. Smart and Perez’s soulful performances are unforgettable. —Randy Myers
Libby Ewing
Libby Ewing is an actor-writer-director who splits time between LA, Ohio, and NYC. She co-created the series, Grow the F\*ck Up (2018), and directed two episodes. Ewing won Best Director at the Austin Comedy Short Film Festival for the pilot, Mack of All Trades (2019). She produced and starred in When I Consume You (2021), winning Best Actress at ScreamFest Horror Film Festival. As a writer, Ewing attended the prestigious CineStory Foundation Writers Retreat. Her short Circle Circle Circle has been featured on Crypt TV, Girlsinfilm, and Nobudge. Charliebird, winner of Tribeca’s Founders Award, is Ewing’s directorial feature debut.