Maryland Film Festival Blog

Baltimore filmmaker and MFF alum Matt Porterfield‘s I USED TO BE DARKER, a big hit at MFF 2013, will launch its national theatrical run in Baltimore at the Charles Theater this weekend. Q & A will follow the Friday 9/27 and Saturday 9/28 screenings.  Check the Charles Theater website for additional screening times and to purchase tickets.

I USED TO BE DARKER screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and the 2013 Berlin Film Festival and won Best Narrative Feature at the 2013 Atlanta Film Festival.

Strand Releasing agreed to give Baltimore first dibs on the film; it opens in New York on 10/4 and Los Angeles on 10/11, followed by a national release.  It is rare for a distributor to open a film outside of the New York or LA markets.  This gives a smaller market like Baltimore a great opportunity to show how well it can support an independent film – so make sure to come out and see it!

I USED TO BE DARKER was shot in Hamilton, Station North, Roland Park and Ocean City.  All three of Matt Porterfield’s films have played MFF, the earlier titles being HAMILTON (MFF 2006) and PUTTY HILL (MFF 2010).

SYNOPSIS:

When Taryn (Deragh Campbell), a runaway from Northern Ireland, finds herself in trouble in Ocean City, MD, she seeks refuge with her aunt and uncle in Baltimore. But Kim and Bill (Ned Oldham and Kim Taylor) have problems of their own: they’re trying to handle the end of their marriage gracefully for the sake of their daughter Abby (Hannah Gross), just home from her first year of college. A story of family revelations, people finding each other and letting each other go, looking for love where they’ve found it before and, when that doesn’t work, figuring out where they might find it next.