Sundance Darling Tara Mallen Joins Colleen Madden and Chiké Johnson In Midwest Indie ‘Winter Hymns’ From Nathan Deming

Tara Mallen, who drew acclaim for her performance in the IFC breakout Sundance feature Ghostlight, has signed on to star in Winter Hymns, an independent drama from writer/director Nathan Deming (Speaking in Tongues, the ongoing Year Project). Set to begin production this September in Eau Claire, Winter Hymns is part of a growing wave of independent features emerging on the back of Wisconsin’s newly passed film and television tax incentives.

Described as “slightly experimental and deeply human,” Winter Hymns takes place over the course of a single day in a hospital consultation room. The story follows Dr. Linda Vobernik (Colleen Madden), a palliative care physician, and her medical assistant (played by newcomer Marcus Daniels), as they meet with families facing end-of-life decisions. Told through a series of raw, actor-driven conversations and performances, the film aims for emotional realism over plot or spectacle, in the vein of Mass or The Father.

Tara Mallen appears in one of the film’s central patient sequences, joining a cast that includes Chiké Johnson (Veep, Law & Order: SVU) and others with strong Midwest roots: Ericka Kreutz (Better Call Saul, The Office), Flora Coker (American Fable), Jay Rattle (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Chicago Fire), Winter (Ashley C.) Williams (The Human Centipede, Julia), and longtime “Wisconsin acting royalty” Sarah Day and Paul Bentzen.

The film is produced by Zach Staads and Tim Schwagel with cinematography by Leo Purman (SXSW’s Forge, TIFF’s Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos), and an original score by Andrea Boccadoro (Honeybunch, Violation). The project is being made under Deming’s Nobody Pictures and executive produced by Jeffrey Kurz (Smoke Signals, Deep Woods), and formerly of Miramax.

“I’ve been trying to make this film for years,” said Deming. “There are no plot twists or action scenes, just the slow unfolding drama we’re all stuck in, like these characters, as they navigate their upcoming deaths, legacies, and the limits of the current hospital system. It’s about performance, deeply rooted in Wisconsin culture and people – and I’m really thrilled about this cast we’ve pulled together.”

Production begins this September in and around Eau Claire, WI.

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