SUMMER SOLSTICE

narrative feature

Now available on VOD on Apple TV, Prime Video, and other streaming platforms.

Starring Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Leo) and Marianne Rendón (Eleanor), Summer Solstice follows Leo, a trans man, and his cisgender, straight friend Eleanor go on an impromptu weekend trip, during which they uncover some old secrets, some new challenges, and find the answer to the age-old question: can bad sex and good friends mix?

The film premiered at Provincetown Film Festival, and went on to screen In Competition at Deauville, Mill Valley Film Festival 2023, BendFilm 2023, BFI Flare 2024, and others. The film received support from the Panavision New Filmmaker’s Program Grant, MovieMaker Production Services, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, and won the Platige Image Award at US In Progress at the American Film Festival.

REVIEWS FOR SUMMER SOLSTICE

THE NEW YORK TIMES | ‘Summer Solstice’ Review: Through Thick & Thin

Critics Pick

“’When I look at you, I see an old friend,’ a voice croons over the credits of the delicate relationship drama Summer Solstice. Much like the film in which it features, the song (by Margaux, who contributes original music) is an aching ode to love worn thin, gesturing at how time and changes in circumstance, life planning or self-perception can deepen bonds, or erode them.”

“A triumph of sensitivity from first-time feature filmmaker Noah Schamus.”

INDIEWIRE | ‘Summer Solstice’ Review: Noah Schamus’ Delightful Trans Comedy is a Rich Tale of Friendship

“Writer/director Noah Schamus takes us on a delightful but sharp-edged jaunt to Upstate New York with their sun-dappled and warmly directed buddy comedy, Summer Solstice.”

“Menuez and Rendón share a terrific chemistry as long-holding-on friends questioning whether they should stay friends at all, and if they should, then why? Comedies like “Summer Solstice” rarely ask that question with such candor and insight, and with a trans lead actor and character the movie lets simply be themselves despite living in a world rigged against them.”

LA TIMES | In sun-dappled ‘Summer Solstice’ old frictions re-emerge, as does a belated independence

“Schamus’ sensitive and funny debut brings its anxieties and pleasures to full bloom so they can be properly considered and found suitably fleeting. Perhaps most importantly, with “Summer Solstice,” trans visibility in film now has a sun-dappled comedy of manners for its nascent canon.”

COLLIDER | This Hell of a Debut Feature Will Change You

“Summer Solstice overflows with authenticity and specificity.”

“In lesser hands, Eleanor could veer into pure villain territory or be seen as a joke and not taken seriously, but Schamus’ direction combined with Rendón’s vulnerable and layered performance makes her feel like a real person.”

“Summer Solstice is a hell of a first feature, proving that Schamus has a strong and important voice and an extremely bright future as both a writer and director... Not to sound corny, but this is the kind of film that has the power to change minds, hearts, and lives.”

SCREEN SLATE | ‘Summer Solstice’ Review

“Schamus’s economic audiovisual language lets a humorous narrative study on the perpetual mutability of relationships unfold seamlessly, foregrounding the value of tolerance, patience, and self-acceptance— eroding values in these icy times of cancel culture, when love is increasingly susceptible to commodification and discard, and when it’s easier to cut a bond and replace people than to work through messy conflict.”

AUTOSTRADDLE | ‘Summer Solstice’ Is a Relatable Trans Indie About Masc Insecurity and Nightmare Cis Girls

“That’s the thing about committing to the subtleties of real life. With enough skill to do it well, a film can be funny and emotional and thought-provoking without much happening at all.”

HAMMER TO NAIL | ‘Summer Solstice’ Review

“Schamus’s film allows [Eleanor] to be both Leo’s biggest cheerleader and his most difficult barrier.”

PRESS FOR SUMMER SOLSTICE