Annapolis Film Festival: The Grotto

Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief

The Annapolis Film Festival opens on Thursday, March 23rd, and will run through March 26th, featuring more than 70 films, panels, coffee chats, and parties throughout Annapolis. We had the opportunity to hop on the phone with Joanna Gleason, the director of her film that will be screening at the festival--The Grotto!

The Grotto | March 24, 2023 | 7pm | Maryland Hall (Main)

The Grotto | March 25, 2023 | 7 pm | Maryland Hall (Bowen)

When her fiance dies unexpectedly, Alice Kendall inherits half ownership of The Grotto, a struggling desert nightclub where she discovers eccentric performers and a heartbreaking secret. As Christmas approaches, Alice is on the brink of a leap of faith as forces, both seen and unseen, beckon her toward her future. This heartwarming film is the directorial debut of Joanna Gleason, the acclaimed stage and screen actress who won the Tony Award for her role as “The Baker’s Wife” in the original Broadway production of Into the Woods. Gleason wrote this story in remembrance of the friends she lost and wanted to tell the stories of women who feel they’re only a small part of someone else’s bigger story. Betsy Brandt (award-winning actress from Breaking Bad) will steal your heart as the aimless “Alice” who stumbles into this unexpected wonderland that becomes a healing sanctuary for lost souls.

Tickets and passes are on sale now for the 11th Annual Annapolis Film Festival.