Dandelion – Opening Night Film with Nicole Riegel -2024

Monday, April 8, 7:15 PM

Dandelion
Director: Nicole Riegel, Narrative, USA, 113 min

Dandelion, a struggling Cincinnati singer-songwriter in a downward spiral, takes a last-ditch-effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey, a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. As Dandelion joins Casey’s nomadic group of struggling musicians, the kindred spirits make music together and strike up a whirlwind romance. The experience moves Dandelion from a narrow view of success to a deeper appreciation of her artistic journey, and the discovery of a voice that is authentically her own.

Nicole Riegel is a filmmaker born and raised in Jackson, Ohio. She studied Film History, Theory & Criticism and Psychology at Wright State University and received her graduate studies M.F.A. at UCLA Film School. In 2020, her feature film Holler premiered at SXSW Film Festival and world premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in France. Holler went on to screen at the Athens International Film + Video festival, the Toronto Film Festival, San Francisco Film Festival, Atlanta, Nashville, Netherlands and Estonia, among others. In the summer of 2021, IFC Films released Holler in theaters nationwide. Holler received rave reviews and won Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch Award, National Board of Review Award and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Holler has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Times, Cineaste and BUST Magazine. Nicole has used Holler to help inspire students from Appalachia through collaborations with Wexner Center for the Arts and Appalshop. She recently completed her second feature film, Dandelion which will be distributed by IFC Films.