‘Don’t Come Back From The Moon’ First Look: Coming-Of-Age Tale Set For L.A. Film Festival Debut

EXCLUSIVE: As the Los Angeles Film Festival readies for its 2017 edition that kicks off tomorrow around the city, we’re starting to get first looks at films that will pepper the competition. That’s the case for Don’t Come Back From The Moon, the coming-of-age drama based on Dean Bakopoulos’ 2005 novel. James Franco co-stars in the pic which reunites him with his frequent collaborator Bruce Thierry Cheung, who was the DP on Franco’s In Dubious Battle last year and directs this one.

Mark Wahlberg’s nephew Jeffrey Wahlberg toplines the movie playing the son of a man (Franco) who “goes to the moon,” the slang terms kids in the town use to describe fathers abandoning their families. He is forced to face the consequences of his father leaving and ultimately how he must break the cycle and learn how to grow up himself, while also falling in love with a girl (Alyssa Elle Steinacker) whose father also went to the moon.

Dark Rabbit Productions and Elysium Bandini Studios produced the pic, with Jay Davis and Lauren Hoekstra producing and Vince Jolivette, Robert Halmi and Jim Reeve executive producing. It was financed by Great Point Media which is also handling international sales. CAA is repping domestic.

Check out the clip above to get a taste. The movie bows in the 10-film U.S. Fiction Competition section June 20 at 6:45 PM at the Arclight Culver City.