Director Rachel Feldman & Lead Patricia Clarkson. Credit: Variety.
Lilly, is set to move into production with Patricia Clarkson cast as lead Lilly Ledbetter. The indie feature will be spearheaded by NYWIFT member Rachel Feldman (Director, Co-Writer) and NYWIFT Advisory Board President Simone Pero (Executive Producer.) The film was the 2016 recipient of the NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Feature Film Grant.
Clarkson will portray Lilly Ledbetter, the fair pay pioneer for whom President Obama named a piece of legislation in 2009. Ledbetter was a factory worker who had been paid 40% less than her male coworkers in the same role over a 20-year period. In a David vs. Goliath struggle, the aggrieved Alabama wife and mother motivated President Obama to sign his first piece of legislation in her name. The project will follow one woman’s fight for justice, while also painting a heartbreaking personal story and the tension-filled stakes behind her political achievements.
Patricia Clarkson at the 2015 NYWIFT Muse Awards
Patricia Clarkson, who most recently appeared in HBO’s Sharp Objects for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film, is a NYWIFT Muse 2015 Honoree.
Rachel Feldman is known for her TV directing work including Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, and The Rookie on ABC. “There have been many films made about an ordinary citizen who fights entrenched, monolithic systems, but as a filmmaker, what interests me is not the struggle per se, but the psychological cost of activism,” said Feldman. “Though Lilly never received a dime in reparations, she became the face of an issue, and speaking up for others defined a life of purpose, fulfilling her destiny. I believe Lilly’s story of radical resilience is a theme that will resonate around the world. The opportunity to collaborate with the astoundingly-gifted Patricia Clarkson is thrilling.”
Simone Pero is the founder of For Impact Productions, a social impact film marketing and production company, and recently produced the highly-acclaimed Emmy-nominated film The Tale, starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn and Common, and executive produced the documentary This Changes Everything, about women’s representation in the film and television industry. She is a Past President of the NYWIFT Board of Directors and currently serves as NYWIFT Advisory Board President.
Congratulations to everyone involved in Lilly!
