#FIRSTLOOK: ZIA ANGER’S “MY FIRST FILM” COMING TO MUBI CANADA

MUBI, the global streaming service, film distributor, and production company, has released today the new official trailer and artwork for Zia Anger’s semi-autobiographical debut feature My First Film, which is a meta exploration of her own artistic and personal experiences, blending both documentary and feature film-making into a story about the transformative power of artistic self-reflection. My First Film premiered at this year’s CPH:DOX film festival and will stream exclusively on MUBI in Canada from September 6, 2024.

Synopsis
Nearly 15 years after her initial efforts, Vita (Odessa Young) recounts the tumultuous process of directing her semi-autobiographical first feature about a young woman who gets pregnant and decides to leave home. The production, featuring her friend Dina (Devon Ross), spirals into chaos due to Vita’s enthusiastic but inexperienced approach, leading to significant disruptions and a near-fatal accident. As Vita’s project unravels, the film transitions into a reflective critique of artistic truth and the construction of narrative from personal experiences.

Following the success of her 2019 multimedia performance of the same name, MY FIRST FILM serves as Zia Anger’s return to her artistic roots, revisiting her never-released film, ALWAYS ALL WAYS, ANNE MARIE, from earlier in her career. Departing from the original performance’s interactive visuals and typed-out monologues, Anger’s feature debut skillfully dramatizes this past chaotic shoot and its untold truths, positioning itself as an autofictional journey that challenges the traditional confines of memoir.

Director’s Biography
ZIA ANGER works in moving images. In 2018 she began touring a new performance that traced the last ten-years of her lost and abandoned work, titled MY FIRST FILM. The performance has since been adapted into a feature film. She has made music videos for various artists including: Mitski, Beach House, and Jenny Hval. Her work has been called “an exceptional commitment to radical transparency.”

MY FIRST FILM WILL STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON MUBI IN CANADA FROM
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024