YOU & I  is a tender slice of life romance about former flames, Sara (Summer Shelton) and Joseph (Clayne Crawford),  who  are reunited for a weekend. An accident of  circumstance leaves the two of them alone at his house after the small celebration, and what unfolds feels like a stage play as the former couple descends into the maelstrom of their past relationship. Through long takes and emotional dialogues, Shelton carries a film that leaves the audience questioning the past, present, and future of Sara and Joseph’s love, while pondering the parallels of their own current or former relationships, They intensely explore the “what ifs?” that might have been with “the one that got away.” Director, writer, co-producer, editor and co-lead actor Summer Shelton joins us for a conversation on why she decided to make this particular script her directorial debut, how working with her co-lead actor and co-producer Clayne Crawford helped her navigate the challenges of being behind and in front of the camera, and why the reaction to You & I has been so gratifying.

For more go to: summershelton.com/films

Now streaming on Amazon, AppleTV+, Vimeo and Fandango

Polish Film Institute General Director’s Award (US & Canada in Progress, 2021)

American Film Festival (International Premiere, 2023 Official Selection; Spectrum Competition)

Nashville Film Festival (2023 Official Selection; Grand Jury Nominee, Best Tennessee Feature)

New Orleans Film Festival (2023 Official Selection; Narrative Competition)

River Run International Film Festival (2024 Official Selection; Carolina Stories)

About the filmmaker – In 2023, her directorial debut YOU & I which she also wrote, produced and co-starred opposite veteran actor Clayne Crawford screened as an Official Selection at the Nashville Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival and debuted internationally at the American Film Festival. The film will be released in 2024 by Slated Distribution. Feature works she produced included MAINE (Orion Classics, 2018 Tribeca Film Festival) and KEEP THE CHANGE (KINO LORBER, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Feature; FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival).  She was Executive Producer of PEOPLE PLACES THINGS which premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, produced ICARUS (short) which premiered at the 2015 New Directors/New Films Festival and produced LITTLE ACCIDENTS, which had its World Premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.  She worked alongside critically acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani as Associate Producer of GOODBYE SOLO (2008), an official selection of the Venice Film Festival; Co-Producer of PLASTIC BAG (2009), opening night short film of the Corto Cortissimo at the Venice Film Festival and Associate Producer of AT ANY PRICE (2012), which premiered in main competition at the Venice Film Festival and most recently as Co-Producer of short documentary IF DREAMS WERE LIGHTING, RURAL HEALTH CRISIS (2023), which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.  She was the recipient of the inaugural Bingham Ray Creative Producing Fellowship, awarded by the Sundance Institute (2012), a Rotterdam Producing Fellowship (2013), Film Independent Sloan Producing Fellowship (2014) and Cannes Producing Fellowship (2021) awarded by the Gotham.  Prior to her filmmaking career, Shelton was a former high school English teacher, she remains connected to the classroom as a University Lecturer, Adjunct Professor and provides educational consulting services to arts non-profits. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/summer.shelton.5

facebook.com/claynecrawfordofficial

facebook.com/youandithemovie

instagram.com/claynecrawford

instagram.com/s_d_s

instagram.com/youandithemovie

Reviews:

“You & I is passionate without being overtly explicit, yet the reverberating echoes of those instinctual feelings are intense and even morose in their own way.” – Don Shanahan, Film Obsessive

“I so loved Summer Shelton’s “You and I.” Her feature directorial debut was a gem with so many different facets and edges, and complexities of beauty. It’s a sexy film, with intense emotions.” – Rebecca Martin, Editor of Cinema Femme magazine