User:Needyhaux/sandbox

Summer of Mesa is a 2020 coming-of-age romantic drama film written and directed by Josh Cox who was 20 years old during the shoot. Set in 1985 on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, it stars Molly Miles, Andrea Granera, and Alec Bandzes. The story chronicles the romantic relationship between 16-year-old Lily, and Mesa, a girl her age who she meets on the peninsula.

Plot
Lily Peony is a precious sixteen year old girl who spends her summers on Cape Cod with her grandmother Anna. Throughout the previous years vacationing, the Peony’s grew close with a Cape-native family: single-mother Velma and her teenage son John. During the summer of 1985, after being away from the peninsula for some time, Lily and John find themselves pursuing a mature and unexpected romance which has them both falling quickly for each other. That year, Lily also happens to meet Mesa - a teenage girl who is fascinating to Lily for her undeniable confidence and indescribable beauty. Mesa takes a clear interest in befriending Lily, intrigued by her quiet and mature nature. Through their shared time together, Lily realizes her feelings for Mesa are rather different from her feelings when she is with John. This provokes her internal struggle to identify herself, and feelings for Mesa, over her seemingly more traditional, yet less passionate, relationship with John.

Cast

 * Molly Miles as Lily Peony
 * Andrea Granera as Mesa
 * Alec Bandzes as John 'Johnny' Valentine
 * Patricia Ellis as Anna Peony
 * Kristin Stearns-Stewart as Velma Valentine
 * William Cummings as Noah

Production
With a budget $400, principal photography lasted six days, with locations on Cape Cod. Cox acted as the sole crew member throughout the shoot.

Release
The film premiered on YouTube on May 22, 2020 as its worldwide release and received over 100,000 views in its opening week.