Inez, Doug and Kira, a feature film written and directed by alumna Julia Kots '08, was acquired by 1091 Pictures for worldwide distribution. The film will be released across all digital platforms this fall. Kot’s first feature film was also awarded the Made in New York grant as part of the Women’s Film, TV, and Theatre Fund, an initiative by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. It premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2019 before having a run at five more festivals last year and this year.
The film centers around the unexpected suicide of Inez, who leaves behind no clues as to why she takes her own life. Her twin sister, Kira, and Kira’s fiancé, Doug, both of whom shared their own complicated relationship with Inez, embark on a quest to solve the mystery behind their loved one’s death. It stars Michael Chernus (Spiderman: Homecoming, Orange is the New Black), Tawny Cypress (Blacklist Redemption, Billions), and Talia Thiesfield (Succession, Kevin Can Wait). 1091 will release the film on September 29 2020.
Kots’ award-winning short films have screened on PBS and dozens of festivals worldwide, including Slamdance, Cinequest, Woodstock, Hamptons, Edmonton, and Chicago International. She has received awards and grants such as IFP Audience Choice Award, Coca Cola Refreshing Filmmakers Grant, New Line Cinema Grant, Milos Forman Fund, ASCAP Scoring Grant, AMPAS Foundation Grant, as well as a residency from the MacDowell Colony. Kots works as an editor, with credits ranging from PBS to the Oscar-nominated film, My Week With Marilyn. She emigrated as a refugee from the former Soviet Union in 1989 and holds an MFA from Columbia Film School and a BA from Yale.
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