''Summer Solstice'' tells a story set in coastal Maine, a reflective coming-of-age tale starring
George Fivas
George Peter Fivas II (born May 25, 1973) is an American film producer, music producer, director and actor based in Los Angeles. He is one of the founding organizers of the jazz and popular music group, Apollo RSVP. His directorial debut came ...
as Joshua Ballard, a brilliant but aimless and misunderstood college student who finds solace in composing music and writing. But when his anguished state of mind leads him to cross paths with contemplative lighthouse keeper Seth Arden ( Joe Estevez) and his niece Andrea Bettencourt (Brook Jenell Slack, voiced Jelly Otter in Disney's '' PB&J Otter'' from 1998 to 2000), the encounter leads Joshua to transcend a personal crisis through an odyssey of
self-discovery
A "journey of self-discovery" refers to a travel, pilgrimage, or series of events whereby a person attempts to determine how they feel, personally, about spiritual issues or priorities,Academy Award nominee and
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
's '' True Blood'', A&E's '' The Beast'') and Nathan Rollins. The screenplay is based on a story by playwright, composer, physicist, and mathematician Jeffrey Gold. The film features the
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
Pemaquid Point Light and surrounding coastal areas and towns of Maine and music by popular Maine native, Tim Janis (known for his numerous specials on the American
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...
). The film was directed by
George Fivas
George Peter Fivas II (born May 25, 1973) is an American film producer, music producer, director and actor based in Los Angeles. He is one of the founding organizers of the jazz and popular music group, Apollo RSVP. His directorial debut came ...
, a published scientist and a founder of the jazz and popular music group, Apollo.
Releases
After a limited theatrical release in 2005 (notably, during which time, the film played at the historic Waldo Theatre located in the region featured in the film), Echelon Entertainment released the film on DVD, as of 2010, under the label: Singa Home Entertainment. It was later released by Netflix in 2006. In 2010, it was officially selected for the newly expanding Columbia Gorge International Film Festival held in Vancouver, Washington. Because it was the film's first screening in a film festival, it was considered a world premiere and won the Best World Premiere Excellence in Filmmaking Award.
Awards
Best World Premiere Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, Vancouver, Washington, USA, 2010
Historic crossroads
The
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
Critical and public reviews of this film seem to be generally positive, but have ranged across the board, from very negative to very positive to often mostly positive, but mixed. Some reviews have cited production shortfalls from apparent budget limitations and minor storytelling flaws, but have praised the film's sincere portrayals, heartfelt themes, scenic landscapes, and the beauty of Tim Janis' music.