World premiere of Brighton native's 'Sweetheart' coming to Historic Howell Theater

HOWELL — The world premiere of a film made by a Brighton native is coming to Howell.

The premiere of “Sweetheart” is set for Saturday, June 1, at the Historic Howell Theater, 315 E. Grand River Ave. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a red-carpet meet-and-greet with the cast and crew — followed by the first screening of the film, a cast talk-back and prizes. The event ends at 10 p.m.

More information is available online at sweetheartofficial.movie . Tickets are available for $10 at the door or on the movie’s website. The cast and crew will be in semi-formal attire for the premiere, but there is no dress code for the public.

The film is by Carolann Plank, a 2017 graduate of Brighton High School. This is Plank’s third film. Now living in Mount Pleasant, Plank wanted the premiere of “Sweetheart” to be close to home.

“Being able to come back to my roots and share it with my friends and family down in southeast (Michigan) is really nice,” Plank said.

“Sweetheart” focuses on character Liz Miller, who joins a group of neighborhood housewives while suffering in an abusive marriage, according to the film’s synopsis. The sinister activities of the group make Liz question her friendships, marriage and sense of self.

“That’s something I feel like isn't talked about a whole lot,” Plank said. “I wanted to shed light on different aspects of feeling trapped in society as a woman.”

The film is a blend of “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Edward Scissorhands," according to Plank. The genre is drama/thriller but fits into the unofficial “good for her" genre. Plank recommends parents with children under age 13 watch the trailer before deciding if they want to bring their kids to the event.

Plank, 24, grew up in Brighton and participated in theater productions at Brighton High. It was there she found a passion for the creative arts.

“Because I was exposed to such a wide range of talent and, overall, a really positive community in the performing arts at Brighton High School, I was able to move forward with my process in a positive way," Plank said.

Plank wrote her first book when she was 12, titled “As Far As You Know,” and eventually turned it into a film. That’s when she “caught the bug” for filmmaking, she said.

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Roughly 20 people worked on “Sweetheart,” Plank said. Filming took place over eight days last summer. The runtime is roughly 90 minutes. The film stars Reese Hildner, Isaac Slate, Casey Greer, Jerome Jones, Am Sochowski and Andrew Leemon.

“I feel like I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve able to surround myself with such incredible and talented and creative people who also have a passion for it,” Plank said. “I’ve been able to elevate my work through my absolutely wonderful contacts.”

Plank hopes to write another book later this year and focus on short films. She is pursing a graduate degree in communications at Central Michigan University. Plank hopes to see many people at the “Sweetheart” premiere.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said.

— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com . Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan .

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: World premiere of Brighton native's 'Sweetheart' coming to Historic Howell Theater