Ari Selinger has completed production on his debut feature film, On the End, in Montauk, NY. The indie drama, created for Moontown Productions and Wise Child Studios, stars Tim Blake Nelson, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Lois Smith, and Anna Chlumsky. The supporting cast includes Desmin Borges, Matthew Maher, Glenn Fleshler, Michelle Hurd, and Sawyer Spielberg.
The film, inspired by a true story, follows Tom (Nelson), a struggling mechanic in Montauk who finds love with Freckles (Enos), a fellow outsider. Their relationship faces a significant threat when local elites attempt to evict Tom from his beachfront property and auto repair shop. The couple’s fight against this injustice turns their love story into a struggle against greed and power in their rapidly gentrifying town, known as “The End.”
Producers for the film are Harris Gurny, Jason Beekman, Raven Jensen, and Matthew Heymann, with Nelson and Joanna Naugle serving as executive producers. Selinger, reflecting on the project, noted that he was inspired by a real mechanic he met in 2011, and sees the film as a poignant exploration of class disparity and gentrification, despite its 2008 setting.
Producer Beekman expressed enthusiasm for Selinger’s directorial debut, praising his vision and the film’s blend of drama, comedy, and heart.
Nelson, known for recent roles in The Bricklayer and Old Henry, will also appear in Marvel’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. Enos has recently starred in Lucky Hank and will appear in For All Mankind Season 5 and Brad Ingelsby’s limited series Task. Dale’s credits include Hightown and 1923, with upcoming roles in King Ivory and Violent Ends. Smith’s recent work includes The French Dispatch and Law & Order: Organized Crime. Chlumsky, known for Veep, has appeared in They/Them and will star in Bride Hard.
Selinger, a NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate, is known for his thesis film Moondog Airwaves and his latest project, The Ghost of Hank Williams.
The cast is represented by various agencies, including UTA, CAA, and Gersh.
