In an era overpowered by scintillating action films and horrors filled with jump-scares, Kit Rich has shown that, sometimes, all it takes to capture attention is soulful storytelling, relatable characters, and a message of hope. To celebrate the official premiere of Isabel’s Garden, a heartwarming tale of grief, love, and family, nearly 200 cinephiles gathered at The Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles on January 2nd, jetting off into the new year with tears in their eyes and hope in their hearts.
Produced by Iris Tuesday Productions, a company founded by Kit and her husband Manuel Rafael Lozano, this hopeful family drama is more than a compelling image; it’s the director’s debut in the industry, an ode to her lifelong love for creativity. The premiere – organized shortly before the film’s public release onto streaming platforms on January 3rd – welcomed fans, the cast and crew, and the press, inviting them to indulge in an emotional screening in an intimate setting
Summary: After triumphing at film festivals, Isabel’s Garden culminated its pre-streaming journey at the intimate Los Angeles premiere on January 2nd.
The premiere followed Isabel’s Garden’s immense international and local film festival success, with the film, Kit, and the cast taking home 9 rewards and 5 additional nominations, including Best Director awards from the Los Angeles IFS Film Festival and California Women’s Film Festival, the Cordillera International Film Festival for Best Narrative Feature, The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival for Best Feature Film, and the Los Angeles Film Festival Best Feature Film Audience Award.
What built the foundation for this prolific, triumphant journey is Kit’s unwavering commitment to shattering the status quo in indie filmmaking. “When we turned on the lights after the premiere, the faces and teary eyes of the audience said it all,” reminisces Kit. “Isabel’s Garden is special.”
An impactful drama that pulls on heartstrings, Isabel’s Garden carries a message of hope – a light that makes even the darkest moments seem brighter. At the heart of this story is Maya, a journalist learning how to navigate life after her husband, Diego, passes away. Parallel to her journey, viewers are introduced to Isabel, Maya’s teenage stepdaughter, Christina, Diego’s ex-wife and Isabel’s mother, and other supporting characters, all of which enrich this powerful narrative of blended family dynamics, loss, grief, and recovery.
The premiere symbolizes this motion picture’s victory over life’s innate challenges. “We were trying to sell a drama in a world struck by a pandemic,” laughs Manuel. “We faced studio shutdowns, had investors pull out unexpectedly, and certainly encountered our fair share of struggles.” Despite that, Kit’s passion kept this flame alive—even if it meant having to transform from a writer to writer-director to writer-director-marketer without any industry experience.
“One thing I realized is that art, no matter if it’s film, music, or paintings, is a living, breathing thing. And it’s up to the artist—the parent—to decide how far along it comes. No matter how many hardships we faced, Isabel’s Garden, for some reason, kept trotting along,” shares Kit. “This journey has been an unbelievable lesson, teaching me how to pay attention to these tiny whispers of promise, these signs that, even when the whole world seems against you, give you the fuel to keep going.”
An authentically raw yet magical blend of sorrow, joy, love, and self-discovery, Isabel’s Garden is just the beginning. With new artistic projects planned for the near future, Kit Rich promises to continue bending the rules of independent filmmaking, shifting the spotlight to character development, impactful storytelling, and hope.
“Now that I’ve made a film, and have seen it thrive at festivals, the premiere, and online, I have a vision I didn’t have before,” the director adds. “I see the beautiful shots, the creative expression, and the emotion I want my next film to emanate. At the end of the day, the world needs to be uplifted, and I want to do my part from behind the camera lens.”
