“Party USA,” the debut feature from writer-director Jared Sprouse, has been selected to compete at the 52nd Deauville American Film Festival, where it will make its International premiere as part of the festival’s official competition.
The dark comedy stars Ainsley Seiger (Law & Order: Organized Crime), Philip Andre Botello (Art of Self Defense), Ben Weinswig (Alone at Dawn), & Sharahya Carter.
Set in a small Georgia town, “Party USA” follows Taylor, a fireworks store employee whose father dies unexpectedly. When she’s unable to get her shift covered, a deadly mistake sends her spiraling into red, white and blue-collared chaos. The film explores working-class America, the emotional cost of customer service labor, and the pressure to maintain politeness even as personal tragedy unfolds.
Sprouse, a Georgia native, wrote, directed, produced, and co-edited the feature, which was shot on location in Gainesville, Georgia, inside a functioning fireworks store during its off-season. The film was made almost entirely by an independent, Georgia-based crew, covering both above-the-line and below-the-line roles. The filmmakers independently financed the film, which was produced on a microbudget. Another Georgia local, Simms Wright, produced & served as the director of photography on the project.
“I wanted to tell a story that reflected the South I know,” Sprouse said. “It’s a place full of contradictions. There is kindness and hospitality alongside nationalism, economic anxiety, and systems that ask people to suppress their humanity in order to survive. A fireworks store became the perfect lens through which to explore those tensions.”
Following its U.S. premiere earlier this year at Cinequest, “Party USA” has continued to build momentum on the festival circuit, earning selections at the Atlanta Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, El Paso Film Festival, Bravemaker and several other events. The Deauville selection marks the film’s highest-profile international festival appearance to date.
“The opportunity to tell a story so heavily influenced by my Southern, Georgia heritage at one of the largest and most prestigious Film Festivals in Europe is a dream come true,” Sprouse said. “The fact that our self-funded microbudget feature is going to be in competition in France with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars is unbelievable.”
Founded in 1975, the Deauville American Film Festival has long served as one of Europe’s premier showcases for American independent cinema, previously presenting early work from filmmakers including Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Damien Chazelle, Kelly Reichardt, Sean Baker, and Robert Eggers.
The 52nd Deauville American Film Festival runs Sept. 4–13 in Deauville, France.
