Currently screening as part of the Midnight Madness strand at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival, I Live Here Now is a psychological descent into the fragmented memories of a woman trying to reclaim her story. Directed by Julie Pacino and starring Lucy Fry, Madeline Brewer, Matt Rife, and Sheryl Lee, the film makes its UK premiere with a powerful, unapologetic vision.

Set in a derelict motel and filmed on 35mm, the film follows Rose — a young woman navigating surreal spaces and nightmarish visions, confronting past traumas that resurface with growing intensity. As the line between reality and memory dissolves, I Live Here Now unfolds as an intimate, experimental portrait of psychological survival.

“It’s an internal journey. I always think of Alice in Wonderland,” said Floriane Andersen, one of the film’s executive producers, in an interview. “It doesn’t fit into a box. It’s a piece of art.”

While I Live Here Now has screened at genre festivals as horror, it’s been equally embraced by arthouse audiences in Europe. It’s best described as a psychological drama with horror elements, but even that doesn’t fully capture its intention.

“It contains both, but it is most of all a personal movie… It’s a journey.”

A Personal Story Told on Film

The film’s production — led by an all-female company championing first-time female filmmakers — was driven by a shared connection to the story and a desire to create work that centers women’s experiences. According to the producer, I Live Here Now is deeply rooted in themes of autonomy, survival, and identity — particularly in response to the current political climate around women’s rights.

“We felt like this story wasn’t told before… It was very relevant to talk about the autonomy of your own body, and how to survive in a world that is telling you how to behave.”