LOGLINE
When an aging Hollywood legend can no longer decipher the past from the present, two caretakers with very different solutions must find common ground or lose their jobs.
SYNOPSIS
Caroline and Miguel split days and nights with legendary Hollywood actor Robert Pearson, a brilliant and talented man battling mental decline. Despite their differences in approach to caring for him, both have the same goal of keeping him safe and connected.
Miguel’s caretaking is straightforward—he focuses on Mr. Pearson’s basic needs: eating, sleeping, and grooming. Caroline, however, has become more than a nurse. A maternal confidante and playful companion, Caroline stops at nothing to keep Mr. Pearson from slipping away, even if that means casting herself opposite the leading man to perform a scene from one of his old films. And it’s working.
Caroline and Robert's make-believe games cause him to feel alive again, but as the line between fantasy and reality blurs, his grip loosens as Caroline’s gets tighter. Now, with everyone’s livelihood on the line, Miguel and Caroline must work together to save Mr. Pearson’s luminous star from fading to black.
CAST
MAIN THEMES
NOSTALGIA
Each day, Robert revisits different aspects of his past. This evokes a sense of nostalgia, not just for Robert, but his caretakers too as they learn more about his life. Our target audience will also feel nostalgic for the bygone golden age of cinema as they journey with Robert into his past.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I feel tethered to Robert's story because, at its root, Watching Mr. Pearson debates whether art should be about passion or legacy. In the end, Robert realizes his passion for the craft and desire to perform are all that matter. In many ways, this is similar to my desire to rediscover my passion for the art form that is cinema, rather than the business that is movie making.
Through this project, I aim to invite audiences into a world where storytelling is an intimate, soulful expression. A reminder that, in the pursuit of leaving a legacy, the most enduring legacy is one's unwavering love for the craft.
Dillon Bentlage, Writer & Director of Watching Mr. Pearson
Connection & Access
A Statement From Co-Writer Simon Kienitz Kincade
Our personal connection with Watching Mr. Pearson stems from two places. The first is our up-close experience caring for family members dealing with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is both an extremely isolating condition and a burden carried by an entire community. Watching people we love slowly lose their mental faculties made us wonder what our core identities really consist of, and what version of ourselves will be remembered by the people we leave behind.
Of course, as both film lovers and makers, we tend to run many of our experiences through the filter of cinema. In this instance, the themes of identity and legacy pair very well with questions we artists often ask ourselves — will the work we leave behind outlive our own relevance? Can our art protect us from our inevitable finitude? Exploring the loss of identity through an aged movie star adds many layers to all of these questions. It also allows us to recreate and pay homage to some of our favorite film genres of the last century, which, to a group of cinema nerds, is very exciting.
Film Festival Rollout
We have applied to major festivals around the world, leveraging our networks and connections to find our film the right festival partner.
Our current submissions include:
- Sundance Film Festival
- Slamdance Film Festival
- IFF Rotterdam
- IFF Boston
- Cinequest
- Miami IFF
- RiverRun IFF
- Provincetown IFF
- Santa Barbara IFF
- Dallas IFF
- Atlanta Film Festival
Theatrical Release
Watching Mr. Pearson will follow a targeted, self-distribution model designed to bring the film directly to audiences through a curated theatrical rollout, followed by a digital release. We have already started establishing partnerships with boutique theatrical bookers, marketing agencies, and PR firms experienced in independent self-distribution to help us execute this strategy.
The film’s limited theatrical release will begin in Summer 2026, focusing on select regional markets with strong art-house attendance, cast and crew ties, and demographics aligned with the film’s target audience (ages 55+).
Following its theatrical window, Watching Mr. Pearson will transition to VOD and AVOD platforms, guided by audience data and viewership trends established during the theatrical run to reach a wider audience. This hybrid model, in addition to our festival strategy, aims to recoup production costs, strengthen the film’s brand visibility, and establish a sustainable distribution framework for future KT Pictures' releases.
Recent Independent Films with Successful Releases
- Bad Shabbos (2024): Word-of-mouth release strategy; Box Office - $2 million worldwide
- Columbus (2017): Budget - $700,000; Box Office - $1 million domestic & $1.1 million worldwide
- Hundreds of Beavers (2022): Budget - $150,000; Box Office - $747,000 domestic & $1.27 million worldwide
- Sound of Freedom (2023): Faith-based release strategy; Budget - $14.5 million; Box Office - $184.1 million domestic & $250.5 million worldwide
Event Screenings
Parallel to our theatrical release, we plan to partner with dementia and memory care-related organizations to sponsor event screenings and expand awareness of the film’s themes. These partnerships will compliment the film’s outreach goals and audience-building strategy. The event screenings will include Q&A's featuring cast, crew, and experts in memory care to generate local and national press, deepen audience connection, and build momentum for the film’s digital rollout.
Investor Information
Watching Mr. Pearson is a SAG-AFTRA Moderate Low Budget feature film. The project was financed through a combination of private equity and personal investment from KT Pictures.
Investor participation follows a standard independent film model:
- Investors receive 100% of gross profits until they have recouped 120% of their initial investment on a pro rata pari passu basis.
- After full recoupment, net profits are shared among investors and producers according to their proportional ownership interests (“points”).
- All investors are members of the film's LLC and are entitled to profit participation as well as regular updates regarding the film’s distribution and performance. This structure ensures that investors are prioritized for repayment and share equitably in the film’s long-term success.
The remainder of the investment we are seeking will be allocated to our P&A (Prints & Advertising) and marketing budget for the theatrical rollout of Watching Mr. Pearson. This funding is critical to maximize the film’s visibility and audience reach in regional and national markets. The targeted spend is approximately $75,000–$100,000, covering these initiatives.
TESTIMONIALS
"I immediately fell in love with the beautiful script and then in love with the rest of cast, to be very quickly followed by the entire crew, who possessed such an earnest desire to bring the project to life. I connected with the character and story in a profoundly personal way and I could see that same feeling echoed in every person involved. It’s rare to work with such a dedicated and truehearted alchemy of people and that harmony of focus, drive, and skill made every minute spent truly rewarding."
- Hugo Armstrong, Actor
"It was a pleasure to have the Watching Mr. Pearson cast and crew at Vision Studios. We had great communication and support from the producers and they were extremely professional and fun to work with. We were so happy to be a part of the process of making such a beautiful and thoughtful film."
- Vision Studios
"Working on Watching Mr. Pearson was a great joy! I was amazed by the talent of the crew that was pitching together and how they managed to produce beautiful shots with minimal resources. Even though the budget was very small, the film does not show it. I truly think we made something special."
- Timo Aaldriks, VFX Supervisor
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Since its inception in 2017, KT Pictures has released eight projects, ranging from feature films to web series. Their projects, Dilettantes, Drama Mama, Absent, Play It By Ear, Play Me, and CiCi's Sonata, have had success in major film festivals with over 40 official selections and winning a collective 20 awards. KT Pictures' goal is to work with fellow independent filmmakers to create high-quality, captivating stories.
Hedy (n): From the Greek word meaning "pleasing"
Taking the time to find the voices unheard, Hedy Film’s mission is to bring to screen authenticity that finds shelter in the simplicity. Since its launch just last year, Hedy Films has had the pleasure of showcasing their films in over 40 film festivals around the world, winning awards for titles such as Let Tomorrow Be and Earth Day. Hedy Films, prides itself on the traditions set before us; crafting concepts for showings, not just streaming.
Storm Post Production is one of the leading post production companies in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Some of their most notable titles include the Oscar-winning film Another Round, Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster, and Steve McQueen's upcoming documentary, The Occupied City. We partnered with them for our entire post production process.
GET IN TOUCH
To get involved and become part of our team, please contact any of the following people:
Dillon Bentlage, Writer & Director
- dillon@ktpictures.com
- (203) 650-5578
Brian Reilly, Producer
- brian@ktpictures.com
- (203) 520-7664
Samantha Rose Valletta, Producer
- sammyvalletta@gmail.com
- (774) 696-2917