Overview:
The locally shot film "Sheepdog" was shown for the first time at the Garden Cinemas on Friday, with local cast, crew and vendors present. The film, which features shots of local businesses and downtowns across Franklin County, tells the story of a U.S. Army veteran's journey of personal growth while living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The film is making its nationwide debut on Jan. 16, 14 years after the research, writing and filming process began. The film has already won 15 awards on the nationwide film festival circuit and is eligible for Oscars' Best Picture consideration.
GREENFIELD — More than 200 people had the chance to catch a first look at the locally shot film “Sheepdog” at the Garden Cinemas on Friday, with local cast, crew and vendors present to see the critically acclaimed film before its national release.
All 214 theater seats were sold out by the end of the day on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Garden Cinemas co-owner Isaac Mass confirmed on Monday, which marks the first sold-out show at the theater since the “Barbie” movie in 2023. Mass said he watched “Sheepdog” the night before the screening and it was “gratifying” to see local residents featured in the film.
Guests thronged through the entrance of the theater Friday night to see the low-budget indie film that features both shots of local businesses and downtowns across Franklin County, with a number of local extras in the cast and crew also there to see the film.
“This was a labor of love, but it took the community to come together with love and patience and respect, to honor the men and women that we depict on the screen,” “Sheepdog” Director Steven Grayhm said to the audience before the screening.
“Sheepdog” was filmed in several locations in Franklin County, with shots of downtown Greenfield, Turners Falls, Erving, Millers Falls and Shelburne Falls, along with scenes shot in local businesses like the Millers Pub, Shady Glen, and Gary’s Coins and Antiques. It also features scenes of the former Strathmore mill in Turners Falls in its opening sequence.
The film is making its nationwide debut on Jan. 16, 14 years after Grayhm and his co-star Matt Dallas traveled across the United States to conduct research for the film before writing and filming. Last year, “Sheepdog” made its way through the nationwide film festival circuit, earning 15 awards and garnering admiration from those who connected with the story of a U.S. military veteran’s journey of personal growth while living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The film shows the reality for many veterans who struggle with PTSD, but with a unique perspective on the post-traumatic growth (PTG) that can be possible from community compassion and personal growth.
The film begins by focusing on U.S. Army veteran Calvin Cole (played by Grayhm), who returns from his final deployment in Afghanistan. Cole is court-ordered to receive treatment for PTSD. He works with Veterans Affairs trauma therapist Dr. Elecia Knox (Virginia Madsen), and his father-in-law and Vietnam War veteran Whitney St. Germain (Vondie Curtis-Hall) comes back into his life unexpectedly.
The film showcases the non-linear experience of healing from PTSD, and the impact the disorder has not just on the individual, but their family, friends and the wider community.
Brian Brooks did three tours overseas both in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is featured in “Sheepdog” in a funeral scene and the after-party scene. Brooks, a former Franklin County resident who is now living in New Hampshire, said he feels the portrayal is accurate to what some veterans experience
“I think [Grayhm] did a great job representing veterans with the struggles that they go through,” Brooks shared after seeing the movie for the first time. “It was very accurate, and you can tell he put lot of care in the film.”
Kevin Leszczynski, a U.S. Marine veteran who served for eight years and a former Greenfield resident, was also featured in the film in the same funeral scene, as well as in a scene depicting a Veterans Affairs (VA) office.
Leszczynski shared that he was able to see “Sheepdog” for the first time during the Boston Film Festival in September 2024. He said the film is “phenomenal.”
“I feel like it did a good job. I feel like it justified so many internal battles that we face,” he said about the movie, noting how he completed a program for PTSD in Boston that brought the film “close to home.”
As part of the screening, the New England-based nonprofit Veterans Inc. was in attendance, staffing an informational table.
Arlanna Colonies, a veteran and the nonprofit’s division manager of admissions and residential programs, shared that the film trailer that she saw before the screening was impactful, and depicts the experiences she’s seen her fellow veterans and their families go through.
“This film is huge for people to see what really happens and what these veterans go through,” Colonies said, noting how people may see homeless veterans or veterans struggling with drug addiction, and not realize how these people have ended up in these situations.
Colonies said she hopes “Sheepdog” can give people insight into what veterans coming home from deployment go through, and what services, like Veterans Inc., are available to support them.
As the film heads toward its national debut this week across 500 theaters nationwide, the Hollywood news website Deadline reports that “Sheepdog” is an eligible film for Best Picture consideration for the 98th Oscars in March.
For those who did not get the chance to see “Sheepdog,” Mass said the film will be running at the Garden Cinemas starting on Friday, though a matinee screening on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 3:30 p.m. is also available. Tickets and screening times are available on the Garden Cinemas website at gardencinemas.net/movie/Sheepdog.