ROAD TO L’ETAPE DU TOUR
Julia Coulter
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LOGLINE
Romantic Drama Feature Film
After the sudden death of her father, a woman with a congenital heart defect turns her life upside down to train for the L’Etape Du Tour.
SYNOPSIS
Born with Pulmonary Atresia, 29 year-old AMY has always lived a cautious life. She’s never left her hometown, is engaged to her high school sweetheart JACOB, and visits her devoted single father, an avid cyclist and owner of the local bike shop, on a regular basis. After receiving a poor result on her annual cardiac stress test, coupled with the unexpected death of her father, Amy’s reliable world is shattered. In the wake of her father’s death, Amy seeks comfort by stopping at her father’s bike shop. The shop manager LUCAS, who knew her father well, agrees to Amy’s request that he help her train to ride the L’Etape du Tour, a stage of the Tour du France her dad had intended to ride. Amy will ride the stage with Lucas in her father’s place. Throughout the story, Amy’s health problems cause her to question what she wants in life and whether or not she can give Jacob the life he dreams of. She decides to change her life: she leaves Jacob and moves into her father’s old house she inherited. Ultimately, her health prevents her from traveling to ride the real L’Etape du Tour in France. Lucas, knowing what Amy has been through, creates a similar route for Amy to ride in their hometown. She completes it all on her own.
The Why. Writer & Director Statement
As a person born with a congenital heart defect, this is a story I have wanted to tell for a long time. When I was young, I always thought of my heart condition as being past tense, it was simply something that had happened to me. It wasn’t until I performed poorly on a cardiac stress test later in life that the condition became frighteningly present tense. My heart condition was something that I not only needed to deal with, but it was something that would continue to complicate my health as I aged. I’ve had to prioritize my health, and following in my father’s footsteps, turned to cycling. My father has been an avid cyclist for as long as I can remember and has ridden the L’Etape du Tour, where amateur riders can ride a stage of the Tour de France, several times. Unlike our lead character Amy, I did not lose a father, but lost an uncle, cousin and grandfather, all to heart related complications. Their deaths deeply affected me and have altered the way I live my life.
This film is for:
Anyone who has ever been affected by health problems.
Anyone working through grief in the best way they know how.
Anyone born with a condition they feel trapped by.
Anyone who seeks to live life to the fullest.
LOOKBOOK
Julia Coulter. Writer, Director, & Producer
Julia Coulter is a director, writer and actor based in Los Angeles. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), she earned her BA Honors in Acting. Since 2013, RWCMD has topped the rankings of university drama and dance programs. While at RWCMD, Julia worked with some of the UK’s top directors and performed on some of London’s biggest stages: The Royal Court and The National. In her second year of training, she booked her first professional voiceover job with BBC Radio. After moving to Los Angeles, Julia signed with FireStarter Entertainment. Julia made her network debut in the HBO series Insecure, and shortly after, she booked a role on the Showtime pilot The Wood. Julia has also appeared in numerous short films and web series. She has worked as a voiceover artist for Voxx Studios for over six years, dubbing TV series and movies from Spanish, Russian and Chinese into English. In 2019, she directed her first short film, Brothers, which she wrote and produced. The film stars Sharon Lawrence as the grief stricken mother of brothers Taylor and Elijah, who are played by Alex Alcheh and Kevin Michael Martin. The film has played at a total of ten film festivals including the Academy Award Qualifying New Hampshire Film Festival. Her second short film, Habit, which she wrote and starred in is currently making the festival rounds, it most recently won best short film at the Vegas Movie Awards. Behind the camera, Julia has worked in the production office for HBO’s Silicon Valley, Generation, Insecure and The Idol, the Netflix series Special and Amazon series Hunters X-Ray.
Genevieve Kertesz. 1st AD
Genevieve is a writer-director who actively seeks unique and engrossing tales, to dissect and transform with her signature style of striking visuals, blending elements of exaggerated reality with authentic and unexpected performances. Her passion lies in showcasing individuals in the midst of their battles - fighting for their lives, their beliefs, or simply for their own identity. Particularly, she emphasizes complex strong women characters, aiming to inspire others through her narratives. One of her recent achievements is her AFI thesis film, "The Erl King," which has been enjoying great success on the festival circuit. The film has played for prestigious events such as the Pasadena Film Festival, Film Quest, and Beverly Hills Film Festival. Notably, "The Erl King" earned a spot in the esteemed New York Times' list of "Five Horror Movies to Stream Now" for July, highlighted as part of Etheria Film Night 2023. Genevieve's creative journey also includes her directing for the Screen Australia and Google-backed digital series, "NEVERNIGHT," a thrilling adaptation of the renowned New York Times best-selling fantasy novel of the same name. This web series has garnered significant attention and has amassed an impressive 240,000 views online. She completed her master's degree at the prestigious American Film Institute, building on her earlier educational background with a BA in Film and Screen Media Production and another BA in Business with a major in Advertising from Australia. Eager to evolve, Genevieve actively pursues opportunities that challenge and refine her abilities as a director.
Seth MacMillian. Director of Photography
Seth is an award-winning Cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He won the 2022 ASC Heritage Award for his work on My Life Stopped at 15, and his films have screened in competition at festivals around the world, including at Camerimage, in Poland. He holds an M.F.A. in Cinematography from AFI, and an undergraduate B.A. in Politics from Princeton University. He is a film lover, soccer player, still photographer, and a (twin) brother.
Elle Jones. Casting Director
Elle Jones Casting Company was founded with the belief that ‘everyone has a role’: we are an all inclusive casting company specializing in disability casting and accessibility consulting. The idea came about when Elle’s daughter and our own Zoë Hartman suddenly began to lose her vision at the age of 22 after a successful start in the film business as a production assistant. She was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer and is now legally blind. Throughout the process of living through this change in the film industry, she has not deterred from her goals and has been able to succeed. We want to provide this opportunity to others and facilitate the proper resources for them to be successful in accomplishing their industry goals, no matter the circumstance. We customize services to meet the needs of productions and talent on any set. Our goal is to make the casting and acting process a holistic experience for all talent; providing all necessary resources for our clients to work and earn in the film and television industry. We accomplish this through extending our services past the traditional process of simply casting by accommodating our clients process on set: including accessibility specialty and consulting. Our team members are trained in Covid Compliance, EMS, Disability Inclusion Consulting, On Set Support and Pre-Production Guidance. We are available to guide blind and low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, individuals with mobility impairments, and other disabilities, including invisible and cognitive.
Sami Freeman. Composer
Sami Freeman creates evocative, ethereal, and colorful worlds through sound. She is a singer, pianist, and composer from San Francisco who gravitates toward emotive music grounded in strings, synths, and keys. Sami has scored several films, released music as a singer-songwriter, and just released a 22-minute immersive auditory experience called 'Space Bath' that contemplates dreams, our existence, and death. Sami lives in the Sunset of San Francisco where she scores film, tends to her chickens and cold plunges regularly.
Lauren Brooks/Sunnyside Pictures. Line Producer
Lauren spent her early years living in theater around the city of Boston. After obtaining a degree in Theater from UMass Amherst in 2011, she decided to extend her creative and logistic talents to the film industry. After college she moved to San Diego and honed her budgeting and scheduling skills as a project manager. Three years later, primed with creative and logistic tools Lauren began her master's program in producing at Chapman University.
Gabriela Safa. Actor “Claire”
Gabriela Safa (Sweethearts) is a French born, Dominican and Lebanese actress. She is a dual citizen of the US & EU and a proud third culture kid. She is represented by Brave Artists Management. Photo credit: Idalmiz Lopez
Kyle Secor. Actor “Kevin”
Kyle Secor is known for portraying Detective Tim Bayliss on the crime drama series Homicide: Life on the Street. Other credits include Starling Girl, Veronica Mars, 9-1-1: Lone Star and many more.
Brian Muller. Actor “Jacob”
Know for Bridge & Tunnel, The Deuce and Blue Bloods and his sports comedy Podcast Red Flags that discusses the drama of Formula 1.
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