Act One
Sophia Takal · 2026 · 104 minutes
An aspiring young actress, desperate for guidance and belonging, falls under the spell of a manipulative acting coach who draws her into a web of control and obsession.
Program note coming soon.
Sophia Takal directed the award-winning, critically-acclaimed film Always Shine, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Best Actress Award for its star Mackenzie Davis. Takal’s debut film, Green, which she wrote, directed and starred in premiered at SXSW where Takal won the Emerging Female Director award. The film went on to receive numerous other awards and a Gotham Award nomination. Takal co-wrote and directed New Year, New You for Blumhouse/Hulu as well as Black Christmas for Blumhouse/Universal Studios. Repped by CAA and Untitled.
Stephanie Roush is a New York-based independent producer and founder of Foxglove Films. Her credits include Sundance Dramatic Competition selections Union County (Oscilloscope) and Stress Positions (NEON) and the Emmy-nominated documentary series Principles of Pleasure (Netflix). Her upcoming features include Stephen Cone’s System of Colors and Sophia Takal’s Act One, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. She won a James Beard Media Award for her work with chef Vivian Howard, was a 2024 Gotham / Cannes Producers Network Fellow, and was named one of Variety’s “10 Producers to Watch” in 2026.