Starring: Colin Burgess, Clare O’Kane, Anthony Oberbeck, Brian Fiddyment

NoBudge is happy to launch a new screening series of feature films by young and emerging filmmakers, and we couldn’t think of a better inaugural selection than Dad & Step-Dad, made by a team of NoBudge favorites

Dad & Step-Dad is a slow-burn, character-driven family comedy that follows Jim (Dad), Dave (Step-Dad) and Suzie (Mom), three lost souls who spend the weekend together at a cabin upstate in an effort to bond for the sake of their 13-year-old son, Branson. Tensions mount however as differing parenting techniques come to the fore. A symphony of passive aggressive quibbles delivered in hushed tones, furtive glances, and tense silence, the film plays like Frederick Wiseman directing an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Listed in Esquire as one of the “41 Most Anticipated Films of 2023,” Dad & Step-Dad was shot in 4 days during the summer of 2021 with a production budget of only $18,000 and is entirely improvised, based off of a robust outline and several rehearsals.