Join us for a Q&A with co-directors/co-writers Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman following this screening.

Isolated on a seaside estate, an entitled journalist (Billy Magnussen) and his socialite wife (Sarah Gadon) take in a mysterious grifter as a private cook (Peter Sarsgaard). When a plague descends on the island, the wily cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion. Their employer suspects the cook’s coup is part of a more sinister agenda, and mind games between master and servant escalate into all-out class warfare.

AUSTIN STARK

Austin is a New York-based writer, director, and producer best known for films that explore social issues. His latest film, COUP!, starring Peter Sarsgaard and Billy Magnussen, premiered in the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival and will be released by Greenwich Entertainment in 2024.  In 2015, Austin made his directorial debut with THE RUNNER, a political drama starring Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson, and Peter Fonda, which was released theatrically by Alchemy. In 2021,Austin followed that up with THE GOD COMMITTEE, a medical thriller starring Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles and Colman Domingo. The film debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released by Vertical Entertainment. In addition to his career as a writer/director, Austin has produced a number of films, including: Sony Pictures Classics’ INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, which earned Mark Ruffalo a Golden Globe nomination; Tony Kaye’s DETACHMENT; 2012 Sundance Opening Night Film HELLO, I MUST BE GOING; 2010 Sundance Audience Award-winner HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE; and Werner Herzog’s MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE.

JOSEPH SCHUMAN

Joseph majored in English Literature at Columbia College and studied Film at NYU. Currently CEO of Crew Mobile Technologies, a software and IP licensing startup he founded, he has published numerous patents in the media and communication space. His true passion remains cinematic storytelling, and COUP! is his directorial debut.