(L-R) Coerte Voorhees, Hanako Footman, Abigail Lawrie, and Chis Maher attend the “Canyon of The Dead” celebration
Cannes Film Festival held the world premiere for Canyon Of The Dead, the latest cinematic project by director and writer Coerte Voorhees, founder of the production company, First Line Films, starring BAFTA Award winner Abigail Lawrie, Hanako Footman, Finn Jones, and National Film Award nominee Tom Felton. Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin and Oscar Award winner Wes Studi are also set to appear alongside this ensemble cast.
The historical biographical drama, Canyon Of The Dead, follows North America’s first female archaeologist, Ann Axtell Morris (Lawrie) as she uncovers the secrets of the Anasazi civilization alongside her husband and fellow archaeologist, Earl Halstead Morris (Felton). Aiding the Morris’s in their adventure is the aerial expeditionary husband-and-wife duo, Charles (Jones) and Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Breslin).
Tom Felton and Abigail Lawrie in Canyon Of The Dead. Photograph: Sundae Communications
Since 2014, Abigail Lawrie has appeared in various media projects, starting with the BBC drama The Casual Vacancy, a televised rendition of a novel of the same name, written by J.K. Rowling, and making her presence known in theatrical plays. From there she alternated between appearing in films to frequenting domestic screens, portraying characters in over five televised series. Throughout filming, Lawrie found herself digging deep into the intriguing history of Ann Morris. Drawing inspiration from the Morris’s archaeological crusades, Lawrie is sure to impress viewers with her performance this summer.
Most famously known for his role in portraying Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter franchise, Tom Felton began his acting career with his screen debut in The Borrowers. Over the years, he has amassed a devoted legion of fans, not only due to his time on Harry Potter but also from television series such as The Flash, and films, for which he received critical praise, such as Ophelia and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. In Canyon Of The Dead, Felton is set to star opposite Abigail Lawrie as an archaeologist and Ann Morris’ husband, Earl H. Morris who served as a major influence behind the character of Indiana Jones. Of the role, Felton recounted how he, along with Lawrie, found themselves becoming immersed in the tales of the Morris’s, of how they felt the need to do Ann Morris’s story justice.
Director Coerte Voorhees had been enamored with the Morris duo since his childhood when he first became acquainted with them during his volunteering effort at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. As he grew older, Voorhees focused on directing and film, until he received his MFA in Film and Television Production from the University of South California School of Cinematic Arts in 2016. In that same year, he directed and released his first feature film, The First Line, a Netflix-acquired property. However, throughout all this, Voorhees still maintained the desire to tell the Morris’s story and, especially, bring awareness to Ann Axtell Morris, whom he, along with many others, felt history had so callously diminished in importance. With Canyon Of The Dead, Coerte Voorhees hopes to shed light on America’s first female archaeologist, who paved the way forward in a male-dominated field during the 1920s.
(L-R) Jeff Gum, Parham Radmanesh, and Paola Paulin attend the “Canyon of The Dead” celebration with The Hollywood Reporter
Joining Voorhees and the award-winning cast in celebration of the premiere were celebrity guests such as actress and producer Paola Paulin, Emmy Award winner Irina Meyer, and internet personality, Travon Ridley-Evans.
Irina Meyer and her production company, Mama Lion Productions, are hard at work, breaking down the barriers that hold societal norms in place, paving the way for future generations of female entrepreneurs. Meyer began her journey as a pursuer of higher education, eventually taking a step into the media industry, winning an Emmy, and founding Sils Capital, a venture fund focused on investments in early technology. Additionally, Meyer is also the head of the aviation firm, Lioness Electric Airways, specializing in electrical aviation products and providing transport across Central America through the airline. An award winner at the Vancouver International Movie Awards and biographical documentary, I Am Not A Princess, chronicles Irina Meyer’s life’s work and journey, showcasing the trials and tribulations she overcame in pursuit of becoming something more than the world told her she was meant to be.
Canyon Of The Dead is produced by First Line Films and The Vladar Company.
