Obselidia
2010 film by Diane Bell
title: "Obselidia" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2010-films", "2010-directorial-debut-films", "2010-drama-films", "2010-independent-films", "2010-american-films", "2010s-english-language-films", "2010s-drama-road-movies", "american-drama-road-movies", "american-independent-films", "english-language-drama-films", "english-language-independent-films", "films-about-climate-change", "films-about-librarians", "films-set-in-deserts", "films-set-in-california", "films-shot-in-los-angeles", "films-shot-in-santa-monica,-california", "films-shot-in-the-mojave-desert", "alfred-p.-sloan-prize-winners", "sundance-film-festival-award–winning-films", "films-directed-by-diane-bell"] description: "2010 film by Diane Bell" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obselidia" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 2010 film by Diane Bell ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Obselidia |
| image | Obselidia.jpg |
| caption | Official promotional poster |
| director | Diane Bell |
| writer | Diane Bell |
| producer | {{Plainlist |
| starring | {{Plainlist |
| cinematography | Zak Mulligan |
| editing | John-Michael Powell |
| music | Liam Howe |
| studio | {{Plainlist |
| released | |
| runtime | 96 minutes |
| country | United States |
| language | English |
| budget | $140,000 |
| :: |
| name = Obselidia | image = Obselidia.jpg | caption = Official promotional poster | director = Diane Bell | writer = Diane Bell | producer = {{Plainlist|
- Matthew Medlin
- Chris Byrne
- Ken Morris | starring = {{Plainlist|
- Michael Piccirilli
- Gaynor Howe
- Frank Hoyt Taylor | cinematography = Zak Mulligan | editing = John-Michael Powell | music = Liam Howe | studio = {{Plainlist|
- Humble Films
- Red Czar Films | distributor = | released = | runtime = 96 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $140,000
Obselidia is a 2010 American road drama film written and directed by Diane Bell in her directorial debut. It stars Michael Piccirilli, Gaynor Howe, and Frank Hoyt Taylor. It tells the story of a lonely librarian who believes love is obsolete until a road trip to Death Valley with a beguiling cinema projectionist teaches him otherwise.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010, where it was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Prize and the Excellence in Cinematography Award. It was then self-distributed, and received positive reviews from critics. At the 26th Independent Spirit Awards, it was nominated for Best First Screenplay (for Bell) and the John Cassavetes Award.
Plot
On his quest to catalogue soon obsolete occupations, George (Piccirilli) a librarian joins forces with a silent film projectionist (Howe), and together they journey to Death Valley to interview a maverick scientist (Hoyt Taylor) who is predicting the imminent end of the world.
Cast
- Michael Piccirilli as George
- Gaynor Howe as Sophie
- Frank Hoyt Taylor as Lewis
- Chris Byrne as Mitch
- Kim Beuché as Jennifer
- Michael Blackman Beck as Paul
- Linda Walton as Linda
- Grant Mathis as Monk
Production
Obselidia was loosely inspired by several films, with Diane Bell saying:
Principal photography took place in Death Valley Junction, Ballarat, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica, California.
Reception
Critical response
Todd McCarthy of Variety stated, "Gentle, intelligent, gorgeously made and utterly eccentric, Obselidia exists in its own little world entirely apart from any hitherto detected categories of American independent filmmaking." McCarthy also wrote, "Visually, the picture is a thing of great beauty." David D'Arcy of Screen Daily remarked, "Bell's ambitious script seeks a new and charmingly humorous perspective on consumerism and environmental decline, but leans on didactic aphorisms in the dialogue between George and Sophie."
Accolades
::data[format=table]
| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sundance Film Festival | Alfred P. Sloan Prize | Obselidia | |
| Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic | Zak Mulligan | |||
| Ashland Independent Film Festival | Best Feature | Diane Bell | ||
| 2011 | FEST Youth Video and Film Festival | Best Fiction | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Screenplay | |||
| John Cassavetes Award | Diane Bell, Chris Byrne, Matthew Medlin | |||
| :: |
References
References
- "Obselidia".
- Bell, Diane. (December 13, 2018). "A Sale Unto Oneself: About To Have Your First Market Experience? Here's Why Self-Distribution Is the Way To Go". [[MovieMaker]].
- (January 21, 2010). "Sundance '10 {{!}} Diane Bell's "Obselidia" Makes Sure Nothing Goes Out of Style". [[IndieWire]].
- McCarthy, Todd. (January 31, 2010). "Obselidia". [[Variety (magazine).
- D'Arcy, David. (January 31, 2010). "Obselidia". [[Screen Daily]].
- (January 29, 2010). ""Obselidia" Wins Sundance's Sloan Prize". [[IndieWire]].
- Horowitz, Lisa. (January 29, 2010). "'Obselidia' Wins Sundance's Alfred P. Sloan Prize". [[TheWrap]].
- McClintock, Pamela. (January 29, 2010). "'Obselidia' wins Sundance's Sloan Prize". [[Variety (magazine).
- (January 31, 2010). "2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Awards".
- (November 30, 2010). "2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced".
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