Carter Ward’s Romantic Drama ‘Step Back, Doors Closing’ Screens Virtually at Catalina Film Festival from Wednesday, September 25 to Tuesday, October 8

Carter Ward’s Romantic Drama Step Back, Doors Closing Screens Virtually

at Catalina Film Festival from Wednesday, September 25 to Tuesday, October 8

“This is a story about being 24, learning to smell the roses, and falling in love.”

Mystery unfolds on screen

Writer, director, and producer Carter Ward’s debut film Step Back, Doors Closing is screening virtually for the Catalina Film Festival from Wednesday, September 25 to Tuesday, October 8.

Born in Washington DC and raised in Maryland, Ward created the film as a love letter to DC, with a deep consideration of its geography, culture, and people that counteracts the usual stereotypes of political corruption and scandal. Starring Reilly Walters as witty and down-to-earth Ryan and Carmen Berkeley as high-strung graduate student Julisa, Step Back, Doors Closing is a charmingly universal love story.

After a chance encounter on the Metro at the end of their respective failed nights out, Ryan and Julisa spend the next 24 hours discussing their hopes, dreams, and fears. While they initially present curated versions of themselves, they slowly reveal more and more—Ryan is single for the first time in four years and Julisa is considering dropping out of grad school—forging an authentic relationship as their armor chips away.

For Ward, art is an important vehicle for reflection in our increasingly complicated world, which he discovered while working as an assistant on several short and feature films in New York City. After moving to Los Angeles, he founded the production company Arden Pictures, which aims to produce character-driven films that explore all aspects of the human condition through passionate storytelling.

He says, “In the same way that Ryan and Julisa learn to step back and smell the roses, it’s my hope that audiences can find respite from their problems for 90 minutes while watching this film.”