Tandem Pictures founder and CEO Julie Christeas said when she first read NB Mager’s script for “Run Amok,” she was hooked.
“I had not read anything like this before,” she recalled. “This writer-director was really grappling with huge ideas and subject matters through the lens of comedy, and as an audience, I found that so exciting.”
So it’s not too surprising that the panel for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival was also sold on the feature, not just to premiere on such a big stage, but to compete in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
It’s not surprising, but Christeas said it’s pretty damn exciting.
“It is so incredible and humbling, and I’m still pinching myself. This is my fourth film premiering at Sundance, and the second film in competition,” the producer said. “It means so much to have this movie here, especially at the last one that’s going to be in Park City. I feel like every producer who made a movie last year, we all wanted to be here with a film at Sundance this year, because it’s the last hurrah in Park City.”
It’s also such a huge accomplishment for writer-director Mager, whom Christeas now considers a life-long collaborator. Having her first feature film be her first Sundance film is a testament to her talent and vision, she said.
“She’s not only an absolutely worthy, talented, fantastic artist, capable of so much, which everyone will see soon enough, but she’s also just an incredibly decent, good human,” Christeas said.
When it comes to working with budding directors, Christeas said there’s plenty to learn, but on the set of “Run Amok,” Mager was a natural. There’s the leadership from the logistics side — working with departments over shots, lighting, costumes, production design — but then there’s the ability to give feedback to the cast.
“We have Patrick Wilson, Margaret Cho, Molly Ringwald, Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp — I mean, these are actors that are so gifted, and honestly, I would think, pretty darn intimidating, especially for a first time director, right? But what was so beautiful to watch was through the process of rehearsals … NB developed fantastic relationships with them,” Christeas said.
“It was so satisfying as a producer to watch this person … just very gently and very beautifully navigate the world that she was the author of,” she added.
The film, set in a high school, follows a group of teenagers who put together a musical about a tragic event, all while wrestling with normal high school life.
“We’re dealing with kids who all have their own really big feelings. They all have their own point of view. They’re all coming to the table with whatever their given set of circumstances are, in an effort to have a conversation, in an effort to be curious about why we’re experiencing the world in this way,” Christeas said. “It is a lot of fun to watch these kids grapple with things that we adults haven’t been able to grapple with, certainly not put on a play about the subject matter.”
Talking about hard topics — especially ones in the current social consciousness — is one key ingredient that Christeas looks for in a film to produce, especially if it’s discussed in a way that’s never been tried before.
Tandem Pictures, founded to produce independent film in 2010, isn’t tied down to a particular genre, but more to a certain quality, she said. That becomes a genre in and of itself, but then, in true independent fashion, there’s a goal of exploring new voices.
“Film can be pretty exclusionary. It can be pretty white male dominated. So it’s all of us who have stories and voices outside of that group that I’m interested in,” she said.
And then when filming, Christeas said she’s passionate about taking a sustainable approach.
“I don’t, as a rule, work on a studio lot, so if I’m going into communities and telling stories within these communities, then shouldn’t I find a way to work that leaves these places for the better, for having had us instead of for the worse?” she said.
That approach is widespread, from composting on set to divert food waste from landfills to volunteering with a local group. In the case of “Run Amok,” Christeas said the film earned a Gold Seal from the Environmental Media Association in addition to a Green Seal for eco-friendly practices on set.
No single-use plastics were used during the filming last January, along with efforts in composting, recycling and reuse practices, she said. Unused catering and food were brought to men’s and women’s homes near the set in upstate New York, and the crew hosted their own dry goods drive, which was donated to a local church.
Now, a year later, the film will finally be in front of a Sundance audience, a group that Christeas is especially excited to engage with.
“I think Sundance audiences are always looking for something new, and they’re looking to discover filmmakers who have a really specific and unique point of view on the world. And I think that’s ‘Run Amok,’” she said.
The film captures sensitive issues from a fresh perspective, she said, “cracking the window” and allowing room to laugh, which in turn, may push dialogue along. Where better to explore those conversations than Sundance, she said.
“Sundance is an amazing experience because it’s intimate,” Christeas said. “You end up meeting people that you will do a project with some years down the road. So I always look forward to those spontaneous meetings.”
Christeas will be speaking on a panel with the ACLU Foundation, as well as another discussion on women in film. In addition to talking about “Run Amok,” she said she’s excited to share more on upcoming Tandem Pictures projects, including another film by Mager called “Strange Love” and a live action video game and adjoining film called “Great Northern.”
“Run Amok” will premiere at 11:45 a.m. on Jan. 26 at the Eccles Theatre, followed by a Q and A by the cast and crew. For tickets, visit festival.sundance.org/program/film/6932fa211a5535be3391addd.
‘Run Amok’ in-person screenings
- 11:45 a.m., Jan. 26, Eccles Theatre
- 12:30 p.m., Jan. 27, Megaplex Redstone 1
- 9:00 p.m., Jan. 29, Rose Wagner Center, Salt Lake City
- 8:45 p.m., Jan. 30, The Ray Theatre
- 7:00 p.m., Jan. 31, Holiday Village Cinemas 2
Online
- 8 a.m., Jan. 29-11:55 p.m., Feb. 1