Emma Parks, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Conor Sherry & Lesley Ann Warren Wrap On Coming-Of-Age Film 'Dirty Towel'
News Source
β’Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:42:46 +0000
π° What Happened
Filmmakers Callie Carpinteri and Emma Parks have finished shooting "Dirty Towel", a full-length film based on their short movie of the same name. Parks stars as Charlie, a girl in the weeks before she finishes high school. The cast also includes Kristen Connolly, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Conor Sherry, Sandrine Holt and Oscar nominee Lesley Ann Warren. It is Carpinteri's first time directing a feature film. The story follows Charlie and her mother, Elizabeth. Charlie is working out sex, freedom and family shame, while her mother has to face her own past. Then Elizabeth's critical mother comes back into their lives.
π The Backstory
The project started as a short film that screened at the Tribeca Festival. Directors often use a short as a test run to raise money for a bigger version. Carpinteri and Parks are cousins, and they wrote and produced the feature together. Parks first became known as a child actor in "The Short Game". Lesley Ann Warren was nominated for an Oscar for "Victor/Victoria" in 1982. Small films about mothers and daughters have a long history in independent cinema, and festivals like Tribeca often help them find buyers.
π― Why It Matters
This is a small indie film, but it shows how a short movie can grow into a full feature. That path is the hard part for first-time directors with no studio behind them, and it is worth watching. The film also puts a teen girl's messy family life on screen, which may help young viewers feel less alone.
Filmmakers Callie Carpinteri and Emma Parks have finished shooting "Dirty Towel", a full-length film based on their short movie of the same name. Parks stars as Charlie, a girl in the weeks before she finishes high school. The cast also includes Kristen Connolly, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Conor Sherry, Sandrine Holt and Oscar nominee Lesley Ann Warren. It is Carpinteri's first time directing a feature film. The story follows Charlie and her mother, Elizabeth. Charlie is working out sex, freedom and family shame, while her mother has to face her own past. Then Elizabeth's critical mother comes back into their lives.
The project started as a short film that screened at the Tribeca Festival. Directors often use a short as a test run to raise money for a bigger version. Carpinteri and Parks are cousins, and they wrote and produced the feature together. Parks first became known as a child actor in "The Short Game". Lesley Ann Warren was nominated for an Oscar for "Victor/Victoria" in 1982. Small films about mothers and daughters have a long history in independent cinema, and festivals like Tribeca often help them find buyers.
This is a small indie film, but it shows how a short movie can grow into a full feature. That path is the hard part for first-time directors with no studio behind them, and it is worth watching. The film also puts a teen girl's messy family life on screen, which may help young viewers feel less alone.