PRODUCERS:
Hawk Koch  ( IP Rights holder)
Mark Gordon
Lukas Behnken

DIRECTOR: 
Amy Ziering - Award winning documentarian - (The Hunting Ground, The Impossible War, On the Record, Allen v. Farrow)

CAST:
“Sarah” - Lead “Eric” - Lead - Open 

“Lemry” - Laura Dern:  (LOCKED)  - Supporting Lead

“Eric” - Pitching - Lead -  Open     

“Virgil” - Sara’s Father - Supporting - Open

WRITERS:
David Field - Former head of Production at UA in the 70’s (Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now ). One of 2 consultants (Sydney Pollack being the other) to help start Tristar Pictures . Ghost writer for Ron Bass for many years. He wrote another very meaningful film 'Amazing Grace and Chuck'.

SYNOPSIS: ‘Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes’ is a gripping and heartfelt story of two outcast teenagers, Sarah and Eric, each grappling with deep emotional scars, and their extraordinary teacher, Lemry. Lemry is a rare educator who, instead of merely preparing students to pass tests, is deeply committed to nurturing independent thinkers. Picture Robin Williams in “Dead Poets Society.” She also serves as the high school swimming coach and carries the weight of a heavy past. Sarah Byrnes, horribly burned as a three-year-old, has been steeled by relentless bullying over her appearance, only to face the revelation that her scars may not have been accidental. Eric, having struggled with obesity throughout his youth, begins to shed his physical weight through swimming, mirroring the fading of his internal wounds. Together, they draw Lemry into a profound journey of self-discovery, as she takes on the weight and scars of her students. This is where heroes come from.

BOOK AUTHOR:
Chris Crutcher - The film is an adaptation of the book ‘Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes’.  Among many awards the book received, here are a few mentions: Booklist’s “100 Best YA Books of the 20th Century”, The American Library Association’s 2000 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to adolescent literature, The National Council for Teachers of English and SLATE Intellectual Freedom Award for “courage in advancing the cause of intellectual freedom”, Writer’s Magazine’s Writers Who Make a Difference Award, and the Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award from the Association For The Care of Children’s Health.

SD:
Q1 /  2026