Montana

Story House Partners, the Montana-based production branch of Story House Inc., will begin production on its first feature film in October. Titled “St. George,” the movie is a family drama written and directed by Andrew Pastides.

The film will focus on two brothers dealing with grief in the wake of their sister’s death. One of the brothers has Down syndrome, and the other brother becomes his caregiver as his closest remaining family member. However, when their late sister’s boyfriend re-enters their lives, things take a turn for the worse, forcing both brothers to confront their familial flaws head-on.

“St. George” was developed with the National Down Syndrome Society to ensure authentic representation of its neurodivergent characters and expand conversations about the community. Pastides said in a statement, “I’m drawn to the gray areas — the space where tragedy and humor overlap, where love and loss coexist. With ‘St. George,’ I wanted to explore how silence around grief leaves us unequipped to love fully, and how resilience takes different shapes in different families — especially within the neurodivergent community.”

The film will be shot on-location in Missoula, Mont., bringing production to the Mountain West in accordance with Story House Partners’ investment in the region’s film industry. In addition to the movie, Story House Inc. is developing a 47-acre studio campus in Missoula as well as a 240-acre community in Sheridan, Wyo., dubbed Story House Village.

By working with lawmakers to develop Story House Montana, the company hopes to build a production ecosystem in an underserved part of the United States where other large-scale projects have faltered.

Story House co-founder and chief creative officer James Brown III added, “It’s incredibly meaningful that ‘St. George’ is the first feature film from Story House Partners. To launch our producing journey with a story this powerful feels like both an honor and a responsibility — we’ve been trusted with something deeply human, and it brings me so much joy to share it with the world.”

“St. George” is produced by Sean Patrick Higgins, James Brown III and Matt Lauria, and is shot by Bianca Butti.