The New York Film Critics Series ended its Spring Series with the film, “The Fits”.

“The Fits” was a very unique movie. The film follows Toni, and 11 year old girl who is striving to be a part of her school’s successful dance team. Toni’s story begins as she spends a majority of her time with her brother in the boxing gym. Toni trains with her brother and helps him clean the gym. While spending time in the gym, she watches the all-girl dance team from afar. With the encouragement of her brother, she decides to take a chance and join the dance team. Even though she feels uncomfortable and has difficulty with the dancing at first, she does not give up. There are several moments in the film where you can see the passion in her eyes as she repeats the dances moves practicing over and over again.

After Toni joins the team, a mysterious outbreak takes over. Several members begin to suffer from fainting spells. Throughout the film, many members of the team fall ill, and other team members wait nervously as if they will also suffer from the “fits“.  This was a very interesting film that takes you on a mysterious journey that leaves you questioning the fits and leaves you wanting more.

Following the film, NYFCS Producer, Mark Ehrenkranz held a live discussion and audience Q&A with director, Anna Rose Holmer, and writer Lisa Kjerulff.

While researching for the film, Holmer found the dance crew, Q-Kids on YouTube from Cincinnati where the movie was filmed. After watching the groups’ videos, she decided this had to be a part of the film. The dance crew from the movie is the real members of Q-Kids. They held auditions with the group for different parts of the movie and found their Toni played by Royalty Hightower. They described how great it was working with Royalty. Holmer was even wearing a Q-Kids jacket during the Q&A!

During the discussion, Lisa discussed the initial research of teen mass hysteria. The film depicts this as the captain falls it and then it begins to spread to the rest of the group. A choreographer was brought in to work with each girl individually to choreograph the “fits”.   When asked about how they would describe the movie and the genre, they explained how the movie is Toni’s story.

Both Anna Rose Holmer and Lisa Kjerulff were very proud of the film and the cast they got to work with.