When Amy is sent unwillingly to a halfway house by her mom, she thinks she is different from everyone else - until Hal, a heroin addict returning to the house from jail, convinces her to give recovery a try. But Amy soon learns that her drinking won’t just disappear, and she may have a bigger problem than she thought. This film explores the everyday struggles, joys, and horrors of getting clean.

ADDICT NAMED HAL is inspired by the real-life experiences of writer/director Lane Michael Stanley, who lived in a halfway house for drug and alcohol recovery for 6 months following the sudden death of their fiance in 2016. Lane’s clean date is April 20, 2016.

LANE MICHAEL STANLEY

Lane Michael Stanley (Writer/Director, he/they) is a transgender director, playwright, filmmaker, and producer, and the co-founder of Secretly Famous Productions, along with Lowell Blank. Their award-winning debut feature film ADDICT NAMED HAL played at festivals including Austin Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and Dances with Films. Their short film UNTIE played at Outfest, Toronto Short Film Festival, aGLIFF / Prism Film Festival, and more, and their plays have been produced and developed by 19 theaters in 8 states and Australia. They have been a commissioned artist and/or fellow with Lambda Literary, Ground Floor Theatre, Art with Impact, and coLAB Arts and hold an MFA in Directing from the University of Texas at Austin. For more information, please visit www.lanemichaelstanley.com and www.secretlyfamousprod.com.

Lowell Blank

Lowell Blank (Producer, he/him) has over twenty-five years experience in all aspects of the motion picture business serving as a producer and executive on both Hollywood studio and independent productions. From 1995 to 2003, he was President of Director Andrew Davis’ Chicago Pacific Entertainment, where he was responsible for operations, including overhead, project and talent deals, hiring and supervision of staff, and managing a post-production facility in Santa Barbara, California, used by filmmakers including Mr. Davis, Robert Zemeckis, Stephen Sommers and Luis Mandoki.

Blank has served in various producing capacities on both independent and major studio feature films including, THE GUARDIAN, COLLATERAL DAMAGE, A PERFECT MURDER, CHAIN REACTION, STEAL BIG STEAL LITTLE, and BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. He has also produced commercials, documentaries and other projects.

THANE SWIGART

Thane Swigart (Producer, he/him) recently adapted the screenplay for EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS, based on the NYT’s best-selling novel by David Guterson, starring Mira Sorvino and Tom Skerritt, filmed on location in Washington State in June 2019 and currently in post-production. He has developed projects with directors Jean-Jacques Annaud, James Foley, Olivier Megaton, Tony Kaye, Dominic Sena, Mennan Yapo, Joe Lynch, Zhang Wei, and Ryuhei Kitamura.

JOHN DAVID DE VIRGILIIS

John David (Director of Photography, he/him) is in his last year of a film production MFA from the University of Texas. He has worked as a motion picture cameraman for many years, but came to UT to really focus on story, both as a director and a cinematographer.  He's seen addiction in different forms affect loved ones in his life, and is very proud to help visualize a story about this universal human struggle. John David is originally from North Carolina, raised by Argentine parents, and considers New York and Austin the closest things to home.