Sophomore film by Wright State grad Nicole Riegel to debut at South by Southwest Film Festival

Wright State motion pictures alum Nicole Riegel wrote and directed “Dandelion,” which will premiere at SXSW March 10–11.

Wright State University motion pictures alum Nicole Riegel will premiere her latest film, “Dandelion,” at the South by Southwest Film and TV Festival March 10–11.

Riegel wrote and directed the feature film, which tells the story of Dandelion, a struggling singer-songwriter from Cincinnati who accepts a last-ditch-effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota, where she meets Casey, a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. As Dandelion joins Casey’s nomadic group of struggling musicians, they make music together and strike up a whirlwind romance. The experience moves Dandelion from a narrow view of success to a deeper appreciation of her artistic journey and the discovery of a voice that is her own.

“‘Dandelion’ is a film about dreams and a love of process, so there’s a lot of art imitating life on this one,” Riegel said.

The film stars KiKi Layne, who previously appeared in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Native Son.”

Aaron and Bryce Dessner, who play in The National, wrote the original music and score for the film.

“Dandelion” will be distributed by IFC Films, which acquired its worldwide rights.

Riegel’s debut film, “Holler,” was named one of the Top 10 Independent Films of 2021 by the National Board of Review.

Riegel grew up in Jackson, Ohio, and served in the Army National Guard following high school.

She graduated from Wright State in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures and the Master of Fine Arts writing program at the University of California-Los Angeles.