Full Breakdown
Melissa Miller Costanzo’s Indie Drama “A Great Depression” Completes Filming
7/23/2026, 2:46:15 AM
Production Milestone
The feature film A Great Depression has finished principal photography in New Jersey. The indie project stars Paul Sparks as Mark Turner, the heir and chairman of a billion-dollar family corporation, alongside Kate Burton, Xander Berkeley, Rhys Coiro, and a supporting ensemble that includes Annie Parisse, Megan Ferguson, Emily Tremaine, Sophia Bunnell, Malachi Weir, Jack Ball, Michael Gaston, and Alysia Reiner.
Narrative Premise and Themes
The story follows Turner’s struggle to reclaim his life after a bout of severe depression, blurring the lines between imagination, ambition, and self-destruction.
Creative Team and Prior Work
Director-writer Melissa Miller Costanzo co-wrote the screenplay with Jenny Halper. Costanzo’s earlier films include Run (starring Sarah Levy, Phillipa Soo, and Adam Pally) and her debut feature All These Small Moments, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Official Statement
“A Great Depression is one man’s true story about his journey through and beyond depression,” — Melissa Miller Costanzo
Production Credits
The film is produced by Scott Aharoni, Sinan Eczacibasi, and Alihan Yalcindag of Curious Gremlin, in partnership with Matt Jensen, Alex Peace Power, Paul Steiner, and Costanzo herself. Eric Buttelman serves as co-producer, while Mark Litzsinger, Britt Power, and Ryan Asher are listed as executive producers. Production banners include Curious Gremlin and MAP Creative Ventures.
The completed film positions itself as a personal, genre-blending exploration of depression, aiming to contribute to broader conversations about mental-health treatment and societal perception.
