Fairfax Filmmaker Brings Award-Winning Feature Home For July 12 Premiere

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Emily Dillard spent her childhood in Clifton and later Fairfax City, where she graduated from Fairfax High School before pursuing a career in filmmaking. On Sunday, July 12, she'll return home for the Fairfax premiere of A Mosquito in the Ear, the independent feature she co-wrote and produced.

The film will screen at 4:30 p.m. at Cinema Arts Theatre, a venue Dillard said holds special significance because she grew up attending movies there.

A Mosquito in the Ear stars Jake Lacy (The White Lotus) and Nazanin Boniadi (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power). Based on the Italian graphic novel Una Zanzara nell'Orecchio by Andrea Ferraris, the film follows an American couple traveling to India to adopt their 5-year-old daughter, exploring the challenges and emotions of forming a family.

The film premiered earlier this year as the opening-night selection at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where it received the Jury Award for Best Independent Feature. It has since screened at festivals including Annapolis, Miami, Dallas, Nantucket and Bari, Italy, before beginning a limited theatrical release. The Fairfax screening is a special one-night hometown event.

From Fairfax To Hollywood

After graduating from Fairfax High School, Dillard studied film and television at the Savannah College of Art and Design before moving to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. She spent several years as a production coordinator on studio projects before she and her creative partner, director and co-writer Nico Inciari, discovered Ferraris' graphic novel.

"We approached the author about the story, and he very graciously let us option the story and develop it into a film," Dillard told Patch. "Everything the film needed to survive really kicked off in our apartment."

The pair acquired the rights in 2021 and spent about five years bringing the project to the screen. Principal photography took place in Goa and other parts of India with the assistance of an Indian production company and the country's film production incentive program. Financing also included private investors, some from the Fairfax area, Dillard said.

Producer Darren Dean, known for his work on Sean Baker films including The Florida Project, joined the project, along with producer Jomon Thomas, whose credits include Monkey Man and Hotel Mumbai.

A Meaningful Homecoming

Dillard said returning to Fairfax City for the screening carries special significance because of the support she received growing up.

"It's been very important for me always being able to go home and have a family that loves and supports you," she said. "I'm very, very lucky, and a community that does as well."

She hopes audiences will connect with the film's universal story.

"I think people can expect a very touching and grounded story about forming a family," Dillard said. "The film plays pretty broad. We've had a great response from younger and older audience members alike because of its universal themes that speak to really any type of family."

The hometown screening also provides an opportunity for local investors, friends and longtime supporters to see the finished film where Dillard's filmmaking journey began.

Mayor Catherine Read has expressed support for the event, according to Dillard.

Tickets for the July 12 screening are available online through Cinema Arts Theatre, which is located inside Fair City Mall at 9650 Main St in Fairfax City.