Dirty Towel is making the jump from festival short to independent feature, with cousin filmmakers Callie Carpinteri and Emma Parks having wrapped production on the expanded version of their coming-of-age story.
Parks leads the cast as Charlie, joined by Kristen Connolly, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Conor Sherry, Sandrine Holt and Oscar nominee Lesley Ann Warren. The film marks Carpinteri’s feature directorial debut, while Carpinteri and Parks co-wrote and produced the project.
The feature grows out of the pair’s proof-of-concept short of the same name, which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. It subsequently screened at more than 25 festivals around the world, received multiple awards and amassed more than 1.4 million views on YouTube.
A Mother-Daughter Story Shaped by Shame
Set during the final weeks before high school graduation, Dirty Towel centers on Charlie and her complicated relationship with her mother, Elizabeth.
As Charlie contends with sex, independence and generational shame, Elizabeth must face her own trauma. The return of Elizabeth’s judgmental mother adds another layer to the family conflict, extending the story across multiple generations.
Carpinteri said the project came from personal experiences shared by the filmmakers and their aim to create an empowering story.
“Dirty Towel was born from our own experiences with shame and a desire to tell a story that empowers people,” Carpinteri said. “Seeing audiences connect with the original short has been incredibly meaningful, and we’re thrilled to expand this story alongside such an incredible cast and crew.”
The cast brings together Parks, whose credits include The Short Game; Connolly, who appeared in The Summer I Turned Pretty; Lee of Prom Pact; Sherry of Snack Shack; Holt of Your Friends and Neighbors; and Warren, an Oscar nominee for Victor/Victoria.
Beyond Parks’ role as Charlie, character details for the other cast members have not been specified.
Production Built Around Women
The feature was filmed in the Chicago area with a crew comprising more than 77% women. The project also had an all-female above-the-line team.
Stacey Rice of Chrystie Street Casting served as casting director, while Pascal Rudnicke Casting managed local casting in Chicago. Cassidy Campbell joined the project as an additional producer, and Pitt Entertainment Law provided production counsel.
Parks is represented by Prototype Talent Agency. Connolly is represented by Paradigm and Strand Entertainment, while Lee is with Gersh, Artists First and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman. Sherry is represented by Gersh and Anonymous Content.
Holt’s representatives are Paradigm, Strand Entertainment and Gavin Denton-Eriksson. Warren is represented by Innovative, Management Production Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
ShowBiz Take
Dirty Towel arrives at the feature stage with evidence that its central themes have already connected with an audience. Its path from a 2024 Tribeca premiere to more than 25 festival screenings and over 1.4 million YouTube views gives the filmmakers a substantial foundation as they broaden the original concept.
The expansion also represents a significant professional step for both cousins. Carpinteri is moving into her first feature as a director, while Parks is balancing her lead performance with her work as a co-writer and producer.
Just as notably, the production’s staffing reflects the filmmakers’ approach behind the camera as well as on screen. With women making up more than 77% of the crew and the entire above-the-line team, the feature’s development extends the project’s focus on women’s experiences into the structure of the production itself.