EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has boarded In the Garden of Tulips, an Oscar-qualified live-action short written by and starring Ava Lalezarzadeh, as executive producer.
The project reunites Cretton with director Julia Elihu, with whom he initially connected nearly a decade ago as one of the founders of her high school film program. His work has been a large inspiration for Elihu throughout her filmmaking journey
Winning Lalezarzadeh HollyShorts Film Festival’s Script Compass Screenwriting Award, In the Garden of Tulips marks her screenwriting debut. The drama is set on a beautiful spring day in 1988 against the looming backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War, following 16-year-old Caroline as she takes her last car journey with her father to the Iranian countryside. Pic is based on the journey of Lalezarzadeh’s mother, who herself fled from war and religious persecution. It’s a story that resonated deeply for Elihu, whose family shares the same heritage, as well as producer Aaron Lemle, who grew up around stories of religious persecution.
In the Garden of Tulips also won Best Live Action Short Film at the St. Louis Film Festival and now looks to break into the Oscars‘ shortlist for the category, which will be announced on Tuesday, December 17. In a statement to Deadline on the project, Cretton said, “In The Garden of Tulips is a poignant, honest portrayal of an immigrant experience that couldn’t be more relevant right now. Directed with a subtle hand and an eye for performance, every moment is charged with emotions bubbling just below the surface. I’m so excited for the world to see this beautiful film.”
After breaking out with the indie Short Term 12, which won Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW, Cretton has gone on to a career directing studio pictures like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Just Mercy, and The Glass Castle, also working on series like American Born Chinese. Most recently wrapping on Wonder Man, the Marvel miniseries he co-created for Disney+, he’s currently attached to high-profile projects including a new Spider-Man film and a Naruto adaptation for Lionsgate.
Elihu is an Iranian-American writer-director who blends narrative and documentary filmmaking to create stories that break traditional barriers. Her short Yasamin, based on her mother’s story of immigration, was a Grand Jury Prize Nominee at AFI Fest, while her short Winter of ’79 received a special recognition at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. In 2022, she associate produced the documentary short Long Line of Ladies, which world premiered at the Sundance, won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, and was acquired by New York Times Op-Docs.
As an actor, Lalezarzadeh makes her series regular debut in Apple’s recent limited series Before opposite Billy Crystal. In 2025, she will debut on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning English from Sanaz Toossi. Currently developing a feature-length version of In the Garden of Tulips, her other acting credits include The Morning Show, New Amsterdam, and Big Mouth.
Cretton is represented by WME and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
