Dakota Fanning’s New Movie Gave Her & Her Cast One Of The Most Bizarre Filming Experiences Yet
dakota fanning stars as Wendy in Joe Swanberg’s The Sun Never Sets, which premiered Friday night at the Zach Theater during the SXSW Film & TV Festival. Shot on 35mm in Anchorage, the film follows a 30‑ish woman caught between a settled divorced father and a reckless old flame. The Alaska location and its persistent daylight created a shooting environment cast members called bizarre and formative for the movie’s tone.
Film, premiere and festival context
The Sun Never Sets is Joe Swanberg’s tenth feature to debut at SXSW and his first film at the festival since 2017. Swanberg introduced the world premiere to a sold‑out crowd at the Zach Theater and described the movie as his favorite work to date. The production moved away from Swanberg’s usual couches, bars and apartments, using Anchorage’s scenic setting while retaining intimate, talk‑driven scenes central to his style.
Dakota Fanning’s Role and the Alaska Shoot
dakota fanning plays Wendy, a woman torn between a new romance with a reckless old flame and a longer‑term relationship with a divorced father of two. The cast and director credited Anchorage’s extreme daylight cycles with shaping performances: long evenings where children played at 9: 45 p. m. and the unusual public rhythms influenced both mood and behavior on set. Producer Ashleigh Snead, who encouraged Swanberg to shoot in Anchorage, provided the location pull that expanded his visual palette beyond urban interiors.
Reactions from filmmaker and cast
Joe Swanberg, filmmaker, in a video interview from his home in Chicago for the SXSW Film & TV Festival, called The Sun Never Sets “my favorite film I’ve ever made. ” Jake Johnson, actor and long‑time collaborator who partly financed the project, said, “Joe’s a real filmmaker. This is a real adult movie. This is a film about how complicated breakups are and how messy they get, ” and praised Alaska’s beauty as a backdrop for the story.
Cory Michael Smith, actor, described the sunny Alaska nights as surreal: “It’s a bit like, Walking Dead, though. You see drunk people walking the streets at midnight. ” Jake Johnson, actor, added that cultural differences tied to the light were striking, noting the mix of daytime‑feeling evenings and the social realities that appear in that environment. dakota fanning, actor, called the experience “very special, ” saying she “really liked it” and found it neat to see local life continuing late into the evening.
Quick background: Swanberg helped shape the mumblecore movement earlier in his career; The Sun Never Sets shows a director who has slowed his pace and aimed for a more mature sensibility while returning to the festival that first showcased his early work.
What’s next
The Sun Never Sets will continue screening as part of the SXSW Film & TV Festival slate, where the program also highlights films starring other notable performers. Audiences and critics at SXSW will see if the Alaska shoot and Swanberg’s tonal shift land as a new chapter for his work; dakota fanning’s vibrant turn as Wendy will be central to that conversation as the festival runs its scheduled screenings and Q& A sessions through the remainder of the program.
