DeLaria, a two-time Emmy Award winner and three-time SAG Award winner best known as fan-favorite Big Boo on Orange Is The New Black, stuns as “Sketch,” a sharp-edged patient whose presence alters the trajectory of the ward. Kilner, known for Smart House and Raising Helen, brings gravitas to the role of “Dr. Bert Einhardt,” a psychiatrist who is determined to remain faithful to the methods of the time.
Elizabeth Ramos (Poker Face) stars as “Yari,” a mysterious patient who inspires her therapist, Kenisha Pinckney’s (Myal Uprising) “Tara” to challenge the very foundations of mental health treatment. Rounding out the cast are Marissa Ghavami (The Gift of Christmas) as “Alex”, Yari and Sketch’s suitemate who is haunted by Yari’s demons, and Lauren Sowa (The Plot Against America) as “Dr. Julia Gorecki”, Tara and Bert’s colleague who is caught between two worlds. The film is written by award-winning playwright Ren Dara Santiago (Showtime’s Let the Right One In, The Siblings Play) and directed by Lauren Sowa (Brett Was a F*ck).
The Knock Shadow is produced by Ghavami (Mass, Sundance 2021, BAFTA Nominee), DeLaria and Sowa, with co-producers Leah Gaydos (Rounding, Tribeca 2022), Santiago and Janelle Yull.
The production company behind the film is Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment) a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates healing from abuse and trauma rather than coping with the symptoms, in order to transform lives and, ultimately, society. They achieve this by providing trauma-focused resources and education and by producing and partnering with relevant film, television, and theatre, empowering the social change necessary to create a healing movement.
Director Sowa says, “When I first read Ren Dara Santiago’s script for The Knock Shadow, I was immediately drawn into the world of these two women striving to escape their demons. It feels rooted in the time period and also timeless.”
In addition to her groundbreaking role on Orange is the New Black, DeLaria is also known for her work in Broad City and Shameless, as well as on Broadway in On the Town and POTUS, and, most recently, Off-Broadway in Titanique. A trailblazer as the first openly gay comic on American television, DeLaria’s career spans film, TV, theatre, and jazz. Kilner is a 30 plus year veteran of stage and screen, who can be seen in everything from Happyish and Madam Secretary to Almost Perfect and Earth: Final Conflict.
The Knock Shadow is targeting a 2026 festival premiere, with wider distribution to follow.
DeLaria is represented by The Katz Company. Kilner is represented by The Katz Company and Innovative Artists. Ramos is represented by TMT Entertainment Group. Pinckney is represented by Dream Maker Talent Management. Ghavami is represented by Kanner Entertainment and MMV Talent. Santiago is represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment.
