Nobody Wants To Be Here, Nobody Wants To Leave

World Premiere at the 2025 Austin Film Festival

The haunting Southern crime drama Nobody Wants To Be Here, Nobody Wants To Leave will celebrate its World Premiere at the 2025 Austin Film Festival on Thursday, October 23, at 9:15 PM at the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center.

Set in the rugged Appalachians in the early 2000s, the film follows Hazel (Tine Joustra), a motel owner who quietly assists troubled guests with their final acts, and Destiny (Mabel Thomas), a young stripper struggling to protect her ailing grandmother. Their paths cross with Juice (Keenan Pasqua), a drug-addicted club owner, and The Grocer (Brian Childers), a charming but ruthless crime boss. When a mysterious stranger arrives, their fates intertwine in unexpected and devastating ways.

The feature debut of writer-director Cash Robinson, Nobody Wants To Be Here, Nobody Wants To Leave was inspired by personal loss. Robinson used funds from a settlement after his mother’s tragic death to make the film, channeling that pain into a work that examines hardship, morality, and grace. “If my mom wanted anything for me, it was to believe in myself,” Robinson says. “Creating something that might reach people felt like the best thing I could do.”

Written by Caleb Samples and produced by Dr. Nate Kohn and Feike Santbergen, the film avoids stereotypes of Appalachian life, revealing instead a community marked by resilience and humanity. “People don’t need another film reminding them that life can be unbearable,” Robinson says. “What they need is something honest—and a reminder that love and connection persist, even in the dark.”

Nobody Wants To Be Here, Nobody Wants To Leave screens again on October 28 at 9:45 PM at the Galaxy Theatre 7 and plays the New Orleans Film Festival on October 26 at 8:00 PM at the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place. Robinson, Samples, and Kohn will be available for in-person interviews at the Austin Film Festival only.

The film is represented for international sales by Alan Byron of Screenbound Pictures Ltd. (Alan.Byron@screenbound.co.uk).

Poster: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LmyVVcrmf6n2vW6ysNiQmzgLZ97w7rcS/view Stills: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a4HawkLTolwHFHbVla8UYCt-RXtszlks Trailer: Forthcoming

Contact: Amanda Abelita, Abelita PR – amanda@abelitapr.com

This film contains themes of suicide, substance abuse, and violence. Viewer discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.