Award-winning filmmakers Marissa Lichwick and Larry Ziegelman are set to begin principal photography on Complicit, an intense psychological feature that explores power, consent and the consequences of truth through the story of a respected college professor whose life unravels after a forbidden relationship with a former student resurfaces online.
Produced by Ugsley Pugsley Pictures, BBFF Entertainment and YD Production LLC, Complicit examines questions surrounding power dynamics, institutional accountability, digital privacy, public shame and personal redemption through an intimate, character-driven narrative.
The feature stars Charin Alvarez as professor Lara Roberts, alongside Matthew Perl, Shaun Woodland, Gloria Chavez and Ramon Ybarra. Production will utilize locations across the city, including Timeline Theatre, college campuses, corporate offices, private residences and rooftop settings.
For writer-director Marissa Lichwick, the story grew out of watching real-world scandals unfold and asking difficult questions about responsibility—not just for those directly involved, but for everyone affected.
“Watching the Epstein case unfold, I found myself thinking not only about the victims, but about everyone whose lives were touched by it, the families, the bystanders, and those who were forced to confront impossible truths,” Lichwick told Reel Chicago. “Cases like these are difficult to witness and even more difficult to tell, yet they’re stories we cannot afford to ignore. I kept asking myself: Where were you when these events unfolded? What would you have done?
She added, “Those questions led me to explore power—who truly holds it, how it can be exploited, the cost of silence, and the complicated humanity that exists on every side of a scandal. With Complicit, I wanted to create a psychological thriller that doesn’t offer easy answers, but instead invites audiences to wrestle with accountability, complicity, and the possibility of forgiveness long after the credits roll.”
The independently produced feature recently received a coveted Panavision New Filmmaker Equipment Grant, giving the production access to an ARRI Alexa Mini camera package as it heads into principal photography.
“The generosity we’ve experienced has allowed us to tell this story with an incredible level of care and ambition,” Lichwick shared. “Independent filmmaking has always been about artists and communities coming together to create something bigger than themselves.”
Lichwick is an award-winning Korean American filmmaker, actress, writer, producer and educator whose work consistently explores themes of identity, justice and underrepresented voices. A SAG-AFTRA performer with an MFA in Acting from the University of Washington and advanced film training through UCLA, she has appeared on stages including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Court Theatre, Writers Theatre, Silk Road Rising, the Guthrie Theater and Denver Center Theatre Company, as well as television series including Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago Justice.
As a filmmaker, she wrote and directed the feature Searching for Yoo, which earned theatrical screenings before securing worldwide distribution through BayView Entertainment and streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Tubi, Hoopla and Roku.
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She is also the founder of Chicago’s Women Make Movies Film Festival, a University of Chicago Faculty Fellow, and a communications and acting professor who mentors emerging filmmakers while continuing to develop socially conscious, character-driven cinema.
Ziegelman brings more than two decades of creative storytelling experience to the production. After earning a degree in art direction, the St. Louis native built an award-winning advertising career at DDB Chicago, where he created acclaimed campaigns and Super Bowl commercials recognized by the Cannes Lions, the London International Awards and Adweek.
In recent years, he has directed award-winning short films, web series and music videos that have screened at festivals including the Chicago International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Dances With Films.
“I’ve directed commercials, short films, and web series, but I’m excited that this will be my first-ever dramatic legal thriller, and my feature debut as a co-director,” Ziegelman told Reel Chicago.
The production is being photographed by Dom Udell and continues Chicago’s momentum as a hub for independent filmmaking, pairing nationally recognized production resources like Panavision with the city’s deep pool of local talent.
Filming begins Aug. 1 and runs through Aug. 18, with production taking place entirely in the Chicago area using local cast, crew and locations.
