Livingston County Producers Debut ‘The Legend of Ochi’ at The Little Theatre

The Legend of Ochi, a new fantasy film produced by Livingston County residents Richard Peete and Traci Carlson, opens Friday, April 25, at The Little Theatre, 240 East Ave.

Written and directed by Isaiah Saxon, The Legend of Ochi tells the story of Yuri, a shy farm girl from a remote village on the island of Carpathia, who sets out to return a wounded baby ochi to its home. The film stars Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe, and features work by seven puppeteers, four animatronic ape-suit performers, and more than 150 artists and craftspeople.

Traci Carlson (left) Richard Peete (right)

Peete, a York Central School graduate and founder of the New York City-based production company Neighborhood Watch, is known for producing Blue Ruin, Super Dark Times, See Know Evil, and Netflix’s Killer Sally. His directorial debut, In My Own Time: A Portrait of Karen Dalton, screened at The Little in 2021.

Carlson, co-founder of Neighborhood Watch, has produced acclaimed films including Menashe, See Know Evil, Super Dark Times, and The Lumineers' III. Her work has screened at Cannes, TIFF, Sundance, and SXSW. She is a Sundance and Film Independent Producing Lab fellow and an Indie Spirit Award nominee.

The Little will also host a sensory-friendly screening of The Legend of Ochi at noon on Sunday, April 27. The screening will feature dimmed lighting, reduced sound, open captions, and a welcoming environment for audience movement and expression.

Founded in 1929, The Little Theatre Film Society is a nonprofit organization committed to showcasing independent, international, and classic films, as well as hosting art exhibits, film festivals, and live performances.

Peete and Carlson will participate in a post-screening Q&A following the 7 p.m. showing on Saturday, April 26. Tickets for the event in The Little’s historic Theatre 1 are $12 and available at the box office or thelittle.org.

More information and the film trailer are available at thelittle.org/the-legend-of-ochi.