In the independent film landscape, it’s rare to find a creator who pours her entire being into both the screenplay and the lead role. Zoe Manzotti does exactly that in “Sugar Beach”, the bold, emotionally raw feature film. As writer and star, Manzotti brings Rosalyn Roman to life — a complex young woman navigating love, loss, identity, addiction, and healing within a passionate polyamorous throuple. The result is an origin story that feels intensely personal, unflinchingly honest, and deeply resonant.
Manzotti draws directly from life when crafting “Sugar Beach”. “I write what I know, so most of the script is from personal experience and observation,” she explains. Raised in a small South Bay town within Los Angeles amid wealth, absent parents, and kids veering off the rails, she channeled those realities into a narrative that captures the seductive surface of youthful freedom and the hidden struggles beneath. Writing Rosalyn’s arc proved especially demanding. The character’s downward spiral into alcoholism was the hardest to put on the page. “I didn’t like experiencing her make the wrong choices over and over again, but that’s what she did, so that’s what had to happen.” Scenes like the explosive fight with her mother in the kitchen and the moment Rosalyn finally reveals what happened to her brother carried heavy emotional weight.
As the foundation for a larger story, “Sugar Beach” establishes the throuple’s origins — how Rosalyn, Emma (Emma Blomquist), and Isaac (Ryley Schroeder) meet, fall deeply in love, and form an equal, supportive triangle. Manzotti intentionally plants seeds for future growth and challenges, particularly around the characters’ predisposition to addiction. “I wanted to establish the characters’ predisposition to addiction because I don’t think they’ve come remotely close to conquering it.” She aims to portray Rosalyn’s full redemption arc with honesty and gratification, showing how past mistakes shape — but do not define — their young adulthood.
The film tackles grief, polyamory, identity, and mental health with remarkable rawness. Manzotti wanted to depict grief not as a dramatic, one-time event but as a quiet, lifelong companion. “I wanted to highlight the impact of loss several years in the future — a quiet home, quiet holidays, and an emptiness that you just learn to accept and live with.” She also challenges stereotypes around non-monogamous relationships by showing a polyamorous dynamic free of jealousy — a genuine, balanced connection that frays only under the weight of addiction. “These three just fit together so nicely… They aren’t jealous, just cautious due to his behavior.” Her goal is to let audiences feel the lingering ache of loss alongside the liberating power of authentic love and self-discovery.
Stepping into the role she created presented both comfort and pressure. “I feel like I knew her very well. An old friend. Or a past life I’ve lived,” Manzotti says of Rosalyn. Writing the character first gave her intimate knowledge, but performing Rosalyn’s tightly wound exterior and eventual unraveling demanded vulnerability. “She was going to pop at any moment. And I love it when someone that is seemingly so put together starts to unravel, so I really just let her come undone.” Manzotti drew from her own experiences with loss and fascination with death, dying, and addiction. To convey Rosalyn’s internal torment — especially after a near-death experience — she immersed herself in unanswerable existential questions: “Where is my brother? Why can’t he come back?” This approach created a powerful sense of existential dread and longing that permeates the performance.
The on-screen chemistry with her co-stars feels effortless because it is rooted in real friendship. Manzotti, Blomquist, and Schroeder have been close for years. “I love Emma and Ryley so much! We are the best of friends and will be for a lifetime… The connection between us was instant and so very easy.” Ryley helped her rediscover lost parts of herself, while Emma showed her how to love and live again. That off-screen bond translated beautifully into the intimate, tender, and intense scenes that define the film.
For the latest updates on streaming platforms, please visit www.SugarBeachMovie.com. The film is distributed by Porter + Craig Film and Media Distribution.
For interview inquiries with Zoe Manzotti, please contact:
Sharry Flaherty Cinema Partnerships
Porter+Craig Film & Media Distribution partnerships@pcfilmandmedia.com
