A family animal shelter, an unexpected homecoming and a second chance at love are at the heart of A Reason to Stay, the romantic comedy starring Zack Gottsagen and Anna Enger Ritch. The film has wrapped principal photography in Ohio following a 15-day shoot in Cincinnati and nearby Harrison. The project marks the feature directorial debut of Rippin Sindher and reunites Gottsagen with producer David Thies of TVACOM Films, continuing a creative partnership that began with the acclaimed 2019 film The Peanut Butter Falcon.
Gottsagen plays Zach, a young man with Down syndrome who helps keep his family’s struggling animal shelter running. Anna Enger Ritch, known for her role in S.W.A.T., plays his sister Sophie, who returns to their hometown following the death of their mother. With the shelter facing an uncertain future, the siblings must work together to protect the place that remains central to their family and its history.
Sophie’s return, however, brings more than the responsibility of looking after the family home and shelter. Her unexpected reunion with a former flame, played by Spencer Neville, prompts her to reconsider the future she had carefully planned. The homecoming places her at a crossroads, where the life she had built away from her hometown must be weighed against the relationships and responsibilities waiting for her there.
The film brings together this romantic storyline with the siblings’ efforts to preserve the animal shelter. For Zach, the shelter is more than a family business; his attachment to the place gives the struggle a deeply personal dimension. For Sophie, its uncertain future becomes part of a larger reckoning with her past and the choices she must now make. Their differing needs and perspectives provide the central family conflict, while the shelter gives the story a shared emotional focus.
Rather than treating the romantic relationship as a standalone storyline, A Reason to Stay connects Sophie’s personal decisions with the future of the family and the bond she shares with her brother. The combination of romance, family drama and an animal rescue setting gives the film several interconnected strands, with the siblings’ relationship remaining central to the narrative. The premise places questions of belonging, independence and family responsibility alongside the possibility of a second chance at love.
For Gottsagen, the film marks another collaboration with David Thies after The Peanut Butter Falcon, the 2019 drama that brought the actor wider recognition. Their reunion gives the new project a notable connection to a film celebrated for placing Gottsagen at the centre of its story. A Reason to Stay continues that association through another leading role built around family, independence and belonging, while introducing him to a different narrative setting.
Sindher makes her feature directorial debut with the film, which she co-wrote with Melanie Forchetti. She previously directed the 2025 short film Flight 182, which screened internationally. Sindher was also among the 2026 Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency fellows, a programme supporting emerging storytellers whose projects engage with cultural and social impact. With A Reason to Stay, she moves into feature filmmaking, bringing a story centred on family relationships and the importance of a place that connects people to their shared past.
The production has also attracted an experienced group of filmmakers and performers behind the camera. Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott and Emmy-winning actor Archie Panjabi are among the executive producers. Katie Cassidy, known to television audiences for Arrow, is one of the producers, alongside Kelli A. White of With-An-i Productions and Promised The Moon Productions. The wider producing team includes Amy Russ, Melanie Forchetti and William Thies, while Sonein Noack and Emik David also serve as executive producers.
Principal photography was completed in just 15 days, with the production based in Cincinnati and the nearby community of Harrison in Ohio. The locations provide the setting for the film’s small-town story, while the compact shooting schedule has brought the project through its principal photography stage. With filming now complete, the production moves towards post-production.
The combination of Gottsagen’s reunion with Thies, Sindher’s transition to feature filmmaking and a story built around a family-run animal shelter gives A Reason to Stay several points of distinction as it progresses towards completion. Its narrative brings romance and family drama together through the lives of two siblings facing an uncertain future after the loss of their mother. As the film moves into its next stage, audiences will eventually see how the story of Zach, Sophie and the shelter comes together on screen.
