Hillsborough-Made Comedy 'The Family Recipe' Up For Best Feature At Film Fest

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A Thanksgiving comedy written and directed by Hillsborough filmmaker Karl Ryan Erikson has been nominated for Best Feature Film at the Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE), one of the longest-running independent film festivals in the country.

"The Family Recipe" will screen at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Bellmore Movies & The Showplace in Bellmore, New York.

The film, Erikson's first feature, was written, directed, and edited by him and produced by his wife, Caroline Erikson. It was filmed entirely in New Jersey, in Branchburg and Whitehouse Station, with a local cast and crew that included the couple's two sons and several other Hillsborough residents.

"The Family Recipe" had its world premiere in May at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York City. Since then, it has continued its festival run, earning the Best Feature Film nomination at LIIFE.

The film centers on a mother trying to pull off the perfect Thanksgiving dinner as clashing family traditions turn the day into a mix of chaos and humor. Erikson has said he wanted the film to feel relatable while capturing the communal, crowd-pleasing spirit of studio comedies from the 1980s and '90s.

Erikson said he's grateful for the community support the project has received throughout its development and festival run.

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