PROVIDENCE, R.I., July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The documentary Woman in the Sky, executive produced and shot by David Corenswet, star of SUPERMAN, will have its world premiere at the 2025 Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, on Thursday, August 7th. The film tells the extraordinary story of Magda Salvesen, who met Abstract Expressionist Jon Schueler in Scotland when she was 26 and he was 54. A few months later he wrote a will leaving her the entire body of his work. Since Schueler’s death in 1992, Salvesen has donned the mantle and secured his legacy, ensuring its preservation.
Reflecting on three decades as Schueler’s partner, and even more as the unlikely guardian of his artistic output – longer than Schueler himself ever spent with his paintings – Salvesen offers an intimate portrait of both a widow and art historian fiercely committed to her late husband’s creative memory. What emerges is an epic love story writ small across hundreds of canvases and thousands of pieces of archival paper.
“I was fascinated by Magda’s undying commitment and care for Jon’s paintings,” says director Max Woertendyke. “What started as a film about art became a story about legacy, and what it means to carry the memory of someone you loved forward through time.”
An Untold Story of Art World Stewardship
Jon Schueler (1916-1992) was a pivotal second-generation Abstract Expressionist whose evocative paintings of Scottish skies hang in the Whitney Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, and National Gallery of Australia. Yet the story of how his artistic standing survived and expanded under Salvesen’s stewardship has remained untold.
The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage, intimate interviews with Salvesen, and stunning cinematography of the Scottish landscapes that inspired both artist and guardian. Through Magda’s eyes, viewers witness the often-invisible work of art preservation – from managing museum relationships to maintaining the artist’s vision – as well as glimpsing the power these works have, not just as aesthetic objects, but as relics of a decades-long marriage and partnership.
“It was a singular experience capturing Magda’s story, and Jon’s life and work through her eyes,…” says EP and Cinematographer Corenswet. “Magda recounts her history with Jon and the paintings with such care that you feel as if you’ve been in the room with them through the last 50 years.”
Festival Recognition
Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival is one of only ten festivals worldwide that qualifies films for Academy Awards, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Awards. Now in its 43rd year, RIIFF has screened over 6,720 independent films and presented more than 1,600 world and North American premieres. Woman in the Sky was selected out of over 7,000 submissions to this year’s festival.
“We’re honored that this deeply personal story of art and love will have its world premiere at RIIFF,” says producer Julia Best Warner. “Their commitment to supporting artists with a distinctive vision makes it the perfect platform for both Magda’s story and Max’s film.”
About the Filmmaker
Max Woertendyke, founder of Noble Gas Media and Juilliard-trained storyteller, makes his directorial debut in the documentary space with Woman in the Sky. His first feature as a producer, BRIGHTWOOD, earned a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was called “a masterclass” by The Guardian.
Film Details: Runtime: 16 minutes | Format: DCP | Production: Noble Gas Media | Film by: Max Woertendyke | Producer: Julia Best Warner | Executive Producer: David Corenswet
Festival Information: Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival runs August 5-10, 2025.
Woman in the Sky will be screening: Thursday, August 7th @ 12:30pm at 10 Providence Place, Providence, RI 02903.
For more information on the festival: film-festival.org.
Media Availability: Max Woertendyke & Magda Salvesen are available for interviews. High-resolution stills, EPK, screener links, and materials available upon request.
Contact: Max Woertendyke | [email protected] | (347) 489-4631
Additional Information: IMDB: imdb.com/title/tt30229149/ | Website: www.noblegasmedia.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e054e13-f19c-47eb-9b84-277d8d8eb8de
