Zach Braff’s ‘Wish I Was Here’ Releases Trailer [Video]

Zach Braff’s successful Kickstarter film and second directorial effort Wish I Was Here just released its trailer. The film, which screened at Sundance to overwhelmingly positive reviews, was one of the first to be snatched up for distribution. Focus Features ultimately won out in a bid for Braff’s latest film.

It’s not a surprise that Wish I Was Here quickly found its way on the fast track to being released into theaters. Braff already has an impressive body of work, not to mention he has had a knack for coming of age films since his 2004 debut Garden State. Toss that in with big players of the film like Kate Hudson, Jim Parsons, Josh Gad, and Mandy Patinkin, and it’s a recipe for great success.

The film got to a pretty positive start as it gained major exposure from the publicity Zach Braff’s Kickstarter gained within the film community. The Kickstarter campaign which asked for fans to donate their money to help Braff with the film, turned into a discussion on who Kickstarter should really benefit, and if celebrities who make big bucks from their day job should be able to start these campaigns.

At the time Braff released a statement about the Kickstarter campaign:

“This isn’t a money-making endeavor. Making a tiny art film is not where people go to to make money. This is a passion project.”

Either way it paid off and now we have the first look at Wish I Was Here. Although the trailer doesn’t reveal too much, Braff’s style of direction and use of music are incredibly strong. The teaser trailer plays against a strong track by The Shins to give it that extra punch.

The synopsis for Wish I Was Here is as follows:

“Wish I Was Here’ is the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He winds up trying to home school his two children when his father can no longer afford to pay for private education and the only available public school is on its last legs. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn’t find.”

In addition to Zach Braff in the lead, the film also stars Joey King, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, and Donald Faison. The film hits theaters on July 25, 2014.

This is the first film Braff has made since his directorial debut with Garden State.

[Image Credit: Focus Features]