EFF: The Testament of Ann Lee

The Testament of Ann Lee

Australian & New Zealand Premiere

“One of the most consistently ecstatic movies I’ve ever seen… [Amanda Seyfried] gives the best performance of her career.” – IndieWire

This is the remarkable true legend of Ann Lee, the founder of the devotional Christian sect known as the Shakers in the mid-18th century. Mother Ann Lee preached gender and social equality, ecstatic song and dance to surrender the physical body to the Holy Spirit, spiritual purity through celibacy, and she believed in a non-binary representation of God. After amassing quite a devoted following, Lee led her fellow Shakers to emigrate from England to New York in their quest to build a utopian society.

The third feature directed by Norwegian Mona Fastvold (which she also co-wrote with her creative and romantic partner Brady Corbet, their follow-up to the Academy Award-winning film The Brutalist), The Testament of Ann Lee is an ambitious and visually stunning musical portrait of an unconventional religious leader, played with reverent commitment by Amanda Seyfried. Daniel Blumberg, the Oscar-winning composer of The Brutalist, artfully adapts a dozen traditional Shaker hymns for the propulsive score and Celia Rowlson-Howl (Vox Lux, Aftersun) provides the dynamic choreography.

Festivals & Awards

Golden Globes 2026 – Nominee, Best Performance by Female Actor (Amanda Seyfried)
Venice Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
Toronto International Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
Beyond Fest, USA 2025 – Official Selection
BFI London Film Festival 2025 – Nominee, Best Film
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2025 – Nominee, Best Feature and Outstanding Lead Performance (Amanda Seyfried)

Rating

M

Duration

137 min

Country

United States, United Kingdom

Language

English

Cast

Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Christopher Abbott

Director

Mona Fastvold

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