Molly Shannon Joins Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story as Executive Producer Ahead of AFI FEST Premiere

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Emmy nominated actress and New York Times best-selling author Molly Shannon has joined Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story as an Executive Producer ahead of the film’s Los Angeles premiere at the AFI FEST on October 24. Following the AFI screening, Shannon will also moderate a Q&A with director, writer, and producer Ayden Mayeri, writer, producer, and cinematographer Barry Rothbart, producer Rachael Fung and subjects Janet Kariuki, Mary Washburn, Jessica Hall, and Robin O’Brien.

Winner of the 2026 SXSW Jury Award for Best Documentary, Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story follows the story of friends who reunite when the album they made as pre-teens suddenly becomes a cult hit online... twenty years later.

“I was so deeply moved by this beautiful film and its reminder of how easy it is to lose track of that free-spirited, dreaming little girl inside all of us. It’s a wonderful reminder to keep making room for the things that bring us joy, no matter how much time has passed. I’m so excited to be part of this project and to help share X-Cetra’s story with audiences,” said Shannon.

“Molly Shannon embodies the playful spirit of our film. She's someone who has always had the audacity to tell stories centered on girlhood, friendship and creativity. We are absolutely thrilled that she's joining, because she has been a north star of what's possible for goofy girls with big dreams everywhere!” said director, writer, and producer Ayden Mayeri.

In the summer of 2000, four pre-teen friends formed a band called X-Cetra and burned a homemade album onto a few CD-Rs. The following year, consumed by adolescent concerns of boys and growing up, their labor of love was quickly forgotten... Until 20 years later, when someone uploaded it online. At first it garnered a small base of outsider-art fans, but soon it was discovered by record labels, sampled by mainstream artists, and eventually the subject of a Rolling Stone profile. With their teen dreams of pop stardom coming true decades later, X-Cetra reunites to see if they can rekindle the unselfconscious girlhood they'd captured in the album those many years ago.

Made completely independently, Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story began when filmmakers Ayden Mayeri and Barry Rothbart picked up a camera to document X-Cetra’s unexpected resurgence as it unfolded. Joined by editors Phil Rosanova and Audrey Leach and award-winning producer Rachael Fung (Fremont, Little Woods), the team captured the friends’ unlikely journey from forgotten pre-teen girl band to an internet-era cult phenomenon.

Following its world premiere at SXSW where it won the Documentary Feature Jury Award, the film has screened at numerous festivals worldwide, including the Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and the Bentonville Film Festival, where it received an Honorable Mention. Upcoming screenings include AFI FEST and DOC NYC this fall. The film is currently seeking distribution.

Shannon Treusch
Falco Ink