In a dystopian world, a coal-burning robot working on a mine one day finds something that he has never seen before – a dandelion.

After the successful festival run of her debut feature “Holler” (CIFF45), writer/director Nicole Riegel returns with this South Dakota-set drama about a Cincinnati singer-songwriter (Kiki Layne, “If Beale Street Could Talk”) searching for a career boost at a motorcycle rally, only to find love and her true voice.DANDELION is the music-filled story of its titular heroine, a struggling musician with nothing to lose who leaves her Cincinnati home to follow her dreams. Skeptically taking a chance on a biker rally music festival in South Dakota, Dandelion finds herself stranded and taken in by an emerging Americana band. She instantly takes to Casey, a fellow guitarist weary from the hardships of pursuing a music career. The two begin a tempestuous romantic and musical partnership, with Dandelion taking ownership of her creative power and reclaiming what success means for herself. With a powerhouse performance from Kiki Layne, star of “The Old Guard” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” DANDELION beautifully captures the landscape of the American West and an artist’s creative spark of inspiration. —C.F.