You might think of Emanuele Della Valle—the former fashion executive and lifestyle entrepreneur—as the sort of guy who spends his time in the world’s most glamorous places, but to hear him tell it, nothing could be further from the truth. “I’ve been hanging out in and around Atlantic City for about 15 years,” Della Valle, who calls Manhattan home, says of the crumbling New Jersey beach town famous for its down-at-the-heels casinos.

But he hasn’t been whiling away his time at the slot machines; Della Valle has been observing a culture that inspired his debut feature film, Wetlands, which is out September 15. It’s a dark, twisting story of a cop who’s attempting to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter, despite battling his own formidable demons. It also boasts an enviable cast, including Heather Graham, Jennifer Ehle, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.