The sci-fi thriller Chimera starring Henry Ian Cusick, Kathleen Quinlan, Jenna Harrison and Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve will have its North American Premiere as the Opening Night Feature of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival (BIFF) on Wednesday April 11th.
Chimera was filmed entirely in Massachusetts for which the producers give thanks to the assistance of the MA Film Office and to the tax credits offered by the MA Department of Revenue. Most of the production’s below-the-line crew and supporting cast are from the region and/or have ties to the state. Given Chimera’s deep connections to Boston and Massachusetts, the film’s North American Premiere is fittingly taking place on Opening Night at the 2018 BIFF.
“We viewed Chimera not just as a stunning piece of genre filmmaking, but as a fascinating character study and an exploration of love and loss, obsession and redemption. We loved the sincerity and intensity of the performances and the way the creative elements came together to produce a compelling cinematic experience,” says Patrick Jerome, the Executive Director of the festival. “It gives me great pleasure to present the North American Premiere of Chimera at the Opening Night of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival,” he concludes.
Actress Kathleen Quinlan brilliantly portrays her character Masterson, the story’s antagonist. “There was a corporate greed and a voracious disregard for life I found intriguing with Masterson,” she says about her villainous role. “She perceives everything and everyone as her prey,” she adds.
In Chimera, Quint, a brilliant but disturbed scientist performs dangerous experiments and tests risky procedures on his children (including transplanting animal organs and editing their genome). When their condition continues to deteriorate, he freezes them alive to suspend the progression of their deadly genetic disease. Convinced that the secrets of immortality are encoded within the Turritopsis jellyfish, he races against time to save his children by decoding the jellyfish’s DNA.
“Chimera adds a new voice to the debate on human stem cells, animal testing, and genetics, as well as raises important philosophical questions about humanity, mortality and morality,” says director Maurice Haeems. “One of my goals was to hold up a mirror to the viewers, so they could ask these questions to themselves. By having a single-minded focus on a distant end goal, however important it may be, does one’s lose sight of right and wrong? Even in the pursuit of the most altruistic goal, can we condone the crossing of ethical boundaries?” he adds.
Chimera’s intimate yet high-profile cast includes Henry Ian Cusick (Quint), Kathleen Quinlan (Masterson), Jenna Harrison (Charlie), Karishma Ahluwalia(Jessie), and Erika Ervin (Gruze). The children at the center of the plot, Miles and Flora, were very close to the project, as Raviv Haeems (Miles) is the director’s son, and Kaavya Jayaram (Flora) is the producer’s daughter.
To commemorate Chimera’s North American Premiere the producers have released a brand-new teaser and trailer.
Chimera recently had its World Premiere at the prestigious Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal, one of the top “Genre” festivals in the world. After its North American Premiere in Boston, the film will continue its tour in other cities.
Upcoming Festival Screenings:
Boston International Film Festival
Showplace Icon Theatre • 60 Seaport Blvd Suite 315, Boston, MA, USA
Wednesday, April 11 • 5:30pm (red carpet) • 6:30pm (screening)
Phoenix Film Festival
Theatre 4 – Harkins Scottsdale 101
7000 E Mayo Blvd Phoenix, AZ, USA
Friday, April 13 • 11:20am
Saturday, April 14 • 1:25pm
Sunday, April 15 • 2:10pm
All screenings will have a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve.
Sci-Fi London Film Festival (Opening Night Film)
Stratford Picturehouse – East London
Salway Road, London E15 1BX, UK
Tuesday, May 1• 7:00 pm
Followed by a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Jenna Harrison.
NYC Independent Film Festival
Producers Club – Theatre G
358 West 44th Street, New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, May 9 • 6:45pm