ASTHMA the directorial debut of Dustin Hofman’s son, Jake Hoffman, will be released in theaters on October 23 via IFC Films. Asthma which World Premiere at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, stars Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter alongside Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Goran Visnjic, Dov Tiefenbach, Rene Ricard and Iggy Pop.
Gus is suffocating in life (and not just figuratively speaking), and finding a meaningful existence is an almost impossible task. His asthma attacks come at the most inopportune times, and are a constant reminder of his attempts to resolve his uncertain situation in a radical manner. Somewhere between the drugs, the lack of money, and his ongoing sense of alienation, Gus sees a shimmer of light in the form of Ruby, a charming and self-confident rocker whose life is much more certain than his. In his endeavor to escape from himself, the young outsider – who bears a striking resemblance to Mick Jagger – sets out on an unpredictable trip in a stolen convertible. Jake Hoffman’s feature debut is a vibrant and authentic look at New York’s bohemian scene, whose members try to find out who they are to a soundtrack of rock hits. The young acting duo Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter are supported in smaller roles by their more experienced colleagues Rosanna Arquette, Iggy Pop and Nick Nolte.
Jake Hoffman (b. 1981, Los Angeles County, California) studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has been active in the film industry since childhood, appearing in Rain Man (1988) at age seven. His acting career then continued with Hook (1991),Liberty Heights (1999), Click (2006) and Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Besides acting, he also directs music videos and has written and directed several short films, including Walk into the Bar(2004), Pancho’s Pizza (2005) and Please, Alfonso(2012). asthma (2014) is his feature film debut.Independent Film
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ASTHMA, Directorial Debut of Jake Hoffman, Dustin Hofman’s Son, Sets Release Date
ASTHMA the directorial debut of Dustin Hofman’s son, Jake Hoffman, will be released in theaters on October 23 via IFC Films. Asthma which World Premiere at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, stars Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter alongside Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Goran Visnjic, Dov Tiefenbach, Rene Ricard and Iggy Pop.
Gus is suffocating in life (and not just figuratively speaking), and finding a meaningful existence is an almost impossible task. His asthma attacks come at the most inopportune times, and are a constant reminder of his attempts to resolve his uncertain situation in a radical manner. Somewhere between the drugs, the lack of money, and his ongoing sense of alienation, Gus sees a shimmer of light in the form of Ruby, a charming and self-confident rocker whose life is much more certain than his. In his endeavor to escape from himself, the young outsider – who bears a striking resemblance to Mick Jagger – sets out on an unpredictable trip in a stolen convertible. Jake Hoffman’s feature debut is a vibrant and authentic look at New York’s bohemian scene, whose members try to find out who they are to a soundtrack of rock hits. The young acting duo Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter are supported in smaller roles by their more experienced colleagues Rosanna Arquette, Iggy Pop and Nick Nolte.
Jake Hoffman (b. 1981, Los Angeles County, California) studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has been active in the film industry since childhood, appearing in Rain Man (1988) at age seven. His acting career then continued with Hook (1991),Liberty Heights (1999), Click (2006) and Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Besides acting, he also directs music videos and has written and directed several short films, including Walk into the Bar(2004), Pancho’s Pizza (2005) and Please, Alfonso(2012). asthma (2014) is his feature film debut.
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Rory Culkin and Lin Shaye Set to Star in Indie Film JACK GOES HOME
Rory Culkin (Gabriel, Scream 4) (pictured above) and Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise, There’s Something About Mary) will star in writer/director Thomas Dekker’s upcoming feature film Jack Goes Home. The announcement was made today by writer/director Thomas Dekker and producers Jordan Yale Levine and Scott Levenson. Jack Goes Home will commence production this week in Kingston, New York. The film is produced by Jordan Yale Levine/Yale Productions, Scott Levenson, and Thomas Dekker. Co-Producers are Nikki Reed and Jon Keeyes, and Executive Producers include Shaun S. Sanghani/ SSS Entertainment, Jason Rose and Jessica Chang.
Previously confirmed cast members include Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland) and Nikki Reed (Twilight Saga). Rory Culkin will play the title character, with Lin Shaye starring as his mother Teresa. Britt Robertson plays Jack’s pregnant fiancé Cleo, Daveigh Chase plays Jack’s loyal best friend Shanda, Nikki Reed play’s Shanda’s girlfriend Crystal, and Louis Hunter plays Jack’s seductive neighbor Duncan. “Lin Shaye and Rory Culkin are both exceptionally talented actors who are perfectly suited to lead the cast of Jack Goes Home,” commented writer and director Thomas Dekker. “We could not be more thrilled to watch them bring our script to life as the film’s key mother/son duo.” Blending elements of family drama and horror films, JACK GOES HOME follows Jack, an educated and well versed magazine editor living in Los Angeles. He is mid 20s, engaged and expecting his first child. Grappling with the natural release of his childhood and the promise of his forthcoming adulthood, he is hit hard by the news of his father’s death. In a violent and horrific car crash, his father has perished while his mother has survived. He returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado to nurse his mother through her physical and emotional injuries. During his stay at home, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family history, his parents, his friends and his very identity. Jack’s journey to the truth is fueled by madness, sexuality, hauntings and violence. For Jack, there truly is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Dekker’s acting credits include TV series Backstrom and The Secret Circle. On the film side, he appeared in 2009’s My Sister’s Keeper and 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street and directed the 2008 indie Whore. He’s repped by MGMT Entertainment and Sloane, Offer.
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MI AMERICA Film Explores Violence Against Migrant Workers Sets Release Date
As the immigration debate takes center stage in a presidential campaign marked by increasingly divisive and racially charged rhetoric, a new film MI AMERICA offers an on-the-ground look at some of the reality of this conflict.
The film is inspired by true stories from around the country and delivers a harrowing narrative on the conflict between disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers. MI AMERICA opens in theaters on October 16th and is directed by Robert Fontaine who also stars in the film. The cast also includes Michael Brainard, Brad Lee Wind, Grant Boyd, Michael Derek, Stephen Booth and Annemarie Lawless.
The story explores the circumstances surrounding a brutal hate crime targeting five Hispanic migrant laborers. Rolando Ramirez (Robert Fontaine) has been assigned to this case by chance. This journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be an American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice.
A hate-crime has been committed, that has upset the delicate balance of a small, ethnically diverse waterfront city Braxton in upstate New York. The film explores the circumstances around the kidnapping and disappearance of Five Hispanic migrant labors.
Rolando Ramirez (a Hispanic-American Detective, and a longtime resident of the community), has been assigned to this case by chance. Or was it fate? His journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be a North American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice…some of whom were close friends from childhood.
Violence against Latinos and the story told in MI AMERICA is not unfamiliar to cities and towns across the U.S. where the conflict of disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers have resulted in tragedy. The immigration dilemma and debate continues to rage on as we enter the politically charged battlefield of the 2016 election and Latinos continue to be targets.
This gripping murder mystery offers a potent opportunity to take a closer look at this dire issue in the media.
[via release]
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Museum of the Moving Image in NYC to Honor Alex Ross Perry with a Retrospective
From August 22 through 25, 2015, Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will honor director Alex Ross Perry with a Retrospective, and will present all of his features, including a special preview screening of the new film Queen of Earth.
“Alex Ross Perry’s two most recent films feature unforgettable and vivid performances—most notably Elisabeth Moss’s daring portrayal of emotional despair in the astonishing Queen of Earth,” said Chief Curator David Schwartz. “The Museum is pleased to offer New Yorkers an opportunity to catch up on an impressive body of work by this unique emerging talent who has incorporated his love of cinema into his own original vision.”
Impolex
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 4:30 P.M.
Dir. Alex Ross Perry. 2009, 73 mins. 35mm. With Riley O’Bryan, Kate Lyn Sheil, Bruno Meyrick Jones. In his feature debut, Perry was loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. Taking place just after World War II, the film follows the shambling young soldier Tyrone S. as he wanders through the forest looking for German V2 rockets and encounters a number of inexplicably figures, including an eyepatch-wearing Englishman, a garrulous octopus, and the girlfriend he left behind to join the army.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJqIOt7UHI0
The Color Wheel
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 3:00 P.M.
Dir. Alex Ross Perry. 2011, 83 mins. 35mm. With Carlen Altman, Alex Ross Perry. Having recently broken up with her boyfriend and former professor, aspiring TV weathergirl JR calls on her estranged younger brother Colin to help retrieve her possessions at her ex’s apartment. What follows is one of the most uncomfortable road movies ever, as the two equally despicable characters incessantly pick on, undercut, and attack one another. “Perry gives a harsh, sarcastic twist to the intimate rivalry of siblings…. [He] directs these uproarious rapid-fire flareups with exquisite comic timing and incisive comic framing,” wrote Richard Brody in The New Yorker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtO8JBtxpE
Listen Up Philip
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 5:30 P.M.
Dir. Alex Ross Perry. 2014, 109 mins. With Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce. Feeling alienated by the pressures of the New York literary world and the girlfriend who financially supports him, the narcissistic and self-involved author Philip Lewis Friedman seeks refuge in the country home of his equally self-obsessed idol, the older, more established writer Ike Zimmerman. “Words do more than hurt, they also slash and burn in this sharp, dyspeptic, sometimes gaspingly funny exploration of art and life […],” noted Manohla Dargisin The New York Times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkjn5ICqmJI
SPECIAL PREVIEW SCREENING
Queen of Earth
With Elisabeth Moss and Alex Ross Perry in person
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 7:30 P.M.
Dir. Alex Ross Perry. 90 mins. With Elisabeth Moss, Patrick Fugit, Katherine Waterson. Catherine (played in what Variety calls “an utterly fearless central performance by Elisabeth Moss”) has entered a particularly dark period in her life. Following her father’s death and a bad breakup with her longtime boyfriend, she decides to spend a week recuperating in the lake house of her best friend, Virginia. However, fissures between the two women begin to appear, sending Catherine into a downward spiral of delusion and madness. As Scott Foundas points out in his Variety review, ”Perry is working in a style that seems equally influenced by doppelganger narratives like Bergman’s Persona and Brian De Palma’s Sisters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3a8oniq2s
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Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie are Sex Addicts in Red Band Trailer for SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
IFC Films debuted the official poster and Red Band trailer for the romantic comedy SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE, directed by Leslye Hedland and starring Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie. Sleeping With Other People open in theaters on September 11, 2015.
Can two serial cheaters get a second chance at love? After a one-night stand in college, New Yorkers Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet by chance twelve years later and discover they each have the same problem: because of their monogamy-challenged ways, neither can maintain a relationship. Determined to stay friends despite their mutual attraction, they make a pact to keep it platonic, a deal that proves easier said than done. Fresh, funny, and full of witty insights about modern love, this hilariously heartfelt film “is the rare rom-com that reminds us why we love them so much in the first place” (Time Out New York). Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Natasha Lyonne, and Jason Mantzoukas co-star.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8gsb2g9YGk
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Award-Winning LOW AND BEHOLD Makes its Digital Premier August 18th on iTunes
In honor of the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the award-winning feature film LOW AND BEHOLD will make its digital premier August 18th on iTunes through the support of the Sundance Institute #ArtistServices program.
Based on real events, LOW AND BEHOLD tells the story of a young insurance claim adjuster, in post-Katrina New Orleans, who risks his job to help a local man find his lost dog. Shot in New Orleans only months after Hurricane Katrina, this neorealist-inspired film blends fiction and non-fiction to tell the story of an unlikely friendship.
LOW AND BEHOLD was co-written and directed by Zack Godshall, whose other films include LORD BYRON and GOD’S ARCHITECTS. The film stars Barlow Jacobs (SHOTGUN STORIES, THE MASTER) who also co-wrote the script with Godshall. Jared Moshe, Sarah Hendler and Jacobs produced.
Chris Horton, Director, #ArtistServices: Creative Distribution, said, “We’re proud to help Zack and Barlow re-release their film during an important milestone. Our #ArtistServices program was created in part to help Sundance filmmakers from past Festivals expose their work to new audiences on digital platforms, and LOW AND BEHOLD is great example of that.”
The film was shot in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was the first film about the tragedy to be shot in New Orleans after the storm. It made its world premier at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, garnering rave reviews and going on to win numerous festival awards. Mike Miley, for The Huffington Post wrote, “LOW AND BEHOLD is a fantastic work of cinema, that’s funny, heartbreaking, honest, and beautiful…”
“Barlow and I believed LOW AND BEHOLD would be a movie for all kinds of audiences, for people from all walks of life. Our festival run in 2007-08 proved us right. Now that the film is being digitally released for the first time, we’re just excited and hopeful that this important story will continue to find a wider audience,” said Godshall.
Blindwall Pictures and Mama Bear Studios are excited to be partnering with the Sundance Institute #ArtistServices program for the digital premier of LOW AND BEHOLD on iTunes. The iTunes release will be followed by releases on Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, VUDU, YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8K0g5iqkFk
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STONEWALL Official Trailer Faces Backlash From Some in LGBT Community
STONEWALL, a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, considered the birthplace of the LGBT rights movement, which will World Premiere at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, followed by a release in the theaters in the US on September 25th, just released its official trailer which is not going over well with some in the LGBT community.
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Throwback Texas Thriller TWO STEP Movie Review
The crime thriller TWO STEP debuted at the 2014 South by Southwest Festival and made the festival rounds throughout 2014.
James (Skyy Moore) is a college dropout who lives with his grandmother. When his grandmother passes away, James is on his own in a town where he doesn’t know anyone else. He meets his grandmother’s neighbor Dot (Beth Broderick), an attractive middle-aged dance instructor, and soon develops an attachment to her. Meanwhile, jailhouse lowlife Webb (James Landry Hébert) spends his time in prison calling random numbers from to scam old people out of money. Webb is released from prison into a desperate situation, and he proves how cerebral and destructive he can be when he and James inadvertently cross paths.
TWO STEP is a thriller that has some very unique elements – for one, much of the violence – and there is plenty – happens off-screen. This isn’t a movie about physical violence, it is about the mental toll that desperation causes. First time feature writer/director Alex R. Johnson structures the film to hide the violence, particularly in the dangerous, slow-spoken way that Webb carries himself. While Webb is obviously distressed, both James and Dot have their own issues within their lives. Both are somewhat lost causes, and it’s fascinating how the film hints at the nature of their friendship.
The final third of TWO STEP almost entirely focuses on Webb, shifting him from the film’s antagonist role to the protagonist’s role. Much of it involves him driving around talking to people and tying up the loose ends in his life, which meanders too much. This pushes both James and Dot’s characters to the fringe of the narrative, and if you are more interested in their predicaments than Webb’s (as I was), you will be disappointed. Because of that, as engaged I was in the setup of the conflict of TWO STEP, I was disappointed in not seeing more of these characters because their personal conflicts remain largely unresolved.
TWO STEP is worth a watch, but the ending holds it back from being a unique crime thriller that would set it apart from the dozens of above average crime films that appear at festivals every year. Johnson definitely shows a talented eye for directing – and Hébert plays a great villain – so I’m looking forward to see if Johnson can grow as a filmmaker with his next feature.
Film Review Rating 3 out of 5 : See it … It’s Good
https://vimeo.com/93220155
TWO STEP
Opens July 31st in NY at the Village East Cinema, and August 7th in LA, will be available across major iVOD/cVOD platforms starting on September 1st.
Written and Directed by Alex R Johnson
Starring Beth Broderick, James Landry Hébert, Skyy Moore, Jason Douglas, Ashley Rae Spillers
Written by Christopher McKittrick
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Watch Red Band TRAILER for PRINCE directed by Sam De Jong, in Theaters on August 14th
VICE released the Red Band Trailer for PRINCE directed by Sam De Jong and winner of 2015 Berlinale – Honorary Mention: Crystal Bear for Best First Feature. PRINCE will be released in theaters and on VOD platforms August 14th.
Seventeen-year-old Ayoub (Ayoub Elasri) has a lot on his plate: his father (Chaib Massaoudi) is a junkie, his mother (Elsie de Brauw) is a lonely divorcé, and his sister (Olivia Lonsdale) is falling in with the wrong crowd. Haunted by his father’s terrible reputation, Ayoub can’t get the attention of Laura (Sigrid ten Napel), the most beautiful girl in the neighborhood. He does, however, gain the attention of Kalpa (Freddy Tratlehner), an eccentric, purple Lamborghini-driving, psychotically violent local criminal. Falling in with Kalpa, Ayoub tries to enlarge his status (and wallet) enough to win Laura over, but soon finds that his new life is far more than he bargained for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgXbuIcGInA
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ONE & TWO Starring Kiernan Shipka Sets Release Date of August 14th | TRAILER
IFC Midnight has released the trailer for ONE & TWO, directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Neima Shahdadi, and opening theatrically August 14th.
ONE & TWO starring Kiernan Shipka and Timothée Chalamet, had its world premiere at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, followed by its U.S. premiere at the SXSW Film Festival.
In the confines of their isolated world, Zac and Eva (Timothée Chalamet of “Homeland” and Kiernan Shipka of “Mad Men”) live under the constant watch of a father (Grant Bowler, “True Blood”) that rules with strict routine and discipline. They live for nightfall — for moments of escape — and rely on each other for moments of levity.
After a long dormant illness returns, their mother (Elizabeth Reaser, THE TWILIGHT SAGA), once a beacon of light and joy, struggles to unite the family in an increasingly somber home. As their father searches for a divine answer to the heartbreaking circumstances of his crumbling world, Zac and Eva steal moments to explore burgeoning otherworldly abilities and to dream of a life free of limitations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5eKwzKkkIc
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Watch TRAILER for Alex Ross Perry’s QUEEN OF EARTH, in Theaters on August 26th
IFC Films has released a trailer for Alex Ross Perry’s QUEEN OF EARTH, starring Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston, set to be released on August 26th in New York with a national rollout to follow.
Catherine (Elisabeth Moss) has entered a particularly dark period in her life: her father, a famous artist whose affairs she managed, has recently died, and on the heels of his death she’s dumped by her boyfriend James (Kentucker Audley). Looking to recuperate, Catherine heads out to her best friend Virginia’s (Katherine Waterston) lake house for some much needed relaxation. However, once Catherine arrives relaxation proves impossible to find, as she is overcome with memories of time spent at the same house with James the year before. As Catherine reaches out to Virginia with attempts at connection, Virginia begins spending increasing amounts of time with a local love interest, Rich (Patrick Fugit), and fissures in the relationship between the two women begin to appear, sending Catherine into a downward spiral of delusion and madness. A bracing, eerie look at the deep bonds of friendship and the horrific effects of such bonds being frayed, Queen of Earth is a thrilling examination of a deeply complex relationship between two miserable women.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3a8oniq2s
