Comedy Archives - Page 6 of 8 - Unspool Hollywood

THE MIMIC! Trailer

Director and Writer: Thomas F. Mazziotti
Starring: Thomas Sadoski, Jake Robinson, Austin Pendleton, Gina Gershon, Marilu Henner, Tammy Blanchard, Didi Conn, Josh Pais, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Doug Plaut, with M. Emmet Walsh and Jessica Walter
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Country: United States
Rating: Not Yet Rated

Director and writer Thomas F. Mazziotti’s film ‘THE MIMIC!’ open in selected theaters and VOD on Friday, February 5, 2021

Mazziotti’s film is based on a true story, this clever, intriguing, and hyperbolic comedy follows the main character - 'the Narrator' (Thomas Sadoski) who is befriended by his young new neighbor 'the Kid’ (Jake Robinson), after he joins the local newspaper team.

Obsessed with the idea that the Kid may be a sociopath, the Narrator goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him and his wife, a woman he ultimately begins to fancy. Between long walks down the street, a twisted dinner date, and a car drive gone terribly wrong, the Narrator gets closer and closer to the truth about the Kid. But the truth, as he finds, is anything but what he expected.

Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom), Jake Robinson (American Odyssey), Austin Pendleton (Finding Nemo, Oz), Gina Gershon (Showgirls, Riverdale), Marilu Henner (L.A. Story, Taxi), Tammy Blanchard (Into the Woods, The Invitation), Didi Conn (Grease), Josh Pais (Motherless Brooklyn, Joker), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Doug Plaut (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), with M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner, Sneaky Pete), and Jessica Walter (Arrested Development).

Run time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Starring: Thomas Sadoski, Jake Robinson, Austin Pendleton, Gina Gershon, Marilu Henner, Tammy Blanchard, Didi Conn, Josh Pais, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Doug Plaut, with M. Emmet Walsh and Jessica Walter
Written & Directed by: Thomas F. Mazziotti
Produced by Benjamin Cox, p.g.a.
Executive Producers Stephen R. Foreht, Paul Jarrett
Co-Producers Bonnie Blue Edwards, Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent
Director of Photography Timothy Gillis
Edited by Benjamin Cox, Käla Mandrake
Production Designer Laura Miller
Costume Designer Jevyn Nelms
Original Music by Mitch Davis,
Casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent.
A Red Square Pictures and Only Child Films Production

Website: TheMimicMovie.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheMimicMovie
Twitter: twitter.com/TheMimicMovie
Instagram: instagram.com/TheMimicMovie

VIEW TRAILER BELOW!

VENTURES ACQUIRES STAR-STUDDED COMEDY ‘THE MIMIC’

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

THOMAS F. MAZZIOTTI

Slated for Day and Date Release on February 5, 2021

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired worldwide rights to distribute Thomas F. Mazziotti’s THE MIMIC. Written and directed by Mazziotti, THE MIMIC stars Thomas Sadoski, Jake Robinson, Austin Pendleton, Gina Gershon, Jessica Walter, M. Emmet Walsh, Jessica Keenan Wynn, and Josh Pais. After a successful world premiere at the 2020 Cinequest Film Festival, the comedy is slated to release in theaters and on demand on February 5, 2021.

Based on a true story, ‘the Narrator’ (Thomas Sadoski) is befriended by his young new neighbor (Jake Robinson), after he joins the local newspaper team. Obsessed with the idea that ‘the Kid’ may be a sociopath, ‘the Narrator’ goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him. After unsettling rendezvous, the truth he finds is anything but what he expected.

"Sociopaths have been portrayed as a shady bunch up until now. Inspired by true events, this confrontational comedy explores the uncharted territory of the lighter side of a sociopath,” says Mazziotti. “I applaud Gravitas Ventures introducing audiences to an alternate character dynamic which has yet to be portrayed under comedic scrutiny on screen.. yet he lives among us all.”

“Mimic’s script really impressed. The way the cast brings the dialogue to life really captures the imagination and delivers a high dose of classic entertainment. We’re very excited to be working with Thomas F. Mazziotti to bring his film out to the public.” Said Nick Royak, Senior Acquisitions Manager at Gravitas Ventures.

Gravitas Ventures Acquisitions Manager, Nick Royak negotiated the deal with Glen Reynolds from Circus Road films.

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America - over one billion homes worldwide. Recent releases include The Secret: Dare to Dream, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Katie Holmes; End of Sentence starring Logan Lerman and John Hawkes; Looks that Kill; Tread; Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk, narrated by Bill Murray; Colin Hanks’ All Things Must Pass; and the upcoming Our Friend starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel. For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.

About Red Arrow Studios

Red Arrow Studios is one of the world’s leading creators and distributors of entertainment content, comprised of an acclaimed network of international production companies and labels in seven territories; world-leading digital studio, Studio71, based in six countries; and global film and TV distributors Red Arrow Studios International and Gravitas Ventures. The group’s significant output includes scripted, non-scripted and formatted content and IP, from TV and film to short-form and branded content, made for an array of global networks and platforms. Red Arrow Studios is part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, one of Europe's leading media groups. redarrowstudios.com

For Media Inquires

MILLENNIAL PR
Mitch Swan | President
310.701.2628
mitch@millennialpublicrelations.com

18 TO PARTY: An Interview with Director Jeff Roda

Bottom line: When Waiting to Get in A Line, Is More Important Than Getting in The Line
Director and Writer : Jeff Roda
Starring: Alivia Clark, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson and Erich Schuett

I had the opportunity to talk with director Jeff Roda to discuss his film new film 18 TO PARTY.

It’s 1984 and outside a small-town nightclub, a group of 8th graders gather, grappling with a spate of recent suicides, UFO sightings, their absentee parents, and each other. 18 to Party spans a single evening in the lives of these kids but manages to transport us fully to a time when waiting for something to happen felt just as significant as the thing itself.

YR: You have said you opted to write about your experiences in 18 TO PARTY in the form of a fable, how has writing about your experiences impacted you.

Jeff Roda: Yes. It started out as a play and was worked shopped. It is hard to get a play out of 11 teenagers but the content itself, came from my life. It came geographically from the same place I come from. Some of the characteristic, some of the experiences that the kids are going through, especially a couple of the characters, I went through the exact same thing. Some of the horrible things that happened to some of the kids in that community, were the same thing that happened in my community.

It was a small community, and I was little but those were the things that were happening with the kids who were six years older. It was all based on reality baked into a fable. Basically, it is away to present the film in a meditative way rather than trying to create a big narrative.

YR: Has there been any improvements made in the outcomes for the young people in your hometown?

Jeff Roda: It is interesting. There was something very singular about this area that I lived. It is the outer suburbs about 80 miles north of New York City but if you are 80 miles away from a big city and you are a kid, that is far. You are in the shadow of it, but you are still not going there.

My school was very small and very white, and those things remain today. In terms of the community itself, there is a lot farmland, horse farms and orchids and because of that it has turned into a working/middle class community. A lot of people moved north from the city with a lot of money and built huge stables, mansions and stuff like that. So those elements are there but the sort of rank and file are still similar.

YR: You did excellent writing for the film. There was some dialogue between Shel and Amy that really stuck with me. Shel had asked Amy, why people would want to think that way and Amy responded, so they will not have to think about anything else.

Jeff Roda: You see from the film that it is almost shocking in a lot of ways how much things have not changed as much as things have changed. I think for me, it really came around to the reality of the suicides. The trouble these kids were having, the isolation these kids were having and the aloneness. The latch key kids as we were called. And this is an inditement, somewhat, of the parents and adult figures who were not there for them.

It is weird, more of an around about way to get to the answer but a truer way. I did a lot of research about that time about the suicide and mishaps that were going on at that time. There was a nationwide epidemic of suicide in this specific year with a lot of kids, all these high performing kids from all over the country.

And when parents or school administrators were interviewed and were asked about what they think is happening, they all said peer pressure, drugs, and job prospects. Like anyone gives a sh** when you are in the 10^th grade about job prospects. Of all these things, no one said maybe we are not looking out for them. Maybe some of this is on us.

No one ever said that and I boiled it down in those two lines where Amy said they do not want to look at it, they don’t want to look at anything more than their excuses for not being there for them. It is not a generation ahead of us that is quick to blame themselves for things.

That was basically the meaning of that line she said they will not have to think about anything else. Meaning they do not have to be reflective. They will not have to look any deeper into their responsibilities for these kids and what happens to them.

YR: What was it like preparing and working with the ensemble of young talented actors?

Jeff Roda: It was one of the best experiences of my life, in a way, casting of these kids. We have great casting directors Kate and Jessica. It was my first film directing and the one thing I felt pretty good about going in was I would be able to cast the film with 10 kids. Some with no experience ever being in front of camera, one was on Broadway, one had been in a television series, and one had experience with independent films. It was a wide range of experiences.

Working with them and seeing these 13, 14, 15-year old kids really commit and inhabit the same space was great. Because it was a very short shoot, 15 days and there were kids younger than 16 there’s labor law and screen actor’s guild restrictions to follow.

They had to do a lot in a short time. Watching them come together and inhabit the same cosmic place it was amazing. It was amazing, almost like being a parent in away, every kid had their moment that things were a little stressful, got a bit overwhelmed, frustrated or something kind of like that. Each one had a day of that, or a moment of that. It was great to support these kids.

These were extraordinary kids. Just warm and committed, competitive with each other in a healthy way. Everyone had a lot of work to do and the movie was only going to work as well as how well any of the actors were prepared. And they all really did it. I think that is part of the competitive spirit, creatively, were privately they are like I do not want to be the one, I do not want to be the one with any mistakes. It was great. It was fun having an idea, having an instinct about kids and then actually delivering on that. It made me feel really proud. It was rewarding.

YR: How did you come about the setting for 18 To Party, the back of the building, the limited space and telling such great stories?

Jeff Roda: When you are making a film this size, until you are shooting the film is not definitely happening. We did not have that location until 2 days prior to the first day of shooting. And as originally written in the script, it was more one dimensional, more theatrical, the kids were hanging next to a mall. Again, it was originally written for the stage. As you saw from the back of this club, we found this place with 2 days left. We had to dress it. There are stairs, there is a loading dock area, a cement barrier that kids sit on. Just a lot more texture and space to work with.

We had a wonderful cinematographer named Gris Jordana. She did a lot with what was there. There was more than we thought was going to be there. She did so much with it. We really lucked into it. It was an abandoned place in Staten Island. There was a realtor sign next to it and it was called the number and we were in there.

It was not a club. Our entire production was inside that building and we were shooting outside. It is one of those things that came together. We are very, very lucky.

YR: What else do you have in the works or that you are working on with any of the actors in 18 to Party.

Jeff Roda: Several of them, I know Sam that played Peter, he is in a couple of series, one on Netflix with Christina Applegate and Linda Cartalini. He plays Christina Applegate’s’ son. Taylor, who plays Missy, she has been doing this for years. She was the last Annie on Broadway and I think she is in a series on Netflix. Tanner is working on the Kimmie Schmidt Show. And some are just going to school. They are really self-possessed. They are wonderful. They do not need to be acting stars. They can do anything that they want, and this is something they are doing now and exploring.

As for me, I am working on one specific movie, a script and hopefully it will be done within weeks. I am looking forward to reverse engineering 18 To Party back into a play. Which I think would be a great experience. Because I think there are a lot of roles for younger actors in acting school. I think it would a good piece for a group of kids to do together.

YR: How have you been impacted, as a filmmaker, by COVID-19?

Jeff Roda: It has not at all, frankly, because it is really up to me to write. Unfortunately, it has not at all because I have nothing to shoot right now. But it has affected the way a movie is released. The way a movie our size is released. It has completely changed everything, and I think people are really trying in the moment to pivot or understand what is happening with movies. Basically, movies cannot be released in the theaters right now. In any circumstance, to get an independent film out there to get tractions is very difficult. In some weird way, it is also very exciting because there are opportunities to get word of mouth. There are opportunities to roll it out slowly. We opened at the Alamo On Demand Virtual Cinema and Laemmle Virtual Cinema and then a month later a wider release on iTunes and Amazon Prime. So, in between that, we can get reviews, we can explore. There is a longer period now for people to discover the film. With this movie, if it had come out in May like it was supposed to, it would have been in a few theaters in New York and a few Los Angeles. You do not have a lot of money to promote it, so you are not going to get a lot of people regardless of the reviews being rave reviews. You are still going to have a per screen average of about $500 and then your movie is going to go away after a week or two. In some weird way, COVID has given these films more of a chance, for now. That is how it has affected filmmaking.

Distributor: Giant Pictures
Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Starring: Enzo Cellucci, Alivia Clark, Ashling Doyle, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson, Erich Schuett, Kevin Daniel Carey
Written & Directed by: Jeff Roda
Produced by: Nikola Duravcevic, Emily Ziff Griffin, Andrew Cahill, Stephanie Marin Production Company: Asterion Pictures in association with Cahill Bros
Editor: Katherine Williams, ACE
Cinematographer: Gris Jordana
Production Designer: San Bader
Costume Designer: Ava Lopez
Music: Dylan Neely, featuring the music of: The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and many more.

VIEW TRAILER BELOW!

18 TO PARTY: Review

Original Release: 2019
Director and Writer: Jeff Roda
Starring: Alivia Clark, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson and Erich Schuett
Narrative Feature
Stars: 3.5

When Waiting to Get in A Line, Is More Important Than Getting in The Line

Jeff Roda’s directorial debut, 18 TO PARTY, captures the traumas and other life experiences of a group of young 8^th graders in the small town of Brighton, as they wait behind a building, near trash bins, for the chance to get in a line to gain entry into the Pulse club.

In the group of teenagers told to wait behind the building are Dean (Nolan Lyons) a computer geek. Peter (Sam McCarthy) the rich kid. Kira (Ivy Miller) who is concerned about what is going on in the world outside of Brighton. Missy (Taylor Richardson) who Kira called Messy because she urinated in her sleeping bag at the age of 12. James (Erich Schuett) a gifted artist of few words. Shel (Tanner Flood) the clean-cut honor student, a follow the rules kind of guy. He really stood out with his all-white shoes especially hanging out behind the grimy building. Important that he kept them clean. Brad (Oliver Gifford) a talented soccer player and artist who is deeply affected by Lanky’s brother suicide.

In another group are the kids that were allowed to wait near the main entrance, is Amy (Alivia Clark) whose father had recently died and Lanky (James Freedson-Jackson), who experienced the horror of his brother and his brother’s girlfriend’s suicide.

UFO sightings are a big deal to the kid’s parents. And while their13-year old are waiting to gain entry into a night club, the parents are at an UFO meeting, except for Shel’s dad, and that is only because his parents are divorced.

At their age, it would not be too much to assume their parents would have some idea where or what their kids are doing, even in a small town, yet none of the parents had any idea what or where their kids were. James shared that his parents do not ask him questions. Shel, the follow the rules guy, mom appeared to be the only parent that had a clue where her son was supposed to be, spending the night at Brad’s house.

The small town of Brighton is not plagued by drive-by shootings and gang violence. Yet, these 13 year old kids are confronted with the trauma of drug addition, alcoholism, suicide and divorce that can have devastating consequences just the same. Turning 18 does not always give them a lot to look forward to, especially considering they are just 13 years of age and already going to night clubs.

As they so often do, teenagers think their parents do not know anything and are totally clueless. It is certainly the case, with the UFOs citing that the kids’ parents take seriously and devote a lot of their too. There was never a balance between the critically important concerns and issues of their children and outside forces that affect their home, community, and town like UFOs.

Cinematographer Gris Jordana does a great job telling a vast range of compelling stories from the gritty space behind the Pulse building. It provides a great opportunity to hear the dialogue of the talented ensemble of young actors. One of the many memorable lines was a conversation between Amy and Shel. Shel ask, “why would they want to believe that?” Amy responds, “so they won’t have to believe anything else.” Those words go a long way in explaining why people can take a specific position and not have any rational in support of their position. We can now stop asking why? She was asked, why did she wet on herself and she said, “why do people do anything they do?”. The none verbal dialogue of James who drew portraits of the Brighton Seven, people who had succumbed to the many tragedies facing the teenagers and their communities, that he left on the graffitied filled walls of the back of the building.

Roda captures the sad and grim stories told with visuals of the back of the building with the trash bins, walls full of graffiti.

Music Supervisor Susan Jacobs and music featuring The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and others works well with the sometimes intense, emotional and funny scenes.

18 to Party is an enjoyable film, that goes a long way in telling the intimate struggles, concerns, and family dynamics of a group of young teenagers as they wait behind the building for the opportunity for what they thought to be important, being allowed to get in line, for getting in line for entry into the Pulse club.

Distributor: Giant Pictures
Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Starring: Enzo Cellucci, Alivia Clark, Ashling Doyle, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson, Erich Schuett, Kevin Daniel Carey
Written & Directed by: Jeff Roda
Produced by: Nikola Duravcevic, Emily Ziff Griffin, Andrew Cahill, Stephanie Marin Production Company: Asterion Pictures in association with Cahill Bros
Editor: Kate Williams
Cinematographer:: Gris Jordana
Production Designer: Sam Bader
Costume Designer: Ava Lopez
Music: Dylan Neely, featuring the music of: The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and many more

59 Film Festivals in 2020

59 Film Festivals 2020Pan African Film and Arts Festival
Los Angeles, CA
Established 28 years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
February 11-23, 2020
www.paff.org

Heartland International Film Festival
Indianapolis, IN
Establishes 29 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 9, 2020
www.heartlandfilm.org

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Hot Springs National Park, AR
Established 29 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 12, 2020
www.hsdfi.org

Portland Film Festival
Portland, OR
Established 8 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 12, 2020
www.portlandfilmfestival.comBendFilm Festival
Bend, Oregon
Established 17 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 12, 2020
www.bendfilm.org
October 8-11, 2020

Napa Valley Film Festival
Napa, CA
Established 10 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 14, 2020
www.napavalleyfilmfest.org

Tacoma Film Festival
Tacoma, Washington
Established 15 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 15, 2020
www.tacomafilmfestival.com
October 8-15, 2020Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Established 6 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 15, 2020
www.mammothlakesfilmfestival.com
May 20-24, 2020

Brooklyn Film Festival
Brooklyn, NY
Established 23 Years ago
Canadian Screen Award Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 17, 2020
www.brooklynfilmfestival.org
June 2020 (10-days)

deadCenter Film Festival
Oklahoma City, OK
Established 20 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 21, 2020
www.deadcenterfilm.org
June 2020 (3 days)

Crossroads Film Festival
Jackson, Mississippi
Established 20 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 21, 2020
crossroadsfilmfestival.com
November 2020

Palm Springs International ShortFest
Palm Springs, CA
Established 26 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 24, 2020
www.psfilmfest.org
June 16-22, 2020

Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
Chagrin Falls, Ohio, United States
Established 11 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 24, 2020
www.chagrinfilmfest.org
October 6-11, 2020

Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
New York, New York, United States
Established 17 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 25, 2020
www.bigapplefilmfestival.com
May 19-21, 2020

Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

Dubuque, IA,
Established 9 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 26, 2020
www.julienfilmfest.com
April 22-26, 2020Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle, WA
Established 46 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 28, 2020
www.siff.net
May 14-June 7, 2020

Calgary International Film Festival
Calgary, AB, Canada
Established 21 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: February 28, 2020
www.calgaryfilm.com
September 23-October 4, 2020

DC Shorts International Film Festival
Washington, DC
Established 17 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 28, 2020
www.dcshorts.com
September 2020San Jose International Short Film Festival
San Jose, CA
Established 12 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 29, 2020
www.sjsff.com
October 2020

Washington West International Film Festival
Reston, VA
Established 9 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 29, 2020
www.wwfilmfest.com
October 22-26, 2020

San Diego Underground Film Festival
San Diego, CA
Established 6 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 29, 2020
www.sdundergroundarts.org
August 20-23, 2020

34th Edmonton International Film Festival
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada
Established 34 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 1, 2020
www.edmontonfilmfest.com
September 24-October 3, 2020

Woods Hole Film Festival
Woods Hole, MA
Established 29 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 1, 2020
www.woodsholefilmfestival.com
July 25-August 1, 2020

Shriekfest Horror/Sci-Fi Film Festival & Screenplay competition
Los Angeles, CA
Established 20 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 1, 2020
www.shriekfest.com
October 1-4, 2020

Twister Alley Film Festival
Woodward, OK,
Established 5 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 1, 2020
www.twisteralleyfilmfestival.com
April 30-May 2, 2020

Denver Film Festival
Denver, Colorado
Established 43 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 2, 2020
www.denverfilmfestival.org
October/November 2020

Fantasia Film Festival
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Established 24 Years ago
Canadian Screen Award Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 2, 2020
www.fantasiafestival.com
July 16-August 5, 2020

FilmQuest
Provo, Utah
Established 7 years ago
Next Deadline: March 2, 2020
www.filmquestfest.com
September 4-12, 2020

Harlem International Film Festival
Harlem, NY
Established 15 Years ago
Next Deadline: January 17, 2020
www.harlemfilmfestival.org
May 14-17, 2020

Austin Revolution Film Festival
Austin, TX
Established 9 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 2, 2020
www.austinrevolution.com
Septeber 9-12, 2020Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto, Ontario, Candada
Established 44 Years ago
Next deadline: April 19, 2020
www.tiff.net
September 10-19, 2020

Oak Cliff Film Festival
Dallas, TX
Established 9 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 2, 2020
www.oakclifffilmfestival.com
June 2020

Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
Santa Fe, NM
Established 12 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 4, 2020

Abuja International Film Festival
Lagos, Nigeria
Established 19 Years ago
Next dealine: February 29, 2020
www.abujafilmfestival.org

October 2020

Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival
Los Angeles, CA
Established 38 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 6, 2020
www.outfest.org
July 16-26, 2020

Hawaii International Film Festival
Honolulu, Hawaii
Established 40 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 6, 2020
www.hiff.org
April 17-23, 2020

Coney Island Film Festival
Brooklyn, NY
Established 20 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 6, 2020
www.coneyislandfilmfestival.com
September 11-13, 2020

Nevada City Film Festival
Nevada City, CA
Established 20 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 6, 2020
www.nevadacitychamber.com

August 28-September 4, 2020

International Black Movie Festival
Nashville, TN
Established Years ago
Next Deadline: March 31, 2020
www.ibffevents.com
September 30-October 4, 2020

Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Established 9 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 8, 2020
www.evolutionfilmfestival.org
March 2020

Camden International Film Festival
Camden, ME
Established 16 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 9, 2020
www.pointsnorthinstitute.org
October 1-4, 2020

Lone Star Film Festival
Fort Worth, Texas
Established 14 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 9, 2020
www.lonestarfilmfestival.com
November 4-8, 2020

New Orleans Film Festival
New Orleans, LA
Established 31 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 13, 2020
www.neworleansfilmsociety.org
February 27-March 4, 2020

Golden Door International Film Festival
Jersey City, New Jersey-New York
Established 10 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 13, 2020
www.goldendoorfilmfestival.org
September 17-22, 2020

San Francisco Black Film Festival
San Francisco, CA
Established
www.sfbff.org
June 2020

Sidewalk Film Festival
Birmingham, Alabama
Established 22 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 16, 2020
www.sidewalkfest.com
February 7-13, 2020

HollyShorts Screenplay Contest
Sherman Oaks, CA
Established 7 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 20, 2020
www.hollyshorts.com
August 11-20, 2020

Nashville Film Festival
Nashville, Tennessee
Established 51 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 27, 2020
www.nashvillefilmfestival.org
October 1-7, 2020

Austin Film Festival
Austin, Texax
Established 27 Years ago
Academy Award ® Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 27, 2020
www.austinfilmfestival.com
October 22-29, 2020

Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival
CARDIFF, United Kingdom
Established 14 Years ago
BAFTA Qualifying
Next Deadline: March 30, 2020
www.irisprize.org
October 6-11, 2020

Filmfestival Kitzbuehel
Vienna, Austria
Established 8 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 30, 2020
www.ffkb.at
August 24-30, 2020

SCAD Savannah Film Festival
Savannah, Georgia
Established 23 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 31, 2020
www.filmfest.scad.edu/festival
October-November, 2020

Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France
Established 73 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 15, 2020
https://m.festival-cannes.com
May 12-23, 2020

American Black Film Festival
Miami Beach, FL
Established 24 Years ago
Next Deadline: February 15, 2020
www.abff.com
June 17-21, 2020

Stony Brook Film Festival
Stony Brook, New York
Established 25 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 31, 2020
www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com
July 16-25, 2020

Oaxaca FilmFest
Oaxaca, Mexico
Established 11 Years ago
Next Deadline: March 31,
www.oaxacafilmfest.com
October 9-15, 2020

San Diego Black Film Festival
San Diego, CA
Established 17 Years ago
Next Deadline:
www.sdbff.com
January 27-31, 2021

18 TO PARTY New Trailer

Opens in Virtual Cinemas on November 6
In Los Angeles at Laemmle and New York and major cities on Alamo On Demand, with a VOD release to follow on all major platforms in the US and Canada on December 1st.

AN ASTERION PICTURES PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CAHILL BROS.

It’s 1984 and outside a small-town nightclub, a group of 8th graders gather, grappling with a spate of recent suicides, UFO sightings, their absentee parents, and each other. 18 TO PARTY spans a single evening in the lives of these kids, but manages to transport us fully to a time when waiting for something to happen felt just as significant as the thing itself.

Gorgeously atmospheric, with a pulsating sense of anticipation that steadily builds, the film pulls us into the fears, wounds, and desires of each character, ultimately revealing that hope may arrive from the last place we expect.

The meticulously authentic production design, killer soundtrack, and universally excellent performances recall the spirit of classic 80s teen movies like Stand By Me and The Breakfast Club. 18 TO PARTY is a spot-on love letter to Gen X, awkward teenagers, and the transcendent power of friendship.

An Official Selection at Woodstock Film Festival, Florida Film Festival (Winner! Special Jury Award/ Ensemble Cast), Big Apple Film Festival, Liverpool Film Festival and more.

FILMMAKER JEFF RODA
Jeff Roda has written screenplays for DreamWorks, Universal, Paramount Pictures, New Regency, TriStar, and television pilots for HBO, CBS, and Warner Bros. Additionally, he was a producer on the Sony Pictures Classics feature, Love Liza, starring Academy Award winning actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathy Bates. 18 TO PARTY marks his directorial debut. Roda is a local resident of Woodstock area and the film is set in Upstate New York.

Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes
Director and Writer: Jeff Roda
Cast: Alivia Clark, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson and Erich Schuett
Producers: Nikola Duravcevic, Emily Ziff Griffin, Andrew Cahill, Stephanie Marin
Music by: The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and many more

VIEW TRAILER BELOW

18 TO PARTY Opens November 6th

(L-R) Alivia Clark and Tanner Flood in Jeff Roda’s 18 TO PARTY
(Photo Credit: Asterion Pictures)

Giants Pictures, An Asterion Pictures Production in Association with Cahill Bros Film To Party opens in Virtual Theaters on November 6^th in New York and major cities – Alamo on Demand and Los Angeles – Laemmle with a VOD Release to follow and all major platforms.

(L-R) Oliver Gifford, Tanner Flood, Taylor Richardson and Nolan Lyons in Jeff Roda’s 18 TO PARTY
(Photo Credit: Asterion Pictures)

About Jeff Roda

Jeff Roda has written screenplays for DreamWorks, Universal, Paramount Pictures, New Regency, TriStar, and television pilots for HBO, CBS, and Warner Bros. Additionally, he was a producer on the Sony Pictures Classics feature, Love Liza, starring Academy Award winning actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathy Bates. 18 TO PARTY marks his directorial debut. Roda is a local resident of Woodstock area and the film is set in Upstate New York.

An official selection at Woodstock Film Festival, Florida Film Festival (Winner! Special Jury Award/ Ensemble Cast), Big Apple Film Festival, Liverpool Film Festival and more.

Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes
Country: US
Genre: Comedy
Initial Release: 2019
Director and Writer: Jeff Roda
Star cast: Alivia Clark, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson and Erich Schuett
Producers: Nikola Duravcevic, Emily Ziff Griffin, Andrew Cahill, Stephanie Marin
Music By: The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and many more
Cinematographer: Gris Jordana
Costume Designer: Eva Lopez
Production Designer: Sam Bader
Editor: Kate Williams

FIRST ONE IN New Movie Trailer

Available on Amazon Prime Video
Tuesday, September 8, 2020

FIRST ONE IN is set to release on major VOD/Digital platforms including Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
Rating: Not Yet Rates
Genre: Comedy

Facebook: facebook.com/FirstOneInFilm
Twitter: twitter.com/FirstOneInFilm
Instagram: instagram.com/FirstOneInFilm

FIRST ONE IN is written and directed by Gina O’Brien. Produced by Paul Jarrett and Nick Huston and executive produced by Jonathan Gray. Cinematography by Matthew Santo. Edited by Charles Divak. Casting by Christine Kromer. A Rosetta Films and Literally Films Production.

TENNIS COMEDY ‘FIRST ONE IN’ SETS RELEASE FOR SEPTEMBER 8

Literally Films has announced the release date of the indie-tennis-comedy FIRST ONE IN, starring Kat Foster (Jean-Claude Van Johnson, Weeds) and Georgia King (HBO’s Vice Principals ). The film is executive produced by Jonathan Gray and produced by Paul Jarrett and Nick Huston, in association with Rosetta Films and Literally Films.

FIRST ONE IN is the feature-directing debut of indie screenwriter Gina O’Brien. This is the third feature from O’Brien whose Sundance premiere “Once More With Feeling” was produced by Rosetta Films’ Paul Jarrett. Jarrett directed O’Brien’s second screenplay “Fan Girl” which premiered on ABC Family.

After accidentally killing an endangered animal on a popular reality TV show, Madi Cooke (Kat Foster) is labeled an eco-terrorist, is fired from her job, and believes she now is the most hated woman in America. She changes her look and last name to interview with Bobbi (Georgia King), who heads Mason Agents — the #1 real estate firm in Connecticut. But in an effort to maintain championship status in a local, annual tournament, Bobbi only hires women who play tennis.

Madi joins a clinic at Acme Indoor Tennis to practice the game she hasn’t played seriously since high school, nearly 20 years ago. That’s where she meets Tennis Pro Fernando (Josh Segarra), Jane (Catherine Curtin), Ceecee (Emy Coligado), Preeti (Aneesh Sheth) and Valentina (Karina Arroyave), and renews her strained friendship with her best friend and former high school tennis partner, Ollie (Alana O’Brien).

In a twist of events, Madi and her underdogs take on Bobbi’s Mason Agents at their Elite tennis club, where Madi will find her grit or lose everything.

“During the day in tennis clubs across America, millions of women gather to hit balls at each other. I’m one of them,” says O’Brien. “We wear trendy outfits, visors, and elbow and knee braces. We drink coconut water and eat protein bars and take acetaminophen. We are middle-aged women of all shapes, sizes, and athletic ability. Our personal lives may differ from one another, but on some 250,000 courts in the U.S., we’re all tennis players. Many of us aren’t good, but the competition is as fierce as the pros, sort of, and it’s fun material for a screenplay.”

FIRST ONE IN is set to release on major VOD/Digital platforms including Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2020. FIRST ONE IN stars Kat Foster (Jean-Claude Van Johnson, Weeds), Georgia King (HBO’s Vice Principals ), Alana O’Brien (Inside Amy Schumer), Emy Coligado (Crossing Jordan), Catherine Curtin (Orange is the New Black), Aneesh Sheth ( Jessica Jones), Karina Arroyave (Orange is the New Black), Josh Segarra ( Trainwreck), and Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer, Stella).

About Rosetta Films

Prior to First One In, Paul Jarrett (Rosetta Films) managed non-scripted production for ABC News Long Form / Lincoln Square Productions as the Supervising Line Producer. Jarrett delivered content to and managed relationships with Disney ABC Television Group, A&E, Investigation Discovery, Bravo, Netflix, and Disney +. Jarrett also recently executive produced and was the show-runner on the Investigation Discovery Channel TV show I, Witness, which premiered in 2017. Prior to that, Jarrett directed and produced the feature film Fan Girl starring Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle). When Fan Girl premiered on ABC Family, the film was the 8th most trending Twitter topic in the world.

Blackstone, Hudson $1.65 Billion Hollywood Film Production Deal

Blackstone Property Partners, an investment group, has bought a 49% stake in Sunset Bronson, 5800 Sunset Blvd., Sunset Gower, 1438 N. Gower Street and Sunset Las Palmas, 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, from Hudson Pacific Properties said Chairman-CEO Victor Coleman.

The combined square footage of the three studios is 1.2 million square feet and includes 35 sound stages, all valued at $1.65 billion.

Blackstone looks to expand development at Sunset Gower, Sunset Las Palmas Studios and make additional studio purchases din and around Los Angeles and beyond.