Amanda Crew to destroy Chris Marquette in wrestler comedy
Award-winning writer/director Robert Cuffley is bringing his fourth feature film “Chokeslam” to production in Regina, Saskatchewan from September 13th to October 7th. “Chokeslam” was recently chosen as one of four recipients of the 2015 CFC/Telefilm Features Comedy Exchange. The film is a co-production with CHAOS A Film Company Inc. and Karma Film.
“Chokeslam” is the story of Corey, a mild-mannered deli clerk (Chris Marquette – “Bad Country”, “Broken Horses”) who finally gets a second chance to pursue Sheena, his high school sweetheart (Amanda Crew – “Silicon Valley”, “Charlie St. Cloud”), a notorious female professional wrestler, when she returns for their ten-year reunion. “Chokeslam” is the story of bruising your knuckles as you club your way through the barriers of love. It’s also about the perils of dating a wrestler with a bad temper.
Robert states, “To me it’s all about the two leads. Like Bud Court and Ruth Gordon in “Harold and Maude” or Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange in “Tootsie”, it all rests on their shoulders. So having Amanda and Chris on board, along with Michael Eklund, makes me both confident and excited.”
While making several other movies since Chokeslam’s inception, co-writer Jason Long and Robert found that the humor and heart of “Chokeslam” would always pull them back to this script. The idea for the movie came to Robert after browsing through his high school yearbook many years after graduating. He found it eerie how everyone’s life has changed so drastically from the brief time bubble of high school.
This led to the creation of Corey and Sheena, the ultimate odd couple who reunite at their ten-year high school reunion. “Their relationship has heart and people will connect with that. Wrestling is spectacle. It’s theatre. We’re showing the drama in front of the curtains and behind them as well.”
Robert, an award-winning director and screenwriter, has completed three features films. Robert’s first, co-written with Jason Long, was the multiple Genie nominated “Turning Paige.” His second, “Walk All Over Me” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where the Weinstein Brothers bought it. Most recently, he wrote and directed “Ferocious,” starring Kim Coates and Amanda Crew. His films have played the Toronto International Film Festival, The Palm Springs International Film Festival and the SXSW Film Festival, among many others.
Robert grew up in Calgary and has lived in Vancouver. He studied film at S.A.I.T. and the National Screen Institute. Recent Alum of Canadian Film Centre, Robert is currently developing a pilot for television and a supernatural thriller.
“Chokeslam” has been developed with the participation of Telefilm Canada and the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, a CFC initiative in association with Just for Laughs as well as funding from Creative Sask.
Robert is available for interviews upon request. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191258/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
For more information and interview requests please contact:
Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575
Representation:
Canada | Lucas Talent | Anna Archer | anna.archer@lucastalent.com
USA | Valleywood Entertainment | John Ferraro | john@valleywoodent.com
Social Media Handles
Twitter: @RobertCuffley, @amandaccrew, @chris_marquette, @MichaelEklund
IMDb: Robert Cuffley
Contact The Promotion People
Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575
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