Tag Archives: cinematographer

Brightlight Pictures’ Short film, “GREECE”, heads for colder climate with Whistler International Film Festival Selection

Writer/Director/Actor Sarah Deakins’ award winning short film, “GREECE” is set for its Canadian premiere at the Whistler International Film Festival as a part of the Canadian Short Works Competition. “GREECE” will screen on Thursday, December 4th, 12:00pm at Millennium Place www.whistlerfilmfestival.com

“GREECE” centers on a daughter’s final attempt to connect with her seemingly catatonic mother. Brightlight Pictures president Shawn Williamson saw something in local writer Deakins’ script, and took the project on as a creative labour of love. A recent co-recipient of the inaugural Brian Linehan Actor Award, Deakins also stars in the character driven drama and as a director she was finally able to fully realize her vision, in her hometown of Vancouver.

Already a triple award winner, GREECE continues to garner praise following its debut in October on the US Film Festival circuit. A fresh, local Vancouver crew, all volunteers, worked closely together to produce a short with incredible production value, inspired by a strong creative vision from the film’s writer/director, Sarah Deakins, and captured beautifully by cinematographer Jon Joffin.

The Best Shorts Competition says of GREECE, “A tribute to the complicated relationships between parents and children with moving dialogue and expressions…A deeply personal journey with beautiful cinematography” and film critic David Spaner tweeted, “…catch director/actor/writer Sarah Deakins’ Greece when you can. Beautifully executed short making festival rounds”.

In response to the three awards before the film has even hit the Canadian festival circuit, Ms. Deakins states, “Everyone who worked on this film is thrilled to have been recognized by the Best Shorts Competition and The Accolade Global competition judges, and we are most grateful that the film is connecting with people. The whole team worked really hard to bring this vision to life and to know that people are now responding to the artistry that we took such care with is most gratifying. And we’re thrilled to have our Canadian premiere at Whistler!”

Producer Arielle Boisvert says, “We have been very pleased with the response to our film. The subject matter is close to our hearts and we are looking forward to our Canadian premier in Whistler.”

About Brightlight Pictures
Brightlight Pictures develops, packages and produces independent feature films and television projects, and its President, Shawn Williamson, has produced more than 90 productions in the last 15 years and over 35 productions since launching Brightlight in 2001. Recently, Williamson has worked as an executive producer on the feature film THE INTERVIEW (Seth Rogen, James Franco) for Columbia Pictures and the television series WITCHES OF EAST END (Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum) for Fox 21. His recent producer credits include the feature film HORNS (Daniel Radcliffe) for Mandalay and Red Granite Pictures; 50/50 (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt;) and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, a Sony Picture directed by Robert Redford and starring Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf.

For more information regarding “GREECE” please contact Producer Arielle Boisvert, at Brightlight Pictures: (604) 628-3000 or 778-866-1647Arielle@brightlightpictures.com.

For tickets and information, go to http:// www.whistlerfilmfestival.com/

http://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=96662~065377bc-134d-43b4-bdf6-5c488f454cc8&epguid=c8e308ba-1308-4874-b76e-e3506cb394e3

Social Media Handles

Website: sarahdeakins.com, brightlightpictures.com
Twitter: @sarahcdeakins, @GREECEthefilm, @BrightlightPict
Facebook: facebook.com/GreeceAShortFilm
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0212639/

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Brightlight Pictures Makes “Short” Work of Writer/Director Sarah Deakins’ Labour of Love ‘GREECE’

Screens at the Sunscreen West, LA Femme International & Hollywood Film Festivals

Sarah Deakins’ short film, “GREECE,” already an Accolade Global Competition 2 time Award Of Excellence Winner, and a Best Shorts Film Competition Award Of Excellence winner is set to premiere in LA with 3 festival selections in October at the Sunscreen West Film Festival (supported by the Academy of Motion Pictures), the LA Femme International Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival!

Brightlight Pictures president Shawn Williamson saw something in local writer Deakins’ script, and took the project on as a creative labour of love. A fresh, local crew, all volunteers, worked closely together to produce a short with incredible production value, inspired by a strong creative vision from the film’s writer/director, Sarah Deakins, and captured beautifully by cinematographer Jon Joffin.

A successful actor for decades in Vancouver, Deakins had been living in LA and was on a trip home to visit family when Williamson requested the script, and a creative partnership was born. Having written the film, Deakins also stars in the character driven drama. As a director she was finally able to fully realize her vision, in her hometown of Vancouver.

In response to the three awards before the film has even hit the festival circuit, Ms. Deakins states, “Everyone who worked on this film is thrilled to have been recognized by the Best Shorts Competition and The Accolade Global competition judges, and we are most grateful that the film is connecting with people. The whole team worked really hard to bring this vision to life and to know that people are now responding to the artistry that we took such care with is most gratifying.”

“GREECE” centers around a daughter’s final attempt to connect with her seemingly catatonic mother.

Producer Arielle Boisvert says, “We have been very pleased with the response to our film. The subject matter is close to our hearts and we are looking forward to kicking off our festival run.”

Tickets to the October 11^th 12:15pm screening at the Sunscreen Film Festival can be purchased online at www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com (Narrative Shorts Block #5, Drama – Families These Days)

Tickets to the October 16^th11:30am screening at the Hollywood Film festival can be purchased at www.hollywoodfilmfestival.com/ (SHORTS program #1: On the Battlefield)

Tickets to the October 16^th 6pm screening at LA Femme F.F. can be purchased online at www.lafemme.org (Shorts, Venue #2)

Brightlight Boilerplate

Brightlight Pictures develops, packages and produces independent feature films and television projects. Brightlight’s President, Shawn Williamson, has produced more than 90 productions in the last 15 years and over 35 productions since launching Brightlight in 2001 including WHITE NOISE (Michael Keaton) which has grossed over $100 million since its world-wide theatrical release in 2005. Recently, Williamson has worked as an executive producer on the feature film THE INTERVIEW (Seth Rogen, James Franco) for Columbia Pictures and the television series WITCHES OF EAST END (Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and RUSH (Tom Ellis) for Fox 21. His recent producer credits include the feature film HORNS (Daniel Radcliffe) for Mandalay and Red Granite Pictures; 50/50 (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt); and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP for Sony Pictures Classics directed by Robert Redford and starring Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf. Other feature producing credits include THE POSSESSION (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick) for Mandate Pictures and Lions Gate Films; WHITE NOISE 2: THE LIGHT (Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff) with Gold Circle Films; IN THE NAME OF THE KING (Jason Statham); 88 MINUTES (Al Pacino); WICKER MAN (Nicolas Cage) for Nu Image/Millennium Films and Emmett Furla Films; SLITHER with Gold Circle Films and Universal and APOLLO 18 for the Weinstein Company. Williamson is currently producing the feature film THE 9^th LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX (Jamie Dornan, Aaron Paul) with Miramax.

Social Media Handles

Website: sarahdeakins.com, brightlightpictures.com
Twitter: @sarahcdeakins, @GREECEthefilm, @BrightlightPict
Facebook: facebook.com/GreeceAShortFilm
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0212639/

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Award Winning Actor/Director Juan Riedinger Wins Again–Taking Home Two Leo Awards Over the Weekend

Multi-award winning actor Juan Riedinger can add two new wins to his resume; taking home two Leo Awards at this year’s awards ceremony. Juan won the ‘Best Performance in a Web Series’ award for “Pavement”-Wake Up, and ‘Best Performance in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series’ award for his role in “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour”-Coat Rack Cowboy. The Leo Awards were distributed to the best in B.C. film and television this past weekend in Vancouver.

Juan took home the Best Performance awards for his leading role in the exciting new web series entitled “Pavement”. Set on the streets of LA, Juan plays Mitch, a Meth-addicted father who is desperately trying to keep his family together. Juan was the only Canadian actor in the production, working alongside ER Ruiz (Sons of Anarchy).

On TV, Juan won Best Performance in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series’ for R. L. Stine’s “The Haunting Hour” – Coat Rack Cowboy. He played John ‘Mad Dog’ McCoy, an Old West gunslinger who comes back to haunt two brothers he believes cut down the tree he was hanged from. Juan worked alongside the youngest of the Jonas Brothers – Frankie Jonas. Juan was also nominated in the same category at last year’s Leos for a different character on the same show.

Juan took home two out of the three awards he was nominated for this year. He was also nominated for ‘Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama’ for the feature film “Havana 57″. The film was the first ever Canadian-Cuban co-production and was shot entirely on location in Havana, Cuba. “Havana 57” follows Rubén Velez (Juan Riedinger), a newly appointed homicide detective in the Havana police force in 1957, just before the Cuban revolution.

These past few years Juan has been extremely busy filming in Los Angeles, Cuba, Mexico, Montreal, Toronto, Rhode Island, Vancouver, and even in his hometown of Banff. Juan and his wife Agam Darshi played a couple for the first time in the short dramatic film “Reunion”. The film was shot in Sayulita, Mexico (where the real-life couple were married) and in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Juan just completed filming a supporting role in a feature film entitled “Broken Horses”, by Bollywood legend Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Three Idiots, Parinda), where he worked alongside Vincent D’Onofrio, Anton Yelchin, and cinematographer Tom Stern (The Hunger Games, Mystic River). He is also a lead character in the horror feature “Alice D.”, also starring horror legend Kane Hodder. Juan also has the leading role of Jess in the post-apocalyptic web series called “Breakers”, currently in production.

Juan has received a long list of industry accolades for his performances. He won a 2012 Leo Award for Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama for his leading role in the film “blood/sweat/tears”. He was given the ‘Best Actor’ award at the 2011 Indy Horror Film Festival for his leading role in “On a Dark and Stormy Night,” which was also awarded ‘Best Feature.’ He also recently became the only two-time recipient of the A&E Short Filmmaker’s Award for his short films “Shark Out of Water” and “Birth Day”. Riedinger’s role in the independent film Zero Hour also won him two best actor awards at festivals in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Juan was also nominated for Best Actor in the 2012 Chicago Horror Film Festival for his leading role in the acclaimed feature-length thriller Spades.

Juan’s other list of notable credits include: playing Peter Whyte from a teen until his death in “Drawing Home”; a supporting role in the horror-comedy, “Jennifer’s Body” alongside Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody; a supporting role in “Hardwired”, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Val Kilmer; a role in “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem”, as the ill-fated stoner, Scotty; and shared the screen alongside Jennifer Connely in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

Multi-talented Riedinger made his directorial debut on the film entitled “Shark Out of Water”, which he also wrote and received four Leo Award nominations for, including Best Short Film and Best Direction in a Short Film. The film deals with two poker-obsessed young men who must come to terms with their addiction, and includes a cameo appearance by internationally renowned poker champion Phil Hellmuth. The official website for Juan’s Leo Award-nominated directorial debut is now live at: sharkoutofwater.com.

“Float” is a 35mm short film which Juan directed with a grant from Bravo!FACT, and made its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival. There Juan received the award for ‘Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film’. The film also made its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Riedinger, originally from Banff, Alberta, moved to Vancouver to pursue acting full time. Soon after, he won a nationwide casting call for a recurring role in Showcase’s “Godiva’s”. He also landed a supporting lead in “Shred” alongside Tom Green, and guest starred in such television shows as “Smallville”, “Fringe”, and “Continuum”.

Social Media Handles

Website: juanriedinger.com
Twitter: @JuanRiedinger

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Jasmyn Pozzo – Publicist
jasmyn@thepromotionpeople.ca
705.255.6887

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Award Winning Actor/Director Juan Riedinger is nominated for three awards at the 2013 Leo Awards

Multi-award winning actor Juan Riedinger has been nominated for three Leo Awards: ‘Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama’ for “Havana 57”, ‘Best Performance in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series’ for “R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour”- Coat Rack Cowboy, and ‘Best Performance in a Web Series’ for “Pavement” – Wake Up. The Leo Awards take place at the spectacular Westin Bayshore Vancouver on June 7th and 8th.

Juan’s first nomination is for his starring role in the feature film “Havana 57”. The film was the first ever Canadian-Cuban co-production and was shot entirely on location in Havana, Cuba. “Havana 57” follows Rubén Velez (Juan Riedinger), a newly appointed homicide detective in the Havana police force in 1957, just before the Cuban revolution. His brother, a university professor named Luis, is actively involved in the student uprisings prevailing in Havana at the time. Velez is caught between two worlds – the crooked police force he belongs to, and the student rebels, who his own brother supports. After being seduced by Juliana (Elisabetta Fantone), a Cuban dancer with ties to the mob, Velez must decide where his allegiances lie.

Juan is also nominated for his leading role in an exciting new web series entitled “Pavement”. Set on the streets of LA, Juan plays Mitch, a Meth-addicted father who is desperately trying to keep his family together. Juan was the only Canadian actor in the production, working alongside ER Ruiz (Sons of Anarchy).

On television, Juan has been nominated for Best Performance in a Youth or Children’s Program or Series’ for R. L. Stine’s “The Haunting Hour” – Coat Rack Cowboy. He played John ‘Mad Dog’ McCoy, an Old West gunslinger who comes back to haunt two brothers he believes cut down the tree he was hanged from. Juan worked alongside the youngest of the Jonas Brothers – Frankie Jonas. Juan was also nominated in the same category at last year’s Leos for a different character on the same show.

Juan resides with his wife Agam Darshi in both Los Angeles and Vancouver. Juan is available for interviews and photos upon request.

Social Media Handles

Website: juanriedinger.com
Twitter: @JuanRiedinger

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Jasmyn Pozzo – Publicist
jasmyn@thepromotionpeople.ca
705.255.6887

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People