NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Matthew Leutwyler

By Kelly Strodl

The_river_why_400

This afternoon we talked with Matthew Leutwyler, director of THE RIVER WHY, the story of 20-year old Gus Oryiston. A Mozart of fly fishing, Gus leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family to live the simple secluded life on the banks of a river. Instead of the bliss Gus hoped for, his isolation drives him to a journey of self-discovery. Along this journey Gus comes in contact with a number of eccentric people who help him through his passage into adulthood. He finds friendship and love where he never expected it, and lives by the following observation: "The surface of the earth is 30% land and 70% water. A newborn baby is composed of 70% water and 30% everything else. I guess this means that life and water are inseparable."

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I actually had a film there years ago. My first feature, Road Kill. I live in Los Angeles now so am familiar with the fest anyway. 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: Upon high school graduation, I left on a trek to Australia and took along with me a soft cover copy of THE RIVER WHY. It was my constant companion on an adventure that included working on a dairy farm and fishing the various rivers and streams of Victoria's high country. I must have read the book four or five times over the course of my journey, identifying closely with Gus's departure from his home in pursuit of happiness in the wilderness. The book remained a favorite of mine over the years since I returned, so naturally when the opportunity came to direct the film version it was a dream come true.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I studied film at The San Francisco Art Institue and then moved to L.A. to get into the business. A few years later I met Miranda Bailey (director of the doc Greenlit, also playing at the fest) and we formed our production company Ambush Entertainment. . Since then, Ambush has produced 2005's award-winning critically acclaimed drama The Squid and the Whale; the sexually charged comedy The Oh In Ohio starring Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, and Danny DeVito; the sci-fi horror Unearthed; and the comedy Lower Learning with Eva Longoria Parker, Jason Biggs, and Rob Corddry. Recent films include: Against the Current, with Joseph Fiennes, Mary Tyler Moore and Justin Kirk which Premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by IFC Films; the Matthew Broderick and Sanaa Lathan drama Wonderful World, distributed by Magnolia Pictures; and Every Day, written and directed by Richard Levine (Nip/Tuck) and starring Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, and Carla Gugino which will make its World Premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. The company’s latest film, the action comedy Super starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon just wrapped production and is expected to be completed in late Spring 2010.

My latest directing was the ensemble drama Answers To Nothing, starring Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell, Julie Benz, and Barbara Hershey which recently completed principal photography.

I've also been doing some short form work with spots for Chevrolet and most recently a Coke Zero commercial that was a cross promotion with the film Avatar.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Working with William Hurt was an obvious thrill. He really challenges you to be your best. But working with Zach Gilford and Amber Heard was the most fun. I have a real fondness for both actors. Zach and I worked again recently on Answers To Nothing. They were game for anything and totally prepared. They also fit into the loose vibe but quick pace that we had on set. Zach especially had to endure a lot on THE RIVER WHY. Not only did he have to carry the entire movie, as he is in almost every scene but he had to do it while dealing with the elements. The climatic fishing sequence at the end of the film was shot over 16 hours straight - from day into night and then back into the early morning. And he had to do it while performing in 55 degree water. There was never a complaint, he really just wanted it to be authentic and it came out beautifully. 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: Sleep. Its been a really busy few years for us at Ambush so right now that is all I have time for.

THE RIVER WHY screens at 6 PM on Friday, April 23 at the Edwards Island 7.

Buy tickets here for Friday:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256931

Posted by Kelly Strodl
 

NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Larry Brand

By Kelly Strodl

Christina

Today we talk with Larry Brand Director/Screenwriter of CHRISTINA, a film inspired by the true story of a young German woman who must confront a dark secret before she can start a new life in America. As the young woman prepares to leave her war-ravaged city to begin a new life in the U.S. with her G.I. fiance - standing between her and a hopeful future is a relentless police inspector, determined to prevent her from escaping the past. He pushes her to face the truth about a child, whose secret the woman has kept all this time. Before she can leave for her new life, she will be forced to confront the past she's been trying to leave behind. 

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?
A: My executive producers, Rebecca Reynolds and Jim Carpenter, heard about it through our producers’ rep, Noor Ahmed, who’s a longtime fan of the festival. Noor thought it would be an excellent venue to premiere our film.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.
A: Years ago, a family friend told me a story about an American GI who became involved with a young German woman just after the end of the war. As their relationship unfolded he learned, painfully, that she was not what she had appeared, and in fact stood accused of a monstrous act committed in the shadows of the greater carnage. I’d always been fascinated by World War II, but wasn’t particularly interested in doing a traditional war movie; personal, intimate crime is inherently more intriguing to me than the spectacle of battle. The story of CHRISTINA, its constantly shifting narratives, its layering of truth and half-truth, its real-time pacing and cinematic intimacy, offered a way to shrink down to human scale the unapproachable vastness of a war that took fifty million lives.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
A: Like most filmmakers, I loved movies as a kid, and can remember waiting for the next horror or monster flick to hit the Midway Theater in Forest Hills. Years later, when working for Roger Corman, I would recall how effective his THE PREMATURE BURIAL had been on me and my friends. But I was equally influenced by TV shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” In fact, I can even see some Twilight Zone influences in CHRISTINA. Sometimes, I can almost imagine Rod Serling, standing just off the set, watching the story unfold....

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)
A: Nicki Aycox and Jordan Belfi seemed as if they were born to play the roles of Christina and Billy. Nicki has the ethereal quality of a living ghost, a survivor who doesn’t quite believe she’s made it into the present; Jordan captures the optimism and likeability of a WW II GI, certain the future is his for the taking. 

Berlin Police Inspector Reinhardt was the last to be cast and, when producer/cinematographer Kees Van Oostrum suggested Stephen Lang, I flew to New York to meet him. Though I knew of his reputation as an actor, I was a bit concerned about his physicality: he was a good decade younger than I’d imagined Reinhardt, and very muscular – he still looked like Col. Quaritch from AVATAR. But he told me not to worry, just to make sure wardrobe got him a suit one size too big for him. By the time he got to the set he’d undergone a complete transformation; he was unrecognizable. He looked stiff, almost frail, a good decade older. People were asking me where we found the “old German actor.” 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?
A:Well, sometimes I’m writing non-indie films. But, mostly, when I’m not making movies, I spend my time watching other people’s movies.

CHRISTINA screens at 7:30 PM on Friday, April 23 at the Edwards Island Theater 4.

Buy tickets here:

Watch the trailer for CHRISTINA here:

Posted by Kelly Strodl
 

Newport Beach Filmmaker's Five with Daryn Tufts

By Kelly Strodl

My_girlfriends_boyfriend

I took a moment to talk with Daryn Tufts, director/writer of MY GIRLFRIEND’S BOYFRIEND, a fun rom-com about Jesse, a sassy, intelligent woman who has yet to find "Mr. Right." That is until she bumps into Ethan, a writer pushed to the edge of despair after having another novel rejected by publishers. For Jesse, the encounter offers more than a chance to inspire the artist in Ethan again. It also opens a new, romantic chapter in her life... with one huge complication. Moments after meeting the perfect guy for her, Jesse meets Mr. Perfect – Troy, a confident and successful advertising executive who makes almost every moment elegant and romantic. Soon Jesse is in over her head and grappling with the ultimate romantic paradox: what does a girl do when she meets "Mr. Right" after already meeting the right guy? 

 

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: Being local to Salt Lake City, I attend the Sundance Film Festival every year, which made me interested in other festivals. I first heard of the Newport Beach Film Festival a couple of years ago when I was attending some other festivals with another movie I was involved with. When it came time to submit MY GIRLFRIEND’S BOYFRIEND to film festivals, our distribution partners strongly encouraged us to submit it to Newport Beach, having nothing but tremendously positive things to say about that festival. So we did, and this will be the first time I’m coming to NBFF to experience it for myself.  

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: I wanted to write a love story that did something surprising and unconventional. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many loves stories follow a very familiar and predictable story structure. I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting if a movie presented itself as a conventional love story, and then turned into something very different and surprising? Essentially, I wanted to write something that had a twist – a smart, funny love story that had heart, but also did something I’ve never seen in this genre before.

We shot the film entirely in Salt Lake City, with local crew, producers, etc. We wanted to shoot Salt Lake in a way that brought out the charm and interesting aspects of that city, hopefully in a way we haven’t seen done before. All of the main cast came from Hollywood, and we cast some of the smaller parts out of Salt Lake City.

 

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in film-making.

A: I’ve always been passionate about film. Nerd, geek passionate, in fact. But I didn’t set out to be a filmmaker. I began my career as a copywriter, working for ad agencies and production companies. During and after college, I also enjoyed writing and performing sketch and improvisational comedy with a couple different comedy troupes. Those experiences were incredible, and indirectly led to some opportunities to write and act in some small independent films.

Originally, I didn’t foresee anything happening with those movies, but they each went on to find success in theaters and DVD. Once I had some experience in filmmaking and I was already working as a professional writer, I thought I’d see what I could do with it. I started writing my own screenplays and decided to produce a couple of small documentaries. And things sort of grew from there. Writing led to opportunities to act, direct, and produce. Through it all, I’ve discovered that writing and directing is what I definitely enjoy the most.  I haven’t performed live comedy in a long time and while I still do a little bit of acting, writing and directing is definitely what I see myself continuing to do.

 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.

A: I guess the biggest surprise is that these actors wanted to be in the movie in the first place. I know that might seem a little cliché, but it’s really true. As independent filmmakers in Utah, we didn’t have any connections to any of these actors.  All we had was a script and a business plan to throw at these actors and say “Hey…ummm… wanna be in it?” When I first heard that Alyssa Milano was interested in the film, I half-expected that the person telling me was just yanking my chain.

Making a movie is a huge process that involves a lot of people, so there are always set-backs. But we were very fortunate that things went as smoothly as they did. Alyssa really dug in and helped shape and polish the story and production of the movie, and all of the actors brought some surprises. For example, some of Chris Gorham’s best and funniest dialogue was stuff Chris came up with for his character. And our crew was incredible. I’m proud to say that on a limited budget, we have a film that looks amazing and much bigger than its budget constraints – and that was all because of the people behind the scenes.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: Reading, writing, watching movies and great TV shows, traveling, spending time with my family and friends, and forcing myself to get to the gym once in a while. And thanks to Alyssa Milano’s influence, I’ve been twittering for the past year. Follow me! @DarynTufts

MY GIRLFRIEND’S BOYFRIEND screens at 7:45 PM on Saturday, April 24 at the Edwards Island Theater 1.

Buy tickets here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256875

Watch the trailer for MY GIRLFRIEND’S BOYFRIEND here:

Posted by Kelly Strodl