Exclusive: Writer/producer/director Gary Lennon, who was recently named co-showrunner on Season 6 of Starz’s high-rated series, Power, has sold his script, A Family Film, to Liz Levine and Adrian Salpeter, co-founders of the production company, Random Bench.
The film is described as a brutal, darkly humorous and heartbreaking new spin on the family film genre. It revolves around three orphaned brothers who reunite to settle unfinished business and in doing so change their lives forever.
Lennon will executive produce through his Street Kid Productions banner. His promotion to co-showrunner on Power is part of his overall deal with Starz, in which he will develop additional projects for the premium cabler. Lennon also served as a producer on FX’s Justified, which earned him a Peabody Award, WGA Award and an AFI Award Honoree for Television Program of the Year.
Liz Levine and Adrian Salpeter served as producer on...
The film is described as a brutal, darkly humorous and heartbreaking new spin on the family film genre. It revolves around three orphaned brothers who reunite to settle unfinished business and in doing so change their lives forever.
Lennon will executive produce through his Street Kid Productions banner. His promotion to co-showrunner on Power is part of his overall deal with Starz, in which he will develop additional projects for the premium cabler. Lennon also served as a producer on FX’s Justified, which earned him a Peabody Award, WGA Award and an AFI Award Honoree for Television Program of the Year.
Liz Levine and Adrian Salpeter served as producer on...
- 7/26/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Caveh Zahedi: "I think honesty is the most subversive thing you can do in this world." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
An episode spoofing Spike Jonze and Viceland with Emmy Harrington as "Slut Machine" from Caveh Zahedi's spine-chilling The Show About The Show was a highlight of this year's Tribeca Film Festival N.O.W. Showcase.
Person to Person director Dustin Guy Defa (in Matías Piñeiro's Hermia & Helena), Eléonore Hendricks (Peter Brunner's To the Night with Caleb Landry Jones), Alex Karpovsky (Jess Bond's Rosy with Stacy Martin), Kentucker Audley (Celia Rowlson-Hall's Ma and Charles Poekel's Christmas, Again), Sam Stillman, editor Peter Rinaldi, Applesauce director Onur Tukel and his cinematographer Jason Banker, Amanda Field, and even IndieWire's Eric Kohn have been seduced by the creator to play themselves or others.
"I feel that way about all my films, not just this one. I think they're all a perfect expression of me.
An episode spoofing Spike Jonze and Viceland with Emmy Harrington as "Slut Machine" from Caveh Zahedi's spine-chilling The Show About The Show was a highlight of this year's Tribeca Film Festival N.O.W. Showcase.
Person to Person director Dustin Guy Defa (in Matías Piñeiro's Hermia & Helena), Eléonore Hendricks (Peter Brunner's To the Night with Caleb Landry Jones), Alex Karpovsky (Jess Bond's Rosy with Stacy Martin), Kentucker Audley (Celia Rowlson-Hall's Ma and Charles Poekel's Christmas, Again), Sam Stillman, editor Peter Rinaldi, Applesauce director Onur Tukel and his cinematographer Jason Banker, Amanda Field, and even IndieWire's Eric Kohn have been seduced by the creator to play themselves or others.
"I feel that way about all my films, not just this one. I think they're all a perfect expression of me.
- 5/14/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Ant-Man (Peyton Reed)
Having continually proven that they can repackage the same general structure and archetypes into their cinematic universe for increasing box-office returns, Marvel’s impetus to think completely outside the box is not strong. With varying creative results, Guardians of the Galaxy proved that the right ingredients in the formula can result in an entertaining ride, while the over-stuffed Age of Ultron did little more then exhaust.
Ant-Man (Peyton Reed)
Having continually proven that they can repackage the same general structure and archetypes into their cinematic universe for increasing box-office returns, Marvel’s impetus to think completely outside the box is not strong. With varying creative results, Guardians of the Galaxy proved that the right ingredients in the formula can result in an entertaining ride, while the over-stuffed Age of Ultron did little more then exhaust.
- 11/20/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
In the midst of a national theatrical tour, the bold, feminist thriller Felt is now also available on iTunes. This second narrative feature from Toad Road‘s Jason Banker is a challenging, incredible film about artist Amy Everson and her ongoing struggle as the result of past trauma. I was blown away by Felt and am excited to offer Shock…
The post Felt – Win iTunes Codes for Bold, Must-See Thriller appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Felt – Win iTunes Codes for Bold, Must-See Thriller appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 7/22/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Newcomer Amy Everson conveys a woman emotionally maimed and tortured in director Jason Banker's arty, claustrophobic, sort-of rape revenge thriller "Felt" (now on VOD from Amplify Releasing). We never know the source of her sexual trauma because "Felt" dwells only in the messy gulf of "after," which is a provocative stance for an American indie film to take in a time when questions of abuse and sexual barriers are so embedded in our discourse. Amy (played by Everson) putters through her days in a stew of despair, and suffers recurring nightmares that replay whatever it is that happened to her. A San Francisco artist, Amy wears a chicken suit and stands outside a fast food restaurant waving her arms around to pay the bills. She has a support system of friends that is foundering. In public, her speech melts into a puddle of sexual baby talk and scatological streams-of-consciousness.
- 7/21/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The feature narrative debut of Jorge Torres-Torres, editor of Toad Road and Felt (as well as responsible for additional cinematography on both films), Sisters of the Plague seems a dream(y) collaboration of vivid, haunting contemporary horror. Torres-Torres reunites with Toad Road director Jason Banker on the screenplay, while the film stars Josephine Decker, artist and…
The post Sisters of the Plague Teaser Debut: New Horror From Toad Road Filmmakers appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Sisters of the Plague Teaser Debut: New Horror From Toad Road Filmmakers appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 7/10/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
This review was originally posted during Fantastic Fest 2014
An uncomfortable feeling hit me almost immediately while watching Jason Banker’s new film. It was a mix of guilt and shame that lasted up until the brutal and heartbreaking ending. This guilt and shame isn’t attributed to anything I felt guilty for in particular, but more as a man living in a world where I acknowledge that there are deep rooted problems regarding gender, sex and violence, and as 2013’s popular song illustrates, the “Blurred Lines” that are often trivialized by society. Felt brings to light the effects of “rape culture” in our society and how normal it has become to dismiss actions by saying “that’s just boys being boys.” Banker’s gorgeous looking film highlights some of the not so pretty situations that we as a society have become accustomed to viewing without thinking about its effects on the victim.
An uncomfortable feeling hit me almost immediately while watching Jason Banker’s new film. It was a mix of guilt and shame that lasted up until the brutal and heartbreaking ending. This guilt and shame isn’t attributed to anything I felt guilty for in particular, but more as a man living in a world where I acknowledge that there are deep rooted problems regarding gender, sex and violence, and as 2013’s popular song illustrates, the “Blurred Lines” that are often trivialized by society. Felt brings to light the effects of “rape culture” in our society and how normal it has become to dismiss actions by saying “that’s just boys being boys.” Banker’s gorgeous looking film highlights some of the not so pretty situations that we as a society have become accustomed to viewing without thinking about its effects on the victim.
- 7/3/2015
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
For July 2015, we’ve got another jam-packed month of genre-related titles arriving on VOD (and a few other digital platforms too) to help fans beat the summer heat by staying inside and catching up on tons of great new movies.
IFC Midnight’s got a zany new creature feature called Stung that’s kicking off the month and for those of you who may have missed it in theaters earlier this year, the acclaimed breakout indie film It Follows is finally making its way to homes on VOD beginning July 2nd. Some other notable July VOD releases include 3-Headed Shark Attack, Felt, Alleluia, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Dark Was the Night, and Extinction.
Also, Dude Bro Party Massacre III - which premiered earlier this month at the Los Angeles Film Festival - is gearing up for its release as well in July; it won’t be arriving on traditional VOD platforms,...
IFC Midnight’s got a zany new creature feature called Stung that’s kicking off the month and for those of you who may have missed it in theaters earlier this year, the acclaimed breakout indie film It Follows is finally making its way to homes on VOD beginning July 2nd. Some other notable July VOD releases include 3-Headed Shark Attack, Felt, Alleluia, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Dark Was the Night, and Extinction.
Also, Dude Bro Party Massacre III - which premiered earlier this month at the Los Angeles Film Festival - is gearing up for its release as well in July; it won’t be arriving on traditional VOD platforms,...
- 7/1/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
With The Princess of France beginning its theatrical run, Matias Piñeiro discusses five of his favorite cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare's work at Indiewire. Naturally, one of them is Orson Welles's Chimes at Midnight. Also in today's roundup of news and views: Jana Prikryl and Jonathan Rosenbaum on Jaromil Jireš’s Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, interviews with Piotr Szulkin and John Waters, J. Hoberman on Crystal Moselle's The Wolfpack and Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's The Tribe, David Cairns on Fritz Lang, Bruce Labruce on Jason Banker’s Felt—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 7/1/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
With The Princess of France beginning its theatrical run, Matias Piñeiro discusses five of his favorite cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare's work at Indiewire. Naturally, one of them is Orson Welles's Chimes at Midnight. Also in today's roundup of news and views: Jana Prikryl and Jonathan Rosenbaum on Jaromil Jireš’s Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, interviews with Piotr Szulkin and John Waters, J. Hoberman on Crystal Moselle's The Wolfpack and Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's The Tribe, David Cairns on Fritz Lang, Bruce Labruce on Jason Banker’s Felt—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 7/1/2015
- Keyframe
There comes a moment early on in Toad Road director Jason Banker's Felt which beautifully sets the tone for what is to unfold over the next 70 or so minutes of his second narrative feature. After partying with a few young men in their hotel room, best pals Amy (Amy Everson) and Allana (Allana Reynolds) retreat to the hallway, as Amy's unclear on why she even came. She's sick. She can't sleep. Her dreams and reality are one and the same. As she says it: she is a ghost. She's tried everything. Nothing helps. The two young women hold each other, laughing over the ways in which they could kill men, for a killing spree is perhaps the only thing Amy hasn't tried to relieve her pain....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/25/2015
- Screen Anarchy
This Friday, June’s must-see Felt arrives in select theaters, including New York City’s IFC Center. There, director Jason Banker and stars Amy Everson, Kentucker Audley and Roxanne Lauren Knouse will be on hand for a Q&A following the 9:30 p.m. show. Shock’s Samuel Zimmerman will moderate the discussion, as sure to be provocative and insightful…
The post NYC: Win Tickets to Feminist Thriller Felt this Friday appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post NYC: Win Tickets to Feminist Thriller Felt this Friday appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 6/24/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Sexual abuse is not only a sickening crime of undignified dominance and perverse cowardice, but traumatizing scars are usually left in the form of crippling mental anguish. Someone, at their most vulnerable, is robbed of their innocence by an act that echoes the most primal, animalistic desires of man. Walls of civility are broken down, and victims are left to go about their lives after being submerged in the darkest, seediest, most vile reaches of mankind’s take-what-i-want greed.
That horrible scenario is the very core of Felt, a Jason Banker film that summarizes a sexual victim’s lament through alter-egos and one woman’s struggle to overcome the male stranglehold on society. And my, what a brave, unflinching, and bizarre ride it is.
The provocative nature of Banker’s “feminist superhero” stems wholly from actress/artist Amy Everson, who plays a fictionalized version of herself. After traumatizing sexual experiences steal Amy’s life away,...
That horrible scenario is the very core of Felt, a Jason Banker film that summarizes a sexual victim’s lament through alter-egos and one woman’s struggle to overcome the male stranglehold on society. And my, what a brave, unflinching, and bizarre ride it is.
The provocative nature of Banker’s “feminist superhero” stems wholly from actress/artist Amy Everson, who plays a fictionalized version of herself. After traumatizing sexual experiences steal Amy’s life away,...
- 6/22/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Felt (2014) Film Review, a movie directed by Jason Banker, and starring Amy Everson, Kentucker Audley, Ryan Creighton, Elisabet Ferrara, Roxanne Lauren Knouse, Merkley, Brendan Miller, Allana Reynolds, Tony Ruiz, Mark Skubala and Brandileigha Stracner
Coming out of Fantastic Fest, there was an Austin Texas sized buzz surrounding Jason Banker’s latest film, Felt. After the film’s premiere, Felt’s incisive look at rape culture sparked numerous reviews and think pieces. Felt is an unquestionably unique film; it openly defies the utilization of a traditional narrative structure and allows a first time actor’s (Amy Everson) performance to anchor the entire movie. Felt is an art house flick through and through. Banker leans heavily on the enthralling performance of Everson to keep his narratively diffuse film afloat.
The film introduces us to Amy as a woman recovering from a trauma, one that haunts her in her dreams and causes a...
Coming out of Fantastic Fest, there was an Austin Texas sized buzz surrounding Jason Banker’s latest film, Felt. After the film’s premiere, Felt’s incisive look at rape culture sparked numerous reviews and think pieces. Felt is an unquestionably unique film; it openly defies the utilization of a traditional narrative structure and allows a first time actor’s (Amy Everson) performance to anchor the entire movie. Felt is an art house flick through and through. Banker leans heavily on the enthralling performance of Everson to keep his narratively diffuse film afloat.
The film introduces us to Amy as a woman recovering from a trauma, one that haunts her in her dreams and causes a...
- 6/22/2015
- by Victor Stiff
- Film-Book
Visceral and raw, Felt is a special film. From Toad Road director Jason Banker, the picture blends his doc observational aesthetic with the real life of artist Amy Everson and a boiling narrative about surviving sexual assault. It leads dark, bare places that are frank about the world we live in and its monstrous effects.…
The post Exclusive Photos: Visceral, Feminist Thriller, Felt appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Exclusive Photos: Visceral, Feminist Thriller, Felt appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 6/11/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Artsploitation Films is one of the most adventurous film distributors in the world, and one with whom we at TwitchFilm share very similar tastes. After a 15 month Hiatus following the release of Jason Banker's Toad Road, Artsploitation is roaring back into the off-beat spotlight with a June full of crazy and fascinating releases. The first of these releases is 2014 festival favorite, Der Samurai. The film, directed by Till Kleinert, is an oddity both in concept and in function. As Artsploitation describes it:Unlike any other horror film you'll see this year, Der Samurai is a German mind-bender about shape-shifting cross-dressers, bloody decapitations, repressed sexual desires and small town life. But while director Till Kleinert's film is a surreal mix of dark comedy and eerie creep-out...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/8/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Amy Everson and Jason Banker deliver what’s sure to be an intense and gut-twisting experience in their new docu-narrative, “Felt.” Inspired by Everson’s own life — though to what degree is unclear — “Felt” takes direct aim at modern rape culture. Co-written by the duo, and directed by Banker, the film follows Amy, a woman struggling with the lasting pain of past sexual trauma, which is compounded by the male-dominated world in which she lives. As a coping method, she fabricates male-inspired alter egos, made complete by morbid costumes that endow her with a sense of power she has lost since her assault. However, the personas she invents become increasingly unpredictable and violent. A new red band trailer for the film recently went online — you can check it out below. Everson is a relatively unknown talent. With only one other credit — voice work on Hernando Bansuelo’s “A Reunion” — audiences...
- 5/29/2015
- by Zach Hollwedel
- The Playlist
"Everything is qualified by the fact that you don’t have a dick." Amplify Releasing has debuted a red band trailer for Jason Banker's Felt, a controversial and provocative indie film that premiered at Fantastic Fest last year. Felt broaches the topics of feminism and consent and sexuality, but dives in to the deep end with these topics, in what is described as a "feminist psychological thriller". Based on the real life experiences of Amy Everson, in the film a woman creates an alter ego in hopes of overcoming the trauma inflicted by men in her life. The cast in this includes Everson, Kentucker Audley, Ryan Creighton, Elisabeth Ferrara and Roxanne Lauren Knouse. If you're intrigued, give this a watch. Too experimental and wacky for my tastes. Here's the red band (green band here) trailer (+ poster) for Jason Banker's Felt, found on YouTube: Amy is hanging on by a thread.
- 5/28/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
While Jason Banker is known mostly for his work as a cinematographer, primarily on documentaries, he has also garnered acclaim for his work in the director’s chair, in both documentaries and feature films. His upcoming feature Felt, however, indicates a new level of ambition on the part of both Banker and the film’s co-writer and star Amy Everson. The film’s summary is below.
Amy is hanging on by a thread…
Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggressions of a male-dominated society, she creates grotesquely costumed alter egos that re-appropriate the male form. While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these characters pushes her further into a world of her own making. When she begins a new relationship with a seemingly good guy, she opens herself up to him – but that vulnerability comes at a dangerous cost, and her alter...
Amy is hanging on by a thread…
Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggressions of a male-dominated society, she creates grotesquely costumed alter egos that re-appropriate the male form. While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these characters pushes her further into a world of her own making. When she begins a new relationship with a seemingly good guy, she opens herself up to him – but that vulnerability comes at a dangerous cost, and her alter...
- 5/28/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Sexual assault is a tricky subject to tackle, as the outcry over that Game of Thrones rape scene reminded us so very recently. Too often it’s treated like just another crazy twist, rather than a grim reality that millions of people have to live with every day. Thankfully, that’s not the case in Felt, Jason Banker‘s character […]
The post ‘Felt’ Red-Band Trailer: A Fantastic Fest Thriller Takes on Rape Culture appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Felt’ Red-Band Trailer: A Fantastic Fest Thriller Takes on Rape Culture appeared first on /Film.
- 5/27/2015
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
"Based on the real experiences and art of co-writer/star Amy Everson, Felt doesn't just point a finger at rape culture; it takes a full on swing at it, creating a feminist psychological thriller that audiences will be hard-pressed to shake off."In a film that looks to pull few punches, and yet retain a quite striking style, director Jason Banker's sophomore effort (following his raw, effective debut, Toad Road) looks to be a major leap forward. The trailer suggests aggressive provocateur nature of ealy Bruno Dumont or Gaspar Noe.Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggression of a male-dominated society, Amy creates grotesquely-costumed alter egos that re-appropriate the male form. While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/27/2015
- Screen Anarchy
In his Fantastic Fest review, Wamg’s Michael Haffner called Felt “impressive” and “compelling.”
A young artist loses herself in an unpredictable alter ego while attempting to cope with past trauma in this gripping sophomore effort from Jason Banker (Toad Road).
Felt celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2014 where Amy Everson took home the “Next Wave” Spotlight Competition award for Best Actress.
Here’s a first look at the poster and trailer for the film.
Watch the red-band trailer Here.
Amy is hanging on by a thread. Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggressions of a male-dominated society, she creates grotesquely-costumed alter egos that reappropriate the male form.
While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these characters pushes her further into a world of her own making. When she begins a new relationship with a seemingly good guy, she opens herself...
A young artist loses herself in an unpredictable alter ego while attempting to cope with past trauma in this gripping sophomore effort from Jason Banker (Toad Road).
Felt celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2014 where Amy Everson took home the “Next Wave” Spotlight Competition award for Best Actress.
Here’s a first look at the poster and trailer for the film.
Watch the red-band trailer Here.
Amy is hanging on by a thread. Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggressions of a male-dominated society, she creates grotesquely-costumed alter egos that reappropriate the male form.
While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these characters pushes her further into a world of her own making. When she begins a new relationship with a seemingly good guy, she opens herself...
- 5/27/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here’s a film that might come out of nowhere and cause a real stir. I’d somehow slept on any notice of Felt, writer-director Jason Banker‘s exploration of one abuse victim’s unique and disturbing methods for dealing with trauma, despite the good word that’s been building since a fall premiere. But the first two previews (red […]...
- 5/27/2015
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
- 5/27/2015
- by Sasha Stone
- AwardsDaily.com
The official trailer for June’s confrontational, must-see Felt is here. From the director of the raw, spellbinding Toad Road, Jason Banker, Felt is an unsettling, frank, feminist portrait of dealing with trauma. Banker continues his doc-like approach to craft a narrative around real, incredible visual artist Amy Everson. The filmmaker’s observational aesthetic chronicles her life of inner anguish…
The post Trailer: Intense, Feminist Thriller, Felt appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Trailer: Intense, Feminist Thriller, Felt appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 5/26/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Read More: Amplify Acquires Docu-Narrative 'Felt' To Help Shed Light On Rape Culture The new Red Band trailer for Jason Banker's film "Felt" gives us a visceral look at the haunting true story inspired by artist Amy Everson. From what we can gather from the trailer, it looks like Banker's cinematography roots will definitely shine in the film, and contribute immensely to the visually-driven narrative. The official synopsis reads: "Amy is hanging on by a thread. Struggling to cope with past sexual trauma and the daily aggression of a male-dominated society, she creates grotesquely costumed alter egos that re-appropriate the male form. While giving her the sense of power she craves, acting as these characters pushes her further into a world of her own making. When she begins a new relationship with a seemingly good guy, she opens herself up to him - but that vulnerability comes at a dangerous cost,...
- 5/26/2015
- by Sarah Choi
- Indiewire
Felt
Written by Jason Banker and Amy Everson
Directed by Jason Banker
USA, 2014
How do you make felt? There are two general ways: the first is by drowning wool and then shocking it dry and the second requires poking and prodding with a needle until the wool becomes a wholly new material. Amy, whose world Felt allows us to dive into, is an artist who has crafted an arsenal of felt penises and body suits, through which she explores and escapes into alter-egos.
Much like felt, Amy has been through rough times, which have begun to unravel her:
“My life is a fucking nightmare”, Amy’s voice, tentative and cracking opens the film, “every waking moment, every time I close my eyes, I just relive the trauma. I’m never safe and I can’t even tell what’s real anymore, everything… just blurs. I don’t sleep, I don’t eat,...
Written by Jason Banker and Amy Everson
Directed by Jason Banker
USA, 2014
How do you make felt? There are two general ways: the first is by drowning wool and then shocking it dry and the second requires poking and prodding with a needle until the wool becomes a wholly new material. Amy, whose world Felt allows us to dive into, is an artist who has crafted an arsenal of felt penises and body suits, through which she explores and escapes into alter-egos.
Much like felt, Amy has been through rough times, which have begun to unravel her:
“My life is a fucking nightmare”, Amy’s voice, tentative and cracking opens the film, “every waking moment, every time I close my eyes, I just relive the trauma. I’m never safe and I can’t even tell what’s real anymore, everything… just blurs. I don’t sleep, I don’t eat,...
- 12/12/2014
- by Pamela Fillion
- SoundOnSight
Felt
Directed by Jason Banker
Written by Jason Banker & Amy Everson
U.S., 2014
It’s a rare discovery when a film can materialize the internal terror that women experience on a daily basis so disturbingly close to reality. Blurring the lines of documentary and narrative storytelling, Felt truly is a film that demands to be felt. It accomplishes its goal by penetrating the deepest, most harrowing aspects of trauma to tell one of the most powerful and jarring stories about the female experience and rape culture ever put on screen.
Director and cinematographer Jason Banker follows his 2012 debut film, Toad Road with Felt, co-written by Amy Everson who stars in the film as Amy, a San Franciscan artist recently plagued by a trauma (not explained but certainly sexual) inflicted by the men in her life. As her ordeal unravels emotionally and psychologically, she plunges herself in the world of art as a coping mechanism.
Directed by Jason Banker
Written by Jason Banker & Amy Everson
U.S., 2014
It’s a rare discovery when a film can materialize the internal terror that women experience on a daily basis so disturbingly close to reality. Blurring the lines of documentary and narrative storytelling, Felt truly is a film that demands to be felt. It accomplishes its goal by penetrating the deepest, most harrowing aspects of trauma to tell one of the most powerful and jarring stories about the female experience and rape culture ever put on screen.
Director and cinematographer Jason Banker follows his 2012 debut film, Toad Road with Felt, co-written by Amy Everson who stars in the film as Amy, a San Franciscan artist recently plagued by a trauma (not explained but certainly sexual) inflicted by the men in her life. As her ordeal unravels emotionally and psychologically, she plunges herself in the world of art as a coping mechanism.
- 11/13/2014
- by So Yun Um
- SoundOnSight
Amplify has acquired North American distribution rights to Jason Banker's “Felt,” the company announced Tuesday. Amy Everson co-wrote and stars in the film, which is a genre-bending narrative/documentary mix based on her own real life experiences. Also read: Party Report at AFI Fest: Jessica Chastain, Katharine McPhee, and Woody Allen Karma (Photos) In the film, Everson plays a young woman trying, and almost succeeding, to overcome both a past trauma and the subtle aggressions she experiences daily from the men in her world by immersing herself in her art. By re-appropriating the male form into an unpredictable alter ego,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Fantastic Fest best actress winner Amy Everson plays a traumatized artist who slips into elaborate fantasies to escape her troubles with men, making mischief in the wilds of her imagination under the guise of a bluntly Freudian yet ingeniously crafted alter-ego. "Felt" sends even a rape revenge movie like "I Spit On Your Grave" running with its tail between its legs as Amy's psychosexual paranoia produces acts of malice not easily shaken. The film is currently stirring audiences at AFI Fest in Los Angeles and will be released by Amplify ("Kumiko the Treasure Hunter") in April 2015, with a digital/home video release to follow. Cinematographer turned director Jason Banker first raised eyebrows in 2012 with "Toad Road," a psychedelic portrait of teenage burnouts whose drug-taking fuels their pursuit of some mythological version of hell in Pennsylvania.
- 11/11/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Challenging and revelatory, Jason Banker’s second feature Felt is set to leave you silent and stunned this spring. Having world premiered to great acclaim this past September at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, Felt is the next step in Banker’s exciting voice (following the unsettling Toad Road), one that smashes doc and fiction together as he builds narrative around […]...
- 11/11/2014
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- Fangoria
The distributor has taken North American rights to Jason Banker’s AFI Fest selection and genre-bending film based on the life experiences of co-writer and star Amy Everson.
Felt premiered at Fantastic Fest and will open in April both theatrically and across ancillary platforms.
The story centres on an artist who uses a particular form of her work to help herself recover from a rape.
Banker produced the film and directed from a story he devised with Everson.
Amplify’s Dylan Marchetti brokered the deal with Nate Bolotin and Mette-Marie Katz of Xyz Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
Video Services Corp has acquired Canadian rights to Patch Town. Craig Goodwill directed the comedy adventure based on his short of the same name about an orphan, a mother and a child-catcher.
Felt premiered at Fantastic Fest and will open in April both theatrically and across ancillary platforms.
The story centres on an artist who uses a particular form of her work to help herself recover from a rape.
Banker produced the film and directed from a story he devised with Everson.
Amplify’s Dylan Marchetti brokered the deal with Nate Bolotin and Mette-Marie Katz of Xyz Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
Video Services Corp has acquired Canadian rights to Patch Town. Craig Goodwill directed the comedy adventure based on his short of the same name about an orphan, a mother and a child-catcher.
- 11/11/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Though it saddens to me say, Fantastic Fest 2014 has come to a close. Another year of movies and mayhem has ended and somehow the newly renovated Alamo Drafthouse is still standing – even if the crowds partied hard enough every night to make me expect the worse. Fantastic Fest has always shown the best genre films from around the world and this year was certainly no different. In fact, this year’s lineup featured an extraordinary array of bloody slashers, dark comedies, bizarre love stories, and crazy documentaries. Here’s my Top 10 Favorites From Fantastic Fest 2014!
Honorable Mentions:
The Tribe
The idea of a film without any dialogue or even a film score can be a tough sell for even a seasoned filmgoer like myself. So it really says something (no pun intended) that The Tribe soars as a unique storytelling experience that showcases pure and raw emotions. The film follows...
Honorable Mentions:
The Tribe
The idea of a film without any dialogue or even a film score can be a tough sell for even a seasoned filmgoer like myself. So it really says something (no pun intended) that The Tribe soars as a unique storytelling experience that showcases pure and raw emotions. The film follows...
- 10/29/2014
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Güeros, 10,000 Km and Happy Valley will screen at the festival as top brass announced programming in three sections.
The New Auteurs and shorts sections showcase filmmakers from around the world. Both strands are juried and selections are eligible for grand jury awards.
New Auteurs selections include Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Güeros (Mexico, pictured) and the North American premiere of Bas Devos’ Violet (Netherlands-Belgium).
There are Us premieres for Park Jungbum’s Alive (Sanda, South Korea) and Nguyen Hoang Diep’s Flapping In The Middle Of Nowhere (Ðap Cánh Giua Không Trung, Vietnam-France-Norway-Germany.)
Screen International critic Tim Grierson is on the jury alongside Alonso Duralde, Tim Grierson, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson.
Shorts include 130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramović by Matthu Placek and Scott Cummings’ Buffalo Juggalos.
The shorts jurors are Kahlil Joseph, Sara Murphy, Mike Ott, Matthew Takata and Brian Udovich.
The American Independents section features the programmers’ picks of the best of the year’s independent films, including...
The New Auteurs and shorts sections showcase filmmakers from around the world. Both strands are juried and selections are eligible for grand jury awards.
New Auteurs selections include Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Güeros (Mexico, pictured) and the North American premiere of Bas Devos’ Violet (Netherlands-Belgium).
There are Us premieres for Park Jungbum’s Alive (Sanda, South Korea) and Nguyen Hoang Diep’s Flapping In The Middle Of Nowhere (Ðap Cánh Giua Không Trung, Vietnam-France-Norway-Germany.)
Screen International critic Tim Grierson is on the jury alongside Alonso Duralde, Tim Grierson, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson.
Shorts include 130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramović by Matthu Placek and Scott Cummings’ Buffalo Juggalos.
The shorts jurors are Kahlil Joseph, Sara Murphy, Mike Ott, Matthew Takata and Brian Udovich.
The American Independents section features the programmers’ picks of the best of the year’s independent films, including...
- 10/16/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
An uncomfortable feeling hit me almost immediately while watching Jason Banker’s new film. It was a mix of guilt and shame that lasted up until the brutal and heartbreaking ending. This guilt and shame isn’t attributed to anything I felt guilty for in particular, but more as a man living in a world where I acknowledge that there are deep rooted problems regarding gender, sex and violence, and as last year’s popular song illustrates, the “Blurred Lines” that are often trivialized by society. Felt brings to light the effects of “rape culture” in our society and how normal it has become to dismiss actions by saying “that’s just boys being boys.” Banker’s gorgeous looking film highlights some of the not so pretty situations that we as a society have become accustomed to viewing without thinking about its effects on the victim. He turns what would...
- 10/8/2014
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fantastic Fest 2014 saw the debut of Felt, the new film from Toad Road director Jason Banker. Felt was one of the festival’s most striking films, with a power that has stuck with me for days after the premiere. The story follows a young woman named Amy as she embarks upon a journey of personal redefinition following […]
The post ‘Felt’ Poster Debut: A Woman Reshapes Herself in Fantastic Fest Standout appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Felt’ Poster Debut: A Woman Reshapes Herself in Fantastic Fest Standout appeared first on /Film.
- 9/23/2014
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
There comes a moment early in Toad Road director Jason Banker's Felt which beautifully sets the tone for what is to unfold over the next 70 or so minutes of his second narrative feature: After partying with a few young men in their hotel room, best pals Amy (Amy Everson) and Allana (Allana Reynolds) retreat to the hallway as Amy's unclear on why she even came. She's sick. She can't sleep. Her dreams and reality are one and the same. As she says it: she is a ghost. She's tried everything. Nothing helps. The two young women hold each other, laughing over the ways in which they could kill men, for a killing spree is perhaps the only thing Amy hasn't tried to relieve her...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/21/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Exclusive: Director and cinematographer Jason Banker follows his 2012 debut Toad Road with Felt, a thriller about a young woman plagued by nightmares who loses herself in an increasingly outrageous artistic project and alter egos to deal with traumas inflicted by the men in her life. Banker’s 2012 debut feature Toad Road was snapped up by Elijah Wood’s SpectreVision label after winning Best Director and Best Actor at the Fantasia Film Festival. Felt is world premiering tonight in Austin at Fantastic Fest with genre buyers in attendance. Amy Everson, Kentucker Audley, and Roxanne Knouse star in the story developed by Everson and Banker. Xyz Films is selling North American rights. Here’s the exclusive trailer:...
- 9/20/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
We are three weeks away until Fantastic Fest. Kind of amazing to think about. This year, I am blessed to bring Mike Hassler with me. We will be seeing as many films as our eyeballs will see and writing as many reviews as our fingers will allow us. Take a look at the second wave announcement below and don’t forget to look at the first wave and my predictions of what might play at the fest (I didn’t fare well with the Second Wave). As before, I have included the trailers for all the films, if available, announced in this wave.
From the Press Release
Austin, TX – Wednesday, August 27, 2014 – Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
From the Press Release
Austin, TX – Wednesday, August 27, 2014 – Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
- 8/28/2014
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
As I will be attending my very first Fantastic Fest in but a few weeks, I now feel, more than ever, that it is my duty to present news on the fest (not that I wasn't willing to before). So, today we have for you their second wave of films, which includes Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler as the closing night offering. But since that one is getting a general release very, very soon, more importantly there's the North American premiere of Taxidermia director György Pálfi's much acclaimed absurdest parable Free Fall (reviewed here), new work from Toad Road director Jason Banker in Felt, the world premiere of Chilean actioner Redeemer, as well as the Us premieres of Sono Sion's Tokyo Tribe, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorehead's...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/27/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Fantastic Fest 2014 kicks off September 18, and the second wave of films has been announced. Purgatory, Redeemer, Whispers Behind the Wall, Necrophobia 3D, Over Your Dead Body, and more are on the menu!
From the Press Release:
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests, and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas, at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
Get ready to be blown away by Lionsgate's latest action-packed thriller, John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, with a red carpet gala screening with Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski in attendance. John Wick is the story of a former ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the "assassin genre.
From the Press Release:
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests, and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas, at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
Get ready to be blown away by Lionsgate's latest action-packed thriller, John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, with a red carpet gala screening with Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski in attendance. John Wick is the story of a former ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the "assassin genre.
- 8/27/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Be sure to check out MovieBS.com for reviews and commentary from the best film festival known to man. Here is the news release of the second wave of films and events.
Austin, TX – Wednesday, August 27, 2014 – Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
Get ready to be blown away by Lionsgate’s latest action-packed thriller, John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, with a red carpet gala screening with Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski in attendance. John Wick is the story of a former ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the “assassin genre.
Austin, TX – Wednesday, August 27, 2014 – Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the second wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball.
Get ready to be blown away by Lionsgate’s latest action-packed thriller, John Wick starring Keanu Reeves, with a red carpet gala screening with Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski in attendance. John Wick is the story of a former ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the “assassin genre.
- 8/27/2014
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
The lineup for the second wave of films at 2014′s 10th Annual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas has arrived, and with it a potential Oscar contender, Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler. The film, a pulpy crime film about an embedded journalist (Jake Gyllenhaal), will make its U.S. premiere at the festival with Director and Writer Gilroy in attendance.
Fantastic Fest has also released a lineup that includes John Wick, an action/thriller starring Keanu Reeves (Reeves will be in attendance), Takashi Miike’s latest Over Your Dead Body and the Studio Ghibli film The Tale of Princess Kaguya. This announcement comes on the heels of the first wave of films, including Sundance horror film The Babadook.
Fantastic Fest takes place September 18-25 in Austin. View the first lineup of films here. And view the full lineup of films and descriptions from this second wave below via a press release.
****
The Absent One
Denmark,...
Fantastic Fest has also released a lineup that includes John Wick, an action/thriller starring Keanu Reeves (Reeves will be in attendance), Takashi Miike’s latest Over Your Dead Body and the Studio Ghibli film The Tale of Princess Kaguya. This announcement comes on the heels of the first wave of films, including Sundance horror film The Babadook.
Fantastic Fest takes place September 18-25 in Austin. View the first lineup of films here. And view the full lineup of films and descriptions from this second wave below via a press release.
****
The Absent One
Denmark,...
- 8/27/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Open Road’s Jake Gyllenhaal starrer Nightcrawler will close the 10th annual Fantastic Fest in its U.S. premiere and Keanu Reeves will drop by for a gala screening of Lionsgate’s John Wick, organizers announced today. The rising genre film fest held September 18-25 in Austin, TX will open with the previously announced Tusk from Kevin Smith.
Also unveiled today along with a second wave of programming is a centerpiece bout in the Fantastic Debates, in which filmmakers, critics, and celebs engage in discourse at a podium before taking it to the boxing ring to determine the ultimate winner. This year, BitTorrent’s Chief Content Officer Matt Mason will take on a challenger to duke it out over whether the file sharing platform is a valuable tool or an enabler of piracy.
Related: Kevin Smith’s Horror-Comedy ‘Tusk’ To Open Fantastic Fest 2014
This year’s festival marks the grand...
Also unveiled today along with a second wave of programming is a centerpiece bout in the Fantastic Debates, in which filmmakers, critics, and celebs engage in discourse at a podium before taking it to the boxing ring to determine the ultimate winner. This year, BitTorrent’s Chief Content Officer Matt Mason will take on a challenger to duke it out over whether the file sharing platform is a valuable tool or an enabler of piracy.
Related: Kevin Smith’s Horror-Comedy ‘Tusk’ To Open Fantastic Fest 2014
This year’s festival marks the grand...
- 8/27/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Welcome back to This Week In Discs! If you see something you like, click on the title to buy it from Amazon. Toad Road James (James Davidson) is a slacker, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for meaning he sits around all day doing nothing. Instead, he sits around all day smoking, popping, and snorting anything he and his friends can get their hands on, but that starts to change when he meets the new girl, Sara (Sara Anne Jones). She’s new to the drug scene, he introduces her, and she gets hooked just as he wants out. He agrees to one last trip with her. Shrooms in hand, the two head out to the legendary Toad Road to investigate rumors of the seven gates of hell. It goes according to plan until he wakes up to discover she’s disappeared. Writer/director Jason Banker’s debut feature is low budget, raw...
- 12/17/2013
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Known for its selection of unnerving and underrated acquisitions of films that appear to exist on the unconventional fray, Artsploitation Films brings Jason Banker’s hallucinatory horror film Toad Road to DVD. A hit among a handful of film festivals, including Fantasia International Film Festival, where it won Best Director and Best Actor, Banker’s film has established a solid following with his first feature film, winning praise from a variety of top tier sources and even more eclectic avenues, such as a celebratory insert accompanying the disc, which contains praise from actor Elijah Wood. But, to be honest, there needs to be a differentiation here in what some may define as a horror film, as there’s really nothing horrific that goes on here. Sure, it hints at passing through the gates at Hell, but more so as a metaphor for addiction, instead it plays like some odd minded...
- 12/17/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The lore contends that Toad Road, running somewhere near York, Pennsylvania, leads to the Seven Gates of Hell. The road's series of ramshackle gates brings travelers deeper and deeper into the wilderness, as each triggers increasingly chthonic phenomena for the poor souls who dare cross its threshold to endure; no one's ever made it past the fifth. This is the legend upon which Jason Banker's messy, ambitious Toad Road rests, and it's part of what makes the film an exceedingly rare example of docu-horror in which it's genuinely difficult to discern what's scripted and what isn't. That the answer lies somewhere in between won't come as much comfort when you realize that the non-actors who make up the cast really are ingesting hallucinogens inside a cave. R...
- 10/23/2013
- Village Voice
Artsploitation Films, Random Bench and Elijah Wood’s genre-themed product company, SpectreVision, is bringing horror fans the haunting film “Toad Road.” The film was released in Los Angeles at Arena Cinema Oct. 18 and will play through Oct 24. But if you aren’t in Los Angeles, there will be other places you can check out the movie. Look for “Toad Road” in New York at Cinema Village Oct. 25 through Oct. 31 and in Miami Nov. 14 at AMC Aventura 24. The film, directed by Jason Banker, blends documentary footage with horror elements to create a mesmerizing film experience. Here’s the official synopsis for the film. “A different kind of American [ Read More ]
The post Toad Road Coming to New York and Miami appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Toad Road Coming to New York and Miami appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 10/21/2013
- by monique
- ShockYa
Elijah Wood's company SpectreVision (formerly known as The Woodshed) acquired Jason Banker's Toad Road (review) a while back, and now that a release is on the horizon, we have a battery of new posters and a broken new clip!
From the Press Release
This October, Artsploitation Films, the cutting-edge film distribution company founded by Tla Entertainment president Raymond Murray, in association with Elijah Wood's genre-themed production company SpectreVision and Random Bench, will unleash the haunting and mesmerizing Toad Road via limited theatrical release.
The film has been described as a hallucinatory and hypnotic odyssey through mutating realities, drug use, urban legends, and nightmares. The story follows a young college student who befriends a group of hard partying friends and finds herself drawn into the local legend of Toad Road—a pathway in the forest rumored to contain the seven gates that lead directly to Hell.
Toad Road...
From the Press Release
This October, Artsploitation Films, the cutting-edge film distribution company founded by Tla Entertainment president Raymond Murray, in association with Elijah Wood's genre-themed production company SpectreVision and Random Bench, will unleash the haunting and mesmerizing Toad Road via limited theatrical release.
The film has been described as a hallucinatory and hypnotic odyssey through mutating realities, drug use, urban legends, and nightmares. The story follows a young college student who befriends a group of hard partying friends and finds herself drawn into the local legend of Toad Road—a pathway in the forest rumored to contain the seven gates that lead directly to Hell.
Toad Road...
- 10/17/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Jason Banker's Toad Road is the sort of film that defies easy categorization, a deliberately raw and naturalistic indie that veers off down unexpected trails whilst dabbling in psychoactive drugs and elements of horror. It is, in other words, the sort of film that Twitch exists for. And it is soon to be hitting screens with a limited theatrical release beginning October 18 in La and October 25 in New York.A different kind of American independent horror film, the hypnotic Toad Road, presented by Elijah Wood and his SpectreVision production company, unfolds like a hallucinatory cross between the sexual candor of Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, and the backwoods creep-out of The Blair Witch Project. Young James kills time with his small town druggie friends,...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/10/2013
- Screen Anarchy
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