Predisposed Accepted to Sundance 2009
Phillip Dorling's short film, Predisposed, has been officially selected as one of the forty-seven U.S. short films that will play at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film stars Frozen River actress, Melissa Leo, and Ethan Downing. It tells the story of a conservative son's plight to change his family's hopeless situation and how he is pulled into the messy mission of helping his manipulative, drug addicted mother score.
This year the Festival's Short Film Program comprises a record 96 short films from 5,632 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
From the Sundance Film Festival Press Release:
December 08, 2008 Park City, UT— Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival's Short Film Program comprises a record 96 short films from 5,632 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by 10% over last year. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
"The shorts program at Sundance has long been a place to discover new talent, and this year's directors are no exception," said John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. "We are seeing very accomplished filmmaking, with some of the most entertaining and engaging films in the Festival."
"It is indicative of the quality of the work that we programmed a record 96 films this year. The program is terrific from top to bottom, with a nice balance of different genres, tones and styles," said Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer.
Short films screen in Festival theatres prior to a feature film or as part of one of the Festival's eight short film programs. During the Festival, a Short Film Jury awards prizes based on outstanding achievient and merit in U.S. and International Short Filmmaking. The 2009 Short Film Program Awards Ceriony will be held Tuesday, January 20th.
This year, the Sundance Film Festival will highlight an exclusive selection of 10 short films over 10 days on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com). All 10 films will be available as FREE downloads beginning January 15 and running through January 25, 2009. Sundance has partnered with Shorts International to provide digital distribution services and encoding services to the selection of 2009 films.
For more about the short films at Sundance, please click here.
Predisposed Premieres at WFF 2008
Predisposed had its world premiere on Friday, October 3rd at the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival. Paired with other shorts about predetermined paths for the protagonist, the premiere was followed by a Q&A with the film-makers and cast, moderated by Ron Nyswaner.
For pictures from the festival, click here.
SYNOPSIS:
Eli, on the big day of his college interview, has one small task to tend to before he can secure his scholarship. He has to take his mother Penny to rehab. When they learn that she cannot be admitted unless she is physically intoxicated, everything changes.
BIO:
Philip was born and raised in Woodstock, NY. He's always had a vivid imagination and a knack for telling stories which led him to exploring filmmaking at age 15. A slew of short films have ranged from documentaries to animation and now narratives. For several years, Philip has been working closely with mentor and now collaborator Ron Nyswaner ("Philadelphia," "The Painted Veil," "Soldier's Girl"). As a filmmaker, he wants to explore the human experience, good and bad with a determination to portray a very realistic outlook on social issues.
MAIN CREDITS:
Cast/Featuring:Melissa Leo, Ethan Downing, Joe James, Christy Lee Hughes, George Radel, Frank Romaniello, Thora Sweeny-PawskiExecutive Producer(s): Lisa Dorling Producer(s): Philip Dorling, Ron NyswanerDirector(s): Philip Dorling Screenwriter(s): Philip Dorling, Ron Nyswaner Cinematographer(s): Alex Kosutic Editor(s): Philip Dorling, Alex Kosutic Composer(s)/Music: Philip Doring Sound Editor(s): Dexter Taylor
Ethan Wraps Shooting on "Predisposed"
Ethan Downing recently finished shooting "Predisposed," a new short film written by Academy Award nominee, Rob Nyswaner, and Philip Dorling. The story centers on Eli (Downing), a bright teen with a troubled family life, who attempts to get his cocaine addicted mother, played by Melissa Leo (Homicide Life on the Street, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada), into rehab. Due to complications with insurance policies, Eli is forced to bend to the will of his manipulative mother, which ultimately places them in a world inhabited by drug dealers and gangsters. As the pressure to be the responsible adult weighs heavy on his shoulders, Eli struggles to salvage his past and what is left of his family while looking towards his future and the opportunity to leave it all behind.
Filming began on location in Woodstock, New York on November 13th and wrapped Sunday, November 18th on a very high note. Leaving the climactic scene for the end of the shoot, Director, Philip Dorling, was able to spend the entire day shooting the last scene of the film.
"Phil came up with a tidy little short which we spent a glorious week shooting in the Hudson Valley," says Leo, who is currently living in Los Angeles. "I can't wait to return for the feature!"
"I felt incredibly lucky to have walked into such a great atmosphere," comments Downing, "Phil was truly an actor's dream, and Ron and Melissa were able to provide an amazing amount of advice and experience."
Dorling had already started some of the editing during the shoot, but will spend the next two months going through the footage to work towards the final project. Hopes are high as buzz about the film has already started, and mentionings have been made in the Woodstock Film Festival's November Newsletter (http://woodstockfilmfestival.com/newsletters/07_11.htm#local).
For Predisposed photos click here.
