Comedy 'Breakthrough Weekend' Offers a Guide to Happiness #IndieFilm

(l-r): Damien Bosco as Sal and Sean Bempong as Yevgeny filming a scene in BREAKTHROUGH WEEKEND.A private investigator named Sal takes an apprentice named Yevgeny under his wing while helping clients resolve their issues in the comedy “Breakthrough Weekend” directed by Brooklyn filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake. Sal’s personalized approach is somewhat like a caretaker and much different from how I generally perceive private investigators to behave when working with clients. It is a method that seems to work for him and might even be recession-proof, given his ability to command a seven figure income for these services.

While watching the movie, I started wondering if this guy Sal is actually private investigator -- or is he a therapist or a gangster? It's like "Iyanla Fix My Life," except the characters and discoveries in “Breakthrough Weekend” are interesting enough – and in some cases bizarre enough -- that I wanted to know how the story was going to play out. Between cheating, dream manifestations, incest and wizardry, Yevgeny searches for the keys to improving his life, in pursuit of becoming happier and less depressed. This protege seems to find some insight on how to be happy while working on cases with Sal; perhaps it's the realization that there are way more messed up people in the world than we would think.

The overall vibe I get from this movie is a message that no matter how much you think you suck at life, there are many other people living in more undesirable circumstances. Although we’re not the only ones who are fucked up, the good news is that at least we know we have a problem, whereas many other folks don't even realize that they are screwed up themselves. Now, THAT’S depressing! The fortunate thing is the power is in each person’s hands to change his or her own situation, no matter how low one’s happiness level falls or how high it rises.

So tell me…

What's YOUR happiness level?

COMING JUNE 2014:

The U.S. Theatrical Premiere of Breakthrough Weekend is playing June 12^th during the inaugural Breakthrough Festival NYC at Anthology Archives (32 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003), launching this movie’s 1-week run that concludes on June 18^th! Contact Wild Diner Media for showtimes and more details.

The Gratification of a Few Good Men #atozchallenge #IndieFilm

"I think movies can change people.  I want to make films that can change people. I have always been drawn to stories that help us relate to people we might feel we have nothing in common to.  Movies allow people to walk a mile in another man’s shoes." - Ted Hope

Narrative feature film WHITE SHADOW by Noaz DesheArtists who create change, stir controversy or have a large impact with their work, show me time and time again that filmmaking can be a worthwhile endeavor when one’s motivation is bigger than the project itself. Some people aren't making movies just for the fun of the process or the entertainment factor it brings audiences.

Instead, they use the medium as a vehicle for fostering change or understanding among people who view it and their industry peers. This is a reason that I can get behind, because there is a force sustaining one’s commitment to stay the course through the turbulent and uncertain times of making movies. The work makes a difference -- either by calling out a problem or by challenging people to view topics from a perspective that they would otherwise not consider. 

While the most common and obvious place to find a few good men is among Documentary filmmakers, there are many narrative films helmed by people who are shedding light on important matters. Israeli director Noaz Deshe is one of these people. His feature debut “WHITE SHADOW” is about a young albino boy named Alias whose survival continues to be plagued by witch doctors and other locals who are hunting him for spare parts. Deshe’s movie is inspired by the modern-day underground trade of albino body parts in Tanzania, Kenya and Congo – where people are chopping off limbs of albinos, said to be worth thousands of dollars; in these regions, albino body parts are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity and cure for illness.

The logline for “WHITE SHADOW” sums up its story of a child with a price on his head:

There is a saying in Tanzania 
"Albinos don't die they just disappear"

- WHITE SHADOW, written & directed by Noaz Deshe

As this movie currently enjoys a well-received run on the film festival circuit, I’m glad that Noaz Deshe and writers/directors like him have found stirring reasons to make movies. When his production crew contracted malaria, they kept moving forward on “WHITE SHADOW.”

When a lion was shot by local military after it killed ten people in the area where Deshe and his crew were filming, they continued to work towards completing this film. The disturbing realities of albino hunting made him do it. We get to become more aware of the world around us, thanks to Deshe and the few good men – and women – whose efforts cause people to pay attention, and for good reason!

Here are the upcoming showtimes for “WHITE SHADOW”...

• NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL:

(Competing in the New Directors category)

April 23, 2014 – 8:45 p.m. – Green Hills Cinema – Theater 4

April 25, 2014 – 12:00 p.m. – Green Hills Cinema – Theater 15

• SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:

May 4, 2014 - 6:30 p.m. - Sundance Kabuki Cinema
May 6, 2014 - 6:15 p.m. - Sundance Kabuki Cinema
May 8, 2014 - 8:00 p.m. - Sundance Kabuki Cinema

 While you're here, you might as well check out yesterday's post about Flying High on Fame. Also, stay tuned for more observations on why we make movies!

The 3 Influencers in My Film Festival Submissions Process

Ever wonder how long it takes for a movie to be released after it’s made? Join the club. I’ve asked myself the same question, albeit for different reasons of course, upon completing “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever.” Knowing this short film would not be on its way to Utah to dance alongside the major industry players any time soon, here are some major factors that helped me figure out which baskets to put its (possibility for) theatrical screening eggs in.

Shouts out to Michael Hennessy who expressed interest in learning how I selected festivals to submit my movie to, and the process I used to do so.

Picking Festivals Based on Recommendations:

I go through the list of domestic and international Oscar-qualifying festivals for short films, to find places to submit my work. Being sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives festivals a certain type of advantage in terms of attracting press attention and they usually have industry connections. These types of festivals also tend to give out valued prizes (monetary, in-kind goods, distribution, etc.) for films screening in competition. So, I’m likely to cater my film festival submissions toward events that have a high profile in the eyes of the people who are in charge of the Oscars.

I also read through MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 festivals Worth the Entry Fee, to find film festivals where my movie could be submitted for consideration. In addition, I used nominees and winners of MovieMaker’s reader-survey for the Coolest Film Festivals in the World, to gauge where it would be best to submit my short film. 

A portion of the film festivals I selected to send my submissions to were also influenced by recommendations from fellow filmmaking buddies of mine.

Picking Festivals based on My Own Film Festival Submissions Criteria:

Do they program films that have black people in them? On the surface, this might seem like an arbitrary factor in determining where to submit a film but I believe that the program lineup is a reflection of what festival organizers are interested in supporting. If there isn’t a diverse lineup of films featuring and/or made by people who look like me or Latino directors, Mexican directors, etc. in a festival’s most recent schedule, then I’m less likely to believe that my film stands a chance at being showcased at said event.

Are there any black audience members in attendance? I might consider submitting my work to a film festival – even if its program lineup is less inclusive than preferred – if there is a noticeably diverse cultural landscape among the ticket-holders that the event attracts.

Picking Festivals based on a Varying Degrees of Another Movie:

I look for films that have certain elements or hooks similar to mine, and then submit to the festivals where they screened and/or won awards. These characteristics could include anything from technical aspects, to the story or genre. In the case of “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever,” I looked at festivals where movies such as “How to be Black and Sexy” and “Snow on Tha Bluff” played in previous years. Since my short film was shot on HD, I sought out film festivals that programmed movies that were made on video.

Since the main character's plight involves SEPTA and he hails from North Philly, I added the Philadelphia Film Festival to my list of places that might be receptive to the movie, given its “local” tie-in.

As I continue to play the film festival waiting game, however, I’m quickly learning (or sometimes being reminded of) quite a few valuable lessons including the importance of being realistic about what the distribution and exhibition prospects are for my project.

Although there are film festivals that I hope to NEVER submit a movie to again, there are several film festivals that I look forward to attending and hope to play at – if only just once – sometime in the near future.

When was the last time YOU went to a film festival?

How many local film festivals are in YOUR town?

What would persuade YOU to attend a film festival?