Sunday, October 27, 2013

Independent Chicago film project "Still" launches Kickstarter for microbudget feature


WHEN: Now through 26 November 2013

Quick information:
Chicago independent filmmaker Jason Coffman has launched a Kickstarter to help complete his debut feature film project currently in production, a psychological thriller/horror film entitled "Still." Heavily influenced by 1970s female-centric genre films such as George Romero's "Season of the Witch" and Robert Altman's "Images," "Still" is being pitched as "'La Jetée' meets 'Let's Scare Jessica to Death.'" Funds raised will go toward completion of the film and 2014 film festival submission fees. Incentives for donors include early streaming access to the completed film, a limited-edition hand-painted 2x-CDr set of music by Chicago artist Cinchel, a limited VHS edition of Coffman's previous short film "TAPE," and much more.

"Still" is the story of Alice, young woman living in Chicago who survives an attack during an attempted robbery at her new job, but finds when she wakes afterward that she has an extremely rare neurological disorder: akinetopsia, or "motion blindness." This disorder is caused by damage to the physical part of the brain that processes the perception of motion. While Alice tries to deal with her new perception and get on with her life, she finds herself plagued by strange dreams and possibly followed by a mysterious figure. Starring Heidi Foland, Stephanie Leigh Rose, Nikki Pierce, Amanda Hiese and Aaron Christensen, "Still" is currently in production and slated for release in Spring of 2014.



Expanded information:
Chicago independent filmmaker Jason Coffman has launched a Kickstarter to help complete his feature film project currently in production, a "psychological thriller" entitled "Still." Heavily influenced by 1970s female-centric genre films such as George Romero's "Season of the Witch" and Robert Altman's "Images," "Still" is being pitched as "'La Jetée' meets 'Let's Scare Jessica to Death.'" Funds raised will go toward completion of the film and covering 2014 film festival submissions; incentives for donors include early streaming access to the completed film, a limited-edition hand-painted 2x-CDr set of music by Chicago artist Cinchel, a limited VHS edition of Coffman's previous short film "TAPE," and much more.

"Still" is the story of Alice, young woman living in Chicago who survives an attack during an attempted robbery at her new job, but finds when she wakes afterward that she has an extremely rare neurological disorder: akinetopsia, or "motion blindness." This disorder is caused by damage to the physical part of the brain that processes the perception of motion. While Alice tries to deal with her new perception and get on with her life, she finds herself plagued by strange dreams and possibly followed by a mysterious figure. Starring Heidi Foland, Stephanie Leigh Rose, Nikki Pierce, Amanda Hiese and Aaron Christensen, "Still" is currently in production and slated for release in Spring of 2014.

Writer/director Jason Coffman has been shooting in Chicago locations both to ground the story in reality and to share some of his favorite places in the city. Shooting for the film has taken place at the historic Patio Theater and nearby Regulus Coffee Company, and a shoot at the Half Acre Tap Room is scheduled for November. The film is being made on an extremely small budget thanks to the volunteer efforts of local film professionals donating their time and equipment to help bring the film to life. The cast is a mix of professional actors and non-professionals; Coffman wrote parts specifically tailored to each cast member.



Film synopsis:
Alice (Heidi Foland) is a young woman living in Chicago with her cousin Craig (Jason Coffman) and his girlfriend Hannah (Amanda Hiese). Alice is excited to find a new job where she can put her artistic skills to use, but after a late evening she and her co-worker Carol (Stephanie Leigh Rose) are attacked in an apparent robbery. Alice wakes up days later to find that she now has an extremely rare neurological disorder called akinetopsia (or "motion blindness"). While Alice tries to deal with her new perception and get on with her life, she finds herself plagued by strange dreams and possibly followed by a mysterious figure. What do these nightmares mean? Will she remember what really happened in the office the night of the attack? Who is following her, and why?

Heavily influenced by female-centric 1970s genre films such as George Romero's "Season of the Witch" and Robert Altman's "Images," "Still" is a unique psychological thriller that employs a simple but effective mechanic reminiscent of Chris Marker's "La Jetée" for presenting Alice's motion blindness. The soundtrack for "Still" features Chicago-based artists Cinchel and Vapor Lanes/Karaoke, as well as Via Vegrandis (courtesy Flannelgraph Records) and Northism (based out of the UK), with a score by Andrew Horton (Poplar Halls). The film is being shot on both digital video and analog film in a mix of color and black & white photography, and uses low-tech techniques to obtain unusual visual textures and effects.

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