Start the new year off by supporting local artists at the next Mitten Movie Project. The lineup hints at a different theme every month, and January's feature, "Avabot", personally, has me restless for some sci-fi action!Check out the MMP's profile on Facebook and Myspace for ticket and event details.
Here is the complete line-up.
BARE WITNESS [trailer] – Written & Directed by Jeffery T. Schultz (01:23) (Michigan) (2010) A short tale about a man struggling with his past failures and how they affect others with deadly results. Starring Dan Mahoney Jayden Mansfield and John Anton. www.schultzstudioz.com
THE RED FLAG [trailer] – Gorilla Pictures (01:58) (Michigan) (2009) Directed by Oliver Thompson. After the murder of a young 24-year-old girl, Scarlett Selet, investigators discover that the culprit had to be her boyfriend. Only one problem . . . she had three. Three stories of three suitors twist, overlap, and unfold to finally determine which one has Scarlett’s blood on his hands. www.fourseventytwo.comTHREE DONKEYS AND A FLOCK OF SHEEP [documentary] – Directed by Anthony Siciliano (01:11) (Michigan) (2009) A heartwarming documentary about donkeys and a herd of sheep.
“8 21 1984” BY THE NEXT ROMANTIC [music video] - Directed by Travis Seppala (04:00) (Michigan) (2008) Detroit alternative rock band, The Next Romantic, play at a party where a girl finds her boyfriend cheating on her and doing drugs, while partygoers get "eaten" by the house. www.myspace.com/thenextromantic
THE PLAY – EPISODE ONE [narrative] – White Knight Films (22:44) (Michigan) (2009) Tessa, a writer, asks her friend Mike, a filmmaker, to help her put on a play she's written. Together they start the endeavor while trying to deal with their personal lives. Written and directed by David G.B. Brown. www.facebook.com/whiteknightfilms
BOY SCOUT [music video] – Directed by Adam Engler (02:54) (Michigan) (2009) A model Boy Scout, Sean Scarlett, raps about the trials and tribulations that accompany outdoor living, preference of animal companions, and merit badges. www.youtube.com/seanscarlett
PIPE WRENCH [narrative] – Directed by Shane Michaels (13:36) (Michigan) Mike and Jill must resort to stopping at a hole-in-the-wall auto repair shop during a late night drive through the country. Things turn sour when their bible thumping repairman decides he must take it upon himself to cleanse them of their sins.
THE NAUGA: HOME ALONE [narrative] (02:28) (Michigan) (2010) The Nauga is home alone. Directed by Aaron Lebovic. Cinematography by Joe Elrom. Starring Eric Rosenbloom. lebovic.aaron@gmail.com
RETREAT [narrative] - Nu-Wave Films (11:36) (Michigan) (2009) Directed by Robert Joseph Butler. Starring Lindsay Rootare and Vikki Gasko. Alexis (Lindsay Rootare) is an alienated teenager who is shy, isolated, and keeps to herself. Disconnected from her family, classmates, and environment, she gravitates to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to get in touch with her mind and spirit. www.nuwavefilms.comROGER STAR [narrative] (4:41) (California) (2009) Directed by Ken Kuykendall, written by Sam Tripoli, and starring Eddie Pepitone. Roger Star is a quick glance at the San Fernando Valley's original adult film acting coach as he teaches his pupils.
WITHDRAW [narrative] (05:22) (Ohio) A dramatic film directed by identical twin filmmakers, Michael and Daniel Carberry. Starring David Lehre. www.carberrytwins.com
RAT RACE [experimental short] – Directed by Brad Erlandson (02:40) (Michigan)
SLEEPFUL PAINLESS [narrative] – Flood Films and Media (14:00) (Michigan) (2008) Directed by Bryan D. Hopkins. Suffering emotionally from the loss of his wife, within the context of a troubled childhood, a husband dies in his sleep from self-inflicted wounds.
AVABOT [narrative] – Directed by Jamie Surgener (10:00)(Michigan) (2009) A science fiction film short about an astronaut and his robot that find danger while searching for a fabled abandoned star cruiser.