Flix Premiere Close Up Magazine - August 2019

June 2019

Close-Up

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Readers: The purpose of this magazine is to share with our movie-goers, the industry and our partners updates about what is happening at Flix Premiere each month. We aim to highlight and explore the upcoming month’s film premieres in each market, and occasionally announce new developments on our platform.

Happy reading!

Oly mp ia

Cabi n Crew

Sug ar

IN THIS ISSUE: August Premieres Snapshot Learn about our exclusive new premieres showing each week.

So m e Be as ts

US August Premieres Snapshot - pg. 3 UK August Premieres Snapshot - pg. 4

Close Up: Premieres Feature Reviews A chance to immerse yourself in the wonderful stories premiering each week.

Where We're Meant to Be - Blayne Weaver, Tate Hanyok, Pepi Streiff, Sarah Bousquet - pg. 5 Olympia - McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick - pg. 6 Cabin Crew - Austin Amelio, Shayla Bagir, Kaylene Ball, Harold Fisch - pg. 7 Some Beasts - Frank Mosley, Lindsay Burdge, Heather Kafka - pg. 8 The Idealist - Peter Plaugborg, Søren Malling, Thomas Bo Larsen, Arly Jover - pg. 9 Electric Slide - Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Arquette - pg. 10

Cast & Crew Corners Get the insider story - hear from the filmmakers on the ins and outs of independent movie-making.

Cast & Crew Corner: Some Beasts - pg. 11 Cast & Crew Corner: Olympia - pg. 12

Elect ric Slide

HOME OF AWARD-WINNING CINEMA AND MORE “A quintessentially American film.”

Debra Davy, Splash Magazines

US PREMIERE

August 9, 2019 - 7pm EST Olympia is a coming-of-adulthood drama about Olympia Welles, a young woman who has to make a choice.

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“An exploration into governmental corruption and cover-ups, and the little man fighting against it.”

Josef Arbiv, Film Ink

US PREMIERE

August 30, 2019 - 7pm EST For a whole decade one man never stopped hunting the truth about the worst nuclear cover-up during the Cold War.

www.flixpremiere.com

A 17-year-old student finds an unlikely lifeline in her disabled therapist after a sexual transgression.

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US PREMIERES SNAPSHOT

Starring: Sarah Bousquet, Tate Hanyok, Pepi Streiff, Blayne Weaver

AUGUST 2, 2019 - 7PM EST

Starring: McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick

AUGUST 9, 2019 - 7PM EST

Starring: Austin Amelio, Shayla Bagir, Kaylene Ball, Harold Fisch

AUGUST 16, 2019 - 7PM EST

Starring: Frank Mosley, Lindsay Burdge, Heather Kafka

AUGUST 23, 2019 - 7PM EST

Starring: Peter Plaugborg, Thomas Bo Larsen, Søren Malling, Arly Jover

AUGUST 30, 2019 - 7PM EST

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UK PREMIERES SNAPSHOT

Starring: Sarah Bousquet, Tate Hanyok, Pepi Streiff, Blayne Weaver

AUGUST 3, 2019 - 7PM BST

Starring: McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick

AUGUST 10, 2019 - 7PM BST

Starring: Austin Amelio, Shayla Bagir, Kaylene Ball, Harold Fisch

AUGUST 17, 2019 - 7PM BST

Starring: Frank Mosley, Lindsay Burdge, Heather Kafka

AUGUST 24, 2019 - 7PM BST

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Patricia Arquette

AUGUST 31, 2019 - 7PM BST

Where We’re Meant to Be

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere AUGUST 27PM - 7PM EST UKUSPremiere APRIL GMT Premiere MAY 320- -7PM EST UK Premiere AUGUST 3 - 7PM BST

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ife is made up of small moments, the kind that are largely lost to memory and seem to be inconsequential. But those instances overlap with and are inevitably connected to other pivotal and destiny-altering events for both ourselves and those who surround us. This is the premise of a soul-searching conversation that takes place on a promising first date at the beginning of Where We’re Meant to Be. And the theory about small moments described by these potential love birds cleverly becomes the premise for the entire film.

A thoughtful, beautiful film full of love and emotion.

Pamela Powell, Reel Honest Reviews

In this way, Where We’re Meant to Be has an inventive and exciting approach to storytelling. It’s neither a compilation of short films, nor a narrative feature of the canned story arc variety. Plenty of those kinds of films can be found. Instead, it consists of a series of vignettes that connect together via a subtle detail, one that shifts the viewer into a whole new rich microcosm of story.

While plotlines diverge from one another following the camera’s new focus, the separate stories are linked together by the themes of serendipity, providence, and destiny. Small details shift an individual’s entire view

of their life, their partners, their family members, or their job. Collectively, through the connections that bind them to one another, the vignettes suggest that everyone is “where they’re meant to be,” even when that maybe unfathomable from within the shocking, upsetting, or dramatic world of the individual stories themselves.

Where We’re Meant to Be captures its share of poignant, candid, and heartfelt moments. Of particular note is its treatment of a tragic death

through a poetic visual sequence. The brutal honesty of a woman on a first date, a relationship between an older woman and younger man, and a confrontation between brothers also stand out for their original and bold perspectives.

Director Michael Howard’s second feature film, Where We’re Meant to Be is remarkably consistent in tone through a variety of situations. With steady and interesting cinematography, a new approach toward narrative, and original concepts, this is a drama you will want to check out.

Olympia

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere AUGUST 9 - 7PM EST UK Premiere AUGUST 10 - 7PM BST

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rtists hold a unique point of view, one that transforms the material of everyday life into inspiration. Beyond the romance of individual genius, though, seeing the world differently than others brings with it some challenges. How can a creative soul not only survive, but thrive amidst the cutthroat competition for love, money, and attention of twenty-first century urban life?

Olympia tells the story of a young woman who is determined to hold on to an idealized vision of her life and her development as an artist, even while she is afraid to take risks and expose herself to critical eyes. This personal inertia, coupled with her devotion to a chronically ailing mother, is disturbed when rapid developments in her relationship and at work threaten to turn her life upside down.

Will she be able to reclaim, or rediscover, an authentic version of herself?

Or will the necessity of change bring about a more dramatic transformation? And what about the book of drawings, a project that she seems to have long abandoned? Whatever the outcome, we can be sure that she will not conform too closely to the knowing admonishments of her older sister – who pressures her to land the perfect job and the perfect man for her economic security.

An undeniably strong, humorous, and creative first feature for writer Chinn.

Pamela Powell, Reel Honest Reviews

Finds grace, uncommon quiet humor and a breadth of emotion.

A.W. Kautzer, The Movie Isle

At the heart of Olympia’s original take on the coming-to-adulthood narrative is McKenzie Chinn’s performance as the title character.

Balancing Olympia’s creative vision and determination to lead her own life with undertones of fragility and a lack of confidence, she portrays a complex and fully human burgeoning artist. Her chemistry with Charles Andrew Garner, as Felix, is palpable. We witness the arc of the development of their relationship via periodic flashback, interspersed with the action. Their story – indeed the entire world of the film – is overlaid

with drawings that reflect Olympia’s personal vision of life’s quotidian happenings. The result is a drama of maturation colored by an intimate look at the whimsical musings of its protagonist.

For younger audiences, regardless of their individual gifts and talents, Olympia’s confrontation with the onslaught of adulthood is entirely relatable.

Cinephiles of all ages, though, will appreciate the universal tension between daring to follow one’s dreams and the comfort of familiarity embodied by her story. Seek inspiration from her tale for yourself, and do not miss Olympia on Flix Premiere.

Cabin Crew

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere AUGUST 16 - 7PM EST UK Premiere AUGUST 17 - 7PM BST

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abin Crew is the perfect summer film. It recalls the sweet, youthful energy of The Sandlot, except now the kids have grown up, and the stakes are slightly higher. This time, the leader is Marshall (Nicholas Saenz), who narrates the film through an extra-diegetic vlog. He takes viewers to a baseball field in Illinois where his longtime school friends are playing.

“They’re not the Cubs,” he says. But they’ve been there for each other.

Sexual tension and hints of rivalries undulate below the surface - however they are still present, and are reflected in almost every interaction. As tensions simmer at the game, the friends decide to spend a weekend hideaway at a nearby cabin. They smoke and try to forget their problems.

And then they decide to go and rob a bank. Chaos, of course, ensues. The film, directed by Dino Maglaris, is certainly a comedy drama, although it leans most heavily on the comedy. The friends feel sophomoric, always talking about sex or scoring, and they tend to try to show off their machismo. The cabin trip reveals their secrets and fears. Cabin Crew is certainly a caper, recalling childhood nostalgia and unrequited love even as it tries to move past it.

The writing, particularly the dialogue, is a real strong suit. It shines and cackles and is, at times, uproariously funny. Viewers will love the relationships among the characters, getting to see their idiosyncrasies unfold and

Hilarious, surprisingly tender, and finely crafted, Cabin Crew is a must-see.

understanding the history behind the -- albeitely sometimes fraught - friendships. Structurally, Marshall serves as a fitting narrator. He seems to always have a devilish kind of grin that gives the film a feeling of mischief and surprise.

There are plenty of coming-of-age capers such as Cabin Crew in the world of film today, but one of the aspects of the film that elevates it is the fantastic direction. The film is energetic and quick, thanks to the editing, and the cinematography that makes the film feel personable and bright, combining home video-like footage (i.e.

Marshall’s vlogs) with high quality, cinematic shots.

Cabin Crew is truly a film with personality. The characters are distinct and interesting, particularly Billy (Austin Amelio of Everybody Wants Some!!), who gives a haplessly brilliant performance. Additionally, the film really makes an impression: it is so engaging and oozing with drama, while also recalling the joyful innocence of adolescence.

Hilarious, surprisingly tender, and finely crafted, Cabin Crew is a must-see for viewers who hanker for adventure.

Some Beasts

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere AUGUST 23 - 7PM EST Lorem UK Premiere AUGUST 24 - 7PMipsum BST

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ven in our hyper-connected age of smart phones, social media, and the glorification of the latest developments in technological innovation and urban development that accompany them, there remain those who would rather return to nature. Untethered to modernity’s devices, the contemporary Walt Whitman or Thoreau might consider joining an organic farming community, deep in the heart of Appalachia.

In Some Beasts, the protagonist, Sal, has done just that. Leaving a girlfriend and the latter’s daughter behind in Dallas, he now works as a caretaker for a number of small-scale local farms in southwest Virginia.

We follow him through the backbreaking and slow work of cultivating the soil, clearing brush, and chopping trees to prepare the way for a sustainable farm community. We see the trajectory of his relationship with his girlfriend, Rene, and his reaction to the harsh realities of life off the grid and the discovery of a wild boy who has run away from his family.

In a style that reaches the pinnacle of rural American realism, Some

A bittersweet tale occupying the margins of the in between, in between the dusk of unrealized, cast off dreams and the threshold of promise and new beginnings.

Kevin Rakestraw, Film Pulse

A major contribution to a lineage of American thought on nature and self-reliance.

Graham Williamson, Vérité Magazine

Beasts familiarizes us with Sal’s daily routine while meticulously highlighting the growing distance between him and his old girlfriend, Rene, and Sal’s increasing ambivalence in the face of savage and lawless nature. Director Cameron Bruce Nelson brings his extensive study of cultural anthropology and ethnography to bear on the production, using friends, acquaintances, and non-actors from rural Appalachia to populate his film. The result is a portrayal of pastoral American life that evades sensationalism and adheres to a deliberate, minimalistic, and realist mode, all while conveying the intensity of nature. It might be called a cinematic Hillbilly Elegy at a moment when both the social and cultural importance of rural American life is being reconsidered in the US.

Frank Mosley delivers an award-winning performance as Sal. Mastering restraint and understatement in his delivery, he offers a performance as credible and realistic as the non-actors who surround him as his friends, coworkers, and peers. The cinematography, by Hutch, captures the full richness and landscape of the mountain setting that pervades every element of the narrative tension in the film.

Some Beasts is an earnest portrait of a corner of American society that has received little attention.

What is more, it is an artful and beautiful story about a man coming to terms with both nature and himself. Be sure not to miss it.

The Idealist

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere AUGUST 30 - 7PM EST

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n accident of nuclear proportions, the 1968 crash of a B-52 bomber with a hydrogen bomb payload outside of the US Military base in Danish-controlled Thule, Greenland, resurfaces some twenty years later.

A reporter confronts Danish and American officials with lingering questions about the episode, but they would rather its memory remain swept away with the debris. Can he pull back the veil of bureaucratic secrecy to achieve justice and share the event’s truth with his fellow citizens, and, if so, at what personal cost?

Christina Rosendahl’s The Idealist is a historical drama that recounts real-life Danish journalist Poul Brink’s (Peter Plaugborg) investigation into the Thule nuclear incident. When dozens of workers responsible for cleaning the wreckage of the bomber fall sick with mysterious cancers and symptoms of radioactive contamination, Brink goes to work. He pushes the health department, survivors of the crash, an uncooperative Danish foreign minister, and a hostile American ambassador to find answers regarding why the men are ill and why nuclear warheads found themselves in Danish territory in the first place. Unwavering and indefatigable, we follow Brink’s probe from its start to its end to great dramatic effect.

A hard-hitting investigatory drama.

Richard Gray, The Reel Bits

Seamlessly weaving authentic archival footage into the story of Brink’s gradual transformation of public understanding of the Thule crash, The Idealist represents an achievement in the genre of the docudrama.

Powerful docu-drama which champions a man possessed by finding the truth – an idealist who had believed in the honourable history of his country, only to be confronted by an insane level of secrecy and threats.

André Simonoviesz, Filmuforia

Cinema has an uncanny ability to impact our perspective of historical events, sometimes by condensing major historical landmarks into accessible stories. It can also bring a forgotten piece of history back to life. The Idealist proceeds like the 2016 Oscar-winning film Spotlight, showcasing the excitement, the risks, the setbacks, and the breakthroughs that accompany tough investigative reporting.

Rosendahl’s use of historical footage makes the audience feel as if it is pursuing its own case on the crash, discovering bits of actual truth about the event as the film unfolds.

Peter Plaugborg conducts a spectacular character study of Brink – relishing his victories,

and embodying his diligence and sense of duty to revealing the truth at any cost. But he does not shy away from the darker side of Brink’s idealism either.

Plaugborg demonstrates the thin line between righteous tenacity and obsession. There are moments when the pursuit of absolute truth risks slipping into a manic infatuation with its own ends.

The Idealist is a compelling piece of historical fiction that sheds light onto a little-discussed tragedy provoked by the generation-defining conflict of the Cold War. It does so while satisfying our appetite for solving a puzzle. Be sure to watch it on Flix Premiere!

Electric Slide

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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review UK Premiere AUGUST 31 - 7PM BST

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lectric Slide, an ideal film for cinephiles, begins as a love letter to the movies. A woman named Pauline (Isabel Lucas) walks into a theater, watches the timeless Let’s All Go to the Lobby short, and immerses herself in the picture. That is, until a chic couple, Eddie Dodson (Jim Sturgess) and Charlotte (Chloë Sevigny), walk in and start distracting her. They’re impossibly glamorous, aloof, and soon become intimate right in the middle of the theater. Eddie notices her, and intrigued, strikes up a conversation that he, apparently, could never forget. Electric Slide, directed by Tristan Patterson, is consumed with Hollywood in the 80s. It crafts a perfect balance between the raunchiness of Boogie Nights and the art house feel of a Todd Haynes film.

Fast forward a few years in story, and the film follows Eddie, a man in his early thirties who has managed to get by on his boyish charms, somewhere always convincing friends and rich, older women to sponsor his playboy ways. Until one unsuspecting afternoon, when loan sharks take him into their car and demand payment. On his way to their house, he notices Pauline on the street.

Just barely escaping the meeting with his life, that night he attends a party, only to find the girl he had just mysteriously reconnected with

Dryly comic, arch, sleek, and suffused with mood-setting tracks by the likes of X and Depeche Mode.

Kyle Smith, New York Post

A uniquely endearing effort.

Joe Baker, Dallas Film Now

there. They talk, soon become lovers, and partners in crime. In true Bonnie and Clyde fashion, they decide to steal in order to stay afloat.

With extraordinary performances by the two leads, with smaller roles by stars Kate Miccuci, Patricia Arquette, Constance Wu and Chloë Sevigny, the film succeeds in capturing a certain kind of self-referential Hollywood glamour, aided by the strong performances but also by the distinctly cerebral Kodachrome look. Jim Sturgess shines as noted “gentleman” bank robber Eddie Dodson. He exudes the disillusionment of a Mastroianni figure and Isabel Lucas lends the film subdued gravitas.

While the stand-out performances remain one of the central draws of the film, Electric Slide is also noted for the spectacle that it creates. It feels moody, withdrawn yet pulsing with verve all at once.

Tristan Patterson has created a winning, and wholly engaging, film experience. Electric Slide is sensuous, dramatic and visually stunning. It’s an unbeatable period piece and commentary on a hard-partying Hollywood in the 80s. Fans of dreamy Bladerunneresque cinematography and tales of the Hollywood high life will be in for a fantastic treat.

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Shooting Some Beasts

Close& CREW Up: Premiere Review CAST CORNER:Feature SOME BEASTS Q: That’s a fascinating approach, and one that certainly allowed you to be close to the communities you were portraying. Were you ever worried though that focusing on one community in such detail might isolate a lot of viewers unfamiliar with that world?

CN&AM: Though much of the world lives outside of urban areas, the depictions of life in rural settings are rare and often littered with stereotypes or oversimplifications of that people and culture. We aim for Some Beasts to be a modest antidote to this gap in cinema not just for US audiences but for a global community that equally faces the issues and controversies underneath the film’s narrative. Some of these universal dilemmas include the phenomenon of youth “brain drain” (young people leaving rural or economically depressed areas for bigger cities); questions surrounding modern agricultural practices and food engineering; and the resurgence of alternative lifestyles in opposition to a global consumerist culture.

Q: Despite being able to shine light on all those issues, you also managed to make a film that feels deeply emotional, almost intimate. Where do you think that feeling stems from?

Still from Some Beasts

Director Cameron Nelson and Producer Ashley Maynor discuss how Some Beasts, with its breathtaking scenery, subtle performances, and timeless story about one man’s choice between his dreams and his responsibilities, challenges the traditional representation of rural communities on the big screen.

CN&AM:: The film also speaks to the concept of the American dream and how that is being redefined in the post-modern era. In this way, the film works as an elegy, not only to a fading generation, but to A'court Bason, who appears as himself in the film. A'court passed away seven days after we wrapped principal photography and both cast and crew became very close to him over the nine months we shot on his land. He was so inspired by our efforts that he asked to keep and be buried in the coffin that appears in the film. In turn, he inspired us to continue on his legacy.

In our hearts, the film serves as a living memorial to A'court and the ideals that he lived his life to preserve.

Q: It’s quite unusual to see a film set in an insular farming community. What drew you to this setting?

CN&AM: Separately, as director and producer, we have chosen to live our lives and make our work in the states of America that fall between the US film epicenters of New York and Los Angeles, the two cities that are more often than not the setting for American films. As independent filmmakers, we are also committed to telling uncommon stories about the kinds of people rarely seen onscreen and presenting a fresh look on life in America for both national and international audiences. With Some Beasts, we hope to give a glimpse into the rich communities of the contemporary small- scale American farmer.

Q: Did you have some personal or professional experience with those communities before the film?

CN&AM: Writer/director Cameron Nelson drew upon his own experiences as a former farmer and homesteader in Southwest Virginia to develop the scenario for Some Beasts. His directorial style was further informed by his undergraduate studies in anthropology; many of the people depicted in the film are the residents Cameron lived and worked with during his time there. He chose to combine aspects of narrative filmmaking with ethnographic documentary techniques to achieve realistic performances from these non-actors. His unique approach is intended to faithfully render the rich and deep culture of contemporary Appalachia on screen.

Though much of the world lives outside of urban areas, the depictions of life in rural settings are rare and often littered with stereotypes or oversimplifications of that people and culture.

The film also speaks to the concept of the American dream and how that is being redefined in the post-modern era. In this way, the film works as an elegy...

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Up Close with Olympia

INTRODUCTION The power of independent film lies in its ability to bring new voices - often from the margins of America - to the forefront. Olympia, a Chicago-based feature centered on a flawed female protagonist, is the perfect example of such capability.

CAST & CREW CORNER: OLYMPIA

Q: Olympia is the kind of lead character that’s still under-represented in cinema. What attracted you to her story? Was it challenging to get people to believe in this project’s potential during fundraising?

GD:

Originating from a script by writer McKenzie Chinn, the film united a small group of Chicago’s most talented up-and-coming artists in an attempt to tell a story that feels fresh and, more importantly, authentic to their experience.

The result is a daring drama about what it means to grow up in post-Recession America, with all its nuances - the courage and perseverance it requires, the inevitable change it brings and the relationships it unavoidably affects.

I was attracted to Olympia because of her flaws and the generational nature of the story. I see these flaws in my peers on a daily basis, so I knew the audience was going to be there. The fact that Olympia is under-represented has to do with a systemic problem in society that has controlled our lives for too long. I enjoy pushing boundaries and making my own path, but now it feels like it needs to be done with urgency. One of the benefits of independent cinema is being able to control the narrative, and now these narratives are as important as ever. The door is starting to crack open and we won’t stop telling stories until everyone can fit through the door.

The cast and crew of Olympia, including the director Gregory Dixon, writer and actor McKenzie Chinn, editor B.A. Lewandowski and actor Charles Andrew Gardner share their thoughts on the collaborative nature of the project and their take on the filmmaking process.

One of the benefits of independent cinema is being able to control the narrative, and now these narratives are as important as ever.

Gregory Dixon, the Director of Olympia

Q: What was it about McKenzie Chinn’s script that made you want to direct Olympia?

Gregory Dixon: McKenzie and I have been friends for several years and have collaborated on projects in the past. When she first sent the script to me, I was there to support her with feedback and further development. I’m always a sucker for a good love story and I enjoy exploring relationships on screen, but there were elements to the Olympia screenplay which resonated with me personally.

When she asked me to direct the film, I jumped at the opportunity because there were themes in the film that I wanted to explore further, and I knew I had been given freedom to make creative choices in the storytelling. I had seen many of Olympia’s character traits in my friends, women that I had dated or even myself. I empathized with her situation on a deep level and I wanted to see her succeed in the most spectacular way.

We wanted to pay homage to our city and paint it in a light that isn’t often shown in big media outlets.

Q: The city of Chicago has quite a big presence in the movie. Was that an integral part of the script or is that something that emerged during production?

GD:

As Chicago artists, New York and California are always going to be flashing beacons of career-making glory, pulling us in different directions. This is something our main character feels very deeply when two of her closest friends leave for different coasts. Chicago played an integral role in my storytelling not only because of its physical location but because it is home and we love her. Our own struggles with careers, relationships and artistic ambitions took place on the very streets we filmed on. There is an authenticity to Olympia because our cast and crew have lived in this world already. We wanted to pay homage to our city and paint it in a light that isn’t often shown in big media outlets. This is the side of Chicago we know and love and wanted to share with the world.

CAST & CREW CORNER: OLYMPIA

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Q: The film greatly benefits from the chemistry that is palpable between the actors. What did you look for when you were casting them?

GD:

We had a wonderful experience working with Paskal Rudnicke Casting, based here in Chicago. They brought in several actors who made choices for their character that we hadn’t seen before. As a director, I wanted our cast to live freely within their roles because they’ve all lived this story from varying perspectives. Their own creative choices and familiarity with each other were more valuable and authentic than anything we could’ve written for them.

McKenzie and I collaborated very closely in the casting process because of her vast experience in Chicago theater and her relationships with the community. She even wrote several characters in Olympia specifically for an actor she knew, which helped us immensely. Charles Andrew Gardner, who plays Felix in Olympia, is an incredible actor and friend whom I’ve worked closely with in the past. I welcomed another opportunity to collaborate with him and will do so again in the future.

Q: Where did you draw your inspiration for the film from?

GD:

There were many films from which I drew comparisons when shaping the look and feel of Olympia but the most important resource any filmmaker can have is life itself. The colors, music and emotions in the film are pulled directly from my own travels and relationships. I also constantly seek out new perspectives in cinema. I really enjoy the way Pedro Almodóvar develops his female characters, I fell deeply for various coming of age dramas like Y Tu Mamá También and Blue Is the Warmest Color. I loved the way the indie film, Like Crazy, used modern editing techniques and jump cuts to show a passing of time and allowed characters to get lost in each other’s presence. Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s taught me how to fall in love with a flawed character. The animation from The Diary of a Teenage Girl and the music in a film like 500 Days of Summer all brought life to Olympia in their own unique ways.

As a director, I wanted our cast to live freely within their roles because they’ve all lived this story from varying perspectives.

Much like myself, Olympia internalizes a lot of her anxieties and feelings of depression, but I knew that there was a steady flow of creative energy and enthusiasm within her as well.

Q: You make some interesting artistic choices throughout the film, inserting Olympia’s drawings into the movie world and playing with the sound design.

How did you come up with this idea and what did your collaboration with the visual artist look like?

GD:

Much like myself, Olympia internalizes a lot of her anxieties and feelings of depression, but I knew that there was a steady flow of creative energy and enthusiasm within her as well. It was important to show both sides of a character in a way audiences can find empathy with. Her career as an artist provided that vehicle from the beginning and it was an easy decision to utilize hand drawn animation to show some of her darkest secrets and the choices she makes. We worked with a very talented animator in Chicago named Kaitlin Martin, whom I’ve known from previous projects. Much like our casting process, she was chosen not only for her talents and modern styles of artistic expression but for her familiarity with the world the movie is set in. Kaitlin instantly became part of the family, much like Kelsey Zigmund who created Olympia’s physical artwork for the film.

CAST & CREW CORNER: OLYMPIA

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Q: How did it feel to be interpreting the role of Olympia after you wrote it? Was it any different from playing a role created by someone else?

MKC: I had a more intrinsic sense of what the character is feeling and experiencing because I invented her. I didn’t have to search “find” her because aspects of our worldview are shared. The exciting part was working with other actors and responding to what they brought to their roles in ways that felt truthful to my own character.

I was interested in what a female anti-hero might look like... Olympia was always going to be unusual because I wanted women to be able to inhabit that McKenzie Chinn, Writer and Actor

space in media the same way that we do in our real lives.

Q: What inspired you to write Olympia’s story? Were you drawing from your personal life at all?

McKenzie Chinn: I wanted to explore what it means to be an adult in the modern world. My generation doesn’t have the same road map that our parents’ generation did, so I find it harder to define adulthood.

We’ve had to invent what that means for ourselves. I wrote Olympia to try to understand what it means for me.

The film is not autobiographical, though I do draw from my own outlook and the outlook of my peers.

Q: Did you have any artistic influences while writing the film? Any film director/writer/visual artist that you kept coming back to?

MKC: There were no particular artists who I had specifically in mind while writing. I appreciate and am influenced by the work of quite a few filmmakers - Spike Lee’s older work, Alfonso Cuarón, Sofia Coppola, and Jonathan Demme to name a few. But I think I absorb their work and translate it into something that is my own, rather than try to imitate something that has already been done.

My generation doesn’t have the same road map that our parents’ generation did, so I find it harder to define adulthood. We’ve had to invent what that means for ourselves.

Q: What was your collaboration with Gregory Dixon like?

MKC: We collaborated very closely. We worked on script revisions together and made sure we felt like we were telling the same story. At the same time, Greg had directorial control to excite his vision of the script fully, without my interfering. It was and is a very trusting relationship and I’m incredibly proud of what he brought to life.

Q: Olympia is quite an unusual lead character - a woman who seems to defy the social expectations of her (especially surrounding marriage). Was that a choice you made at the very beginning of the writing process or did the character develop that way as you worked on her story?

MKC: I was interested in what a female anti-hero might look like. At the time, we had a bunch of stories that celebrated men that behaved badly - Walter White, Tony Soprano, Don Draper, etc. - and I wanted to write and portray a woman whose choices were sometimes questionable in ways that felt applicable to my own life and my friends’ lives. So, Olympia was always going to be unusual because I wanted women to be able to inhabit that space in media the same way that we do in our real lives.

CAST & CREW CORNER: OLYMPIA

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There was a lot of internal pressure to cut not just a good movie, but one that will resonate with a wide variety of audiences and demographics. Olympia's message needed to be both personal and universal and cut across boundaries of ethnicity, color, and race.

Q: What major challenges did you face while editing?

B.A. Lewandowski, Editor

Q: What attracted you to this project?

B.A. Lewandowski: I'm a big fan of romantic comedies/dramas; and once I realized Olympia possessed a terrific love story at its core, I was hooked. Love stories are always compelling. Speaking of which, Olympia is, at least in my mind, Mckenzie Chinn's love letter to Chicago. Now I'm not from this city but I did go to film school here (Columbia College Chicago), so that was also a strong motivator. I wanted to find a project where the city of Chicago was a character in the film. McKenzie's script makes it very clear that Olympia's struggles and the hectic pace to her life parallel a very fast-paced, bustling city.

BAL: When I started cutting this film, I knew immediately that Olympia was an important movie. First off, this was a project written and starring a strong minority voice. There was a lot of internal pressure to cut not just a good movie, but one that will resonate with a wide variety of audiences and demographics. Olympia's message needed to be both personal and universal and cut across boundaries of ethnicity, color, and race. McKenzie Chinn's strong script and Dixon's confident direction certainly made my job easier.

Q: How did you find working with the rest of the film crew?

BAL: I came onto this film late into the post-production process, so I only worked with Dixon and producer Sarah Sharp (who was not only an integral part of this entire process, but brought me onto this film and I can't thank her enough). Both filmmakers were very supportive and it's substantially easier to work with colleagues that really believe in both your individual skill set and the overall project.

Q: Did you have any artistic influences while editing the film? Any film director/writer/visual artist that you kept coming back to?

I wanted to find a project where the city of Chicago was a character in the film. McKenzie's script makes it very clear that Olympia's struggles and the hectic pace to her life parallel a very fast-paced, bustling city.

Q: What was it like working with Greg Dixon?

BAL: Over the past two decades I've worked on 200 films and with many, many directors. Greg Dixon is, by far, the calmest, most composed filmmaker I've ever worked with. He's very, very patient and a terrific communicator. He knows what he wants and can articulate that vision efficiently.

BAL: Olympia was strongly influenced by one of my favorite love stories, Columbia alum Teddy Witcher's beautiful 1997 romantic comedy, Love Jones. The manner in which I approached Olympia started here - my primary focus on this film was making sure the audience really connected to Olympia and Felix, and if their love story was as compelling as it was in the script, we were gonna have a real crowd-pleaser on our hands.

CAST & CREW CORNER: OLYMPIA

16

Q: What’s your perspective on the struggles young people are facing nowadays as explored in the film?

CAG: The film does a great job in exploring the struggles of passion vs. practicality.

While this isn’t a new problem facing this generation, it is different in today’s digital age. With social media, our every move is open to criticism — which adds a lot of pressure to get it together and get it right.

The film does a great job in exploring the struggles of passion vs. practicality. While this isn’t a new Charles Andrew Gardner, Actor

problem facing this generation, it is different in today’s digital age.

Q: What attracted you to this role?

Charles Andrew Gardner: First and foremost, I was attracted to the project as a whole because, unfortunately, it’s not a piece of art I come across often enough — young black folks being normal people with hopes and dreams and fears, living their lives the best they know how. I was attracted to Felix specifically because of his caring supportive nature and the opportunity he gave me to explore what it means to find the balance between being there and being a crutch. I also loved all of the nuanced decisions he was faced with throughout the film.

I was attracted to the project as a whole because, unfortunately, it’s not a piece of art I come across often enough — young black folks being normal people with hopes and dreams and fears...

Q: What was it like working with Gregory Dixon? Was he open to improvisation?

CAG: I had worked with Greg on a few projects before so we had a very open and collaborative relationship on set. I always felt safe to take risks and make strong choices. I personally love to cook, and we found a way to work that into the film which was pretty cool.

Q: What did you find challenging about this role?

CAG: I found it extremely difficult to connect to the idea of giving up on my passion and pivoting to a more practical life.

Q: How did you find working with the other actors on the project?

CAG: I loved it. Everyone was a pleasure to work with and we all did a great job of making it possible to feel safe and do our best work!

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