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Monday, May 4, 2009

Film Festival wrap up

Stomp! Shout! Scream! premiered at the Austin Film Festival in October, 2005 and went on to screen 38 festivals (see list below) in 6 countries (USA, Canada, England, Brazil, Greece, & Australia), winning several Best-of Awards. Wow, that's awesome you might say. Here's how it happened.

From the middle of 2005 the beginning of 2009, I submitted to 133 film festivals. Yes, I'm a little OCD. Total entry fees (with a handful invites/fee wavers): $3,300. That's not including DVD screeners or postage or promotional stuff like postcards or posters or travel to actually get to any of these festivals.

In addition to getting the film seen and finding distribution, one of my goals was to have a screening in each of the 50 states. Between festivals and the limited theatrical run with Monogram Releasing... thirty down, twenty to go. Here's a handy map:
Do you live a a state that's still colored white? Contact me and let's set up a screening. Jay@stompshoutscream.com

Some moments that stick with me:

Austin Film Festival
I watched the sun come up and set from the seat of my VW GTI, driving the 14 hours Atlanta to Austin, with a car full of poster and promotional materials. The next morning at 5:00 AM, I was on an Austin morning show, talking about SSS's world premiere. The interview after me was Shane Black (screenwriter Lethal Weapon, Last Boyscout, Last Action Hero, etc.), who was there premiering KISS KISS BANG BANG. I saw him 20 hours later in the hotel bar and I think we had a moment.

DeadCENTER Film Festival, OK City, OK
SSS was the Opening Night Film, complete with local girl-garage rock band playing before the movie. It was screened in a city park on a beautiful night. Except that the sprinklers started up on the far side of the park as the movie started. They were systematically coming on across the park, ever closer to the movie watching crowd in their lawn chairs. One industrious festival volunteer gather a dozen small trash cans to cover the sprinklers when they popped up amoungst the crowd.

Santa Fe Film Festival
SSS screened on a Sunday night, but snow showers limited attendance to 7 people. I did get to meet '60s counter-culture icon Wavy Gravy.




Psychotronic Film Festival, Savannah, GA
Sold-out screening, great crowd, lots of fun. And SSS make the cover of both weekend entertainment papers!


















Screenings & Awards


Toofy Film Festival (screened as a work-in-progress)
Boulder, Colorado
September, 2005
Winner: Best Feature Film

Austin Film Festival
Austin, Texas
October, 2005
World Premiere

B-Movie Film Festival
Syracuse, New York
March, 2006
Nomination: Best Cinematography
Nomination: Best Set Design

Backseat Film Festival
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March, 2006

Sarasota Film Festival
Sarasota, Florida
April, 2006

Maryland Film Festival
Baltimore, Maryland
May, 2006

Portland Underground Film Festival
Portland, Oregon
June, 2006

Dead Center Film Festival
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
June, 2006
Opening Night Film

FILMSTOCK Film Festival
London, United Kingdom
June, 2006
European Premiere

Calgary Fringe Festival
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
August, 2006
Canadian Premiere

Atlanta Underground Film Festival
Atlanta, Georgia
August, 2006

Indie-World Film Festival
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
August, 2006
South American Premiere

Rome International Film Festival
Rome, Georgia
September, 2006

Eerie Horror Film Festival
Erie, Pennsylvania
October, 2006

Fargo Fantastic Film Festival
Fargo, North Dakota
October, 2006

The Red Bank International Film Festival
Red Bank, New Jersey
October, 2006
Closing Night Feature Film

Indie Memphis Film Festival
Memphis, Tennessee
October, 2006

It Came from Lake Michigan Film Festival
Racine, Wisconsin
October, 2006

Eureka Springs Digital Film Festival
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
November, 2006

MicroCineFest
Baltimore, Maryland
November, 2006
Closing Night Feature Film

Santa Fe Film Festival
Santa Fe, New Mexico
December, 2006

Southern Fried Flicks
Augusta, Georgia
January, 2007

Magnolia Film Festival
Starkville, Mississippi
February, 2007
Winner: Best Feature Film

San Francisco Frozen Film Festival
San Francisco, California
July, 2007

Landlocked Film Festival
Iowa City, Iowa
August, 2007

The B-Movie Celebration
Franklin, Indiana
August, 2007

Indieclub Halloween Spooktacular
Columbus, Ohio
October, 2007

Hell’s Half Mile Film Festival
Bay City, Michigan
October, 2007

Freakshow Horror Film Festival
Orlando, Florida
October, 2007

Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival
Melbourne, Florida
October, 2007

Sweet Onion Film Festival
Walla Walla, Washington
October, 2007
Winner: Best Feature Film

Psychotronic Film Festival
Savannah, Georgia
January, 2008

Foresite Film Festival
Ogden, Utah
March, 2008

All-American Film Festival
Durham, North Carolina
March, 2008

Gimme Shelter Film Festival
Athens, Greece
March, 2008
Eastern European Premiere

Appalachian Film Festival
Huntington, West Virginia
April, 2008

No Film Festival Required
Phoenix, Arizona
August, 2008

Schweitzer LakeDance Film Festival
Sandpoint, Idaho
September, 2008
Winner: Best Soundtrack

Asheville Film Festival
Ashville, North Carolina
November, 2008

A Night of Horror
Sydney, Australia
March, 2009
Australian Premiere

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Theatrical?! How'd that happen?

Three and a half years after premiering at the Austin Film Festival, Stomp! Shout! Scream! is in THEATERS now, April 10-17 2009. These theaters:

Nova Cinemas
Commerce, Georgia
Sun: 12:40, 3:00, 5:25, 7:40, 9:40
Mon-Thu: 5:25, 7:40, 9:40

Georgetown 14 Cinemas
Indianapolis, Indiana
1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30

Studio 10 Cinemas
Shelbyville, Indiana
1:10, 3:50, 7:00

Nova 10
Des Moines, Iowa
Sun-Mon: 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:40
Tue-Thu: 5:15, 7:40

Nova 6 Theatres
Moline, Illinois
Sun: 12:45, 2:50, 5:00, 7:30, 9:30
Mon-Thu: 5:00, 7:30, 9:30

Theatres of Georgetown
Georgetown, Kentucky
Sun: 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15
Mon-Thu: 5:15, 7:15, 9:15

Portsmouth Cinemas
Portsmouth, Ohio
1:35, 4:00, 7:20, 9:45

Branson Meadows Theatres
Branson, Missouri
Sun-Thu: 1:55, 4:30, 7:25

The Amp
Oxford, Mississippi
Sun: 1:35, 4:20, 7:25, 10:00
Mon-Thu: 4:20, 7:25, 10:00

So how did THAT happen? I am a glutton (or a fool or just OCD) for submitting my film to film festivals (112 submission, 37 screenings). One of them was the B-Movie Celebration in Franklin, IN. SSS showed there in August, 2007 where I met the organizer, Bill Dever. Bill has set up a distribution company, Monogram Releasing, and a franchise, B Movie Nation, to put movies in theaters. In January, 2009, he invited SSS to be part of the series. Other films are indie horror and 80's style gore flicks. most notibly Troma's Poltrygeist, directed by Lloyd Kaufman. SSS adds another flavor to the series-- shot on 35 mm, a throwback to the '60s rather than the '80s, and rather innocent comparatively. The deal Monogram offered was a good one (no money upfront, but a good % of gross ticket sales) and the cost of delivering SSS for theatrical was minimal. Minimal because this would be a digital theatrical run. I delivered SSS as a hi-def quicktime on a hard drive. The film would be distributed on blu-ray DVD and projected digitally. The initial theatrial run would be in two small theater chains, Nova Cinemas and Republic Theares. More theater chains would be added as success dictates.

With a this scale distribution (read: the tiniest of tiny) there would be no money for advertising or press agents. Generating a ticket-buying audience would have to be done on the internet and via word of mouth. With appologies to my facebook friends, I've been beating the drum of "SSS in theaters! April 10, 2009!!" for the last 3 weeks. Other tasks: updaing www.stompshoutcream.com; starting to twitter; creating a youtube channel; cut n pasting 5 years worth of my on-line 'journal' to this blog; sending out press-kits to every media outlet in the small towns in this theatrical run... There's more, but it's a blur. I was hoping to generate some PR interest and roll that into making a personal appearance in one of the markets (Louisville, KY was supposed to have 3 screens in the general area). Surely "Adult Swim Producer here to promote indie monster-beach-party flick" is a headline somewhere.

But... I got no bites, so I rounded up cast/crew/family/firends to gather at the 9:40 screening in Commerce, GA, about an hour north of Atlanta where I and most of the cast/crew/family/friends live.



I drove out to the Nova Cinemas for the 5:45 screening on Friday, where 2 patrons sat in the back of the small 85-seat theater. The projection was at the wrong aspect ratio (4:3 instead of 16:9, so everyone was streched tall and skinny). The folks at Nova were very kind and we figured out the propper settings on the projector in just a few minutes. I peaked my head into the 7:40 screening... dead empty. State-wide tornado warnings were serious enough that the few cast/crew/family/friends that were still up for coming had to abort the road trip. By the time 9:40 rolled around..I bought the only 4 tickets sold for me, Travis Young (Hector, the mechanic love-interest in the film) and our dates. We enjoyed the screening nonetheless, adding our own live commentary throughout.

On Saturday, I found out that a couple of the theaters originally scheduled to screen SSS were NOT screening it due to technical difficulties with their digital projection or conflicts with Monogram, including 2 of the 3 theaters around Louisville. I'm certainly glad I didn't make the trip up there. Bill also said that those theaters may still have a SSS run later and that other theater chains and indie theaters are interested in the film.

Making a 60's beach party monster movie does have an evergreen effect. It will never get dated. It's timeless. Like Citizen Kane. Or Night of the Lepus.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Stomp! Shout! Scream! in Theaters April 10, 2009

For immediate release
March 24, 2009
Contact: Jay Wade Edwards
jay@stompshoutscream.com


B MOVIE NATION & “STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM!” BRING FUN BACK TO THE MOVIES

Atlanta, GA (March 24, 2009) – B Movie Nation continues its theatrical run with Adult Swim producer Jay Wade Edwards’ STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! opening on 14 screens on April 10, 2009. The film centers around a mysterious murder, the all-girl rock band that becomes embroiled in the investigation, and Florida’s legendary Skunk Ape.

Replete with an original garage rock soundtrack and gorgeous 35 mm cinematography shot in pulsating ’60s colors, STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! was produced as if it were made in 1966 – without parody, condescension or retrospective irony.

“Independent films can be very heavy. True escapism is rare in independent cinema, but it’s something audiences really respond to when done well. Good storytelling, attention to craft and intelligent film making are not solely the property of high-minded drama,” noted Edwards. The writer/director/producer Edwards’ genre of choice is science fiction and horror of the 1950s and 1960s, and while he notes that these films are generally renowned for high camp and low production values, “films that transcended the science fiction and horror genre, such as CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, and THEM! inspired me to create an interesting story with compelling characters, but do it within the framework of a genre film. In other words, create something that’s as much fun to watch as it was to make.”

The soundtrack -- Catfight!, The Woggles, The Fleshtones, The Hate Bombs, The Penetrators, Tiger! Tiger! -- is a lovingly recreated party platter of surf/garage rock tunes that effectively evoke the era without dating itself. The all-girl band in the film performs original songs recorded by Atlanta all-girl band Catfight! Comprised of Susanne Gibboney (drums), Katy Graves (bass), and Jennifer Kraft Leavey (guitar), Catfight!’s influences range from The Stooges to The Shangri-las. “Catfight! is inspired by sixties good-time beach party music. We jumped at the chance to provide some songs for a cool flick in the style of our favorite movies and sounds. We can't believe our good fortune,” said Gibboney.

Cinematographer Evan Lieberman shot the feature on 35mm with the look of the 1960s beach party films – unnaturally bright, primary colors for the characters and locations that contrast with the dark, grungy look of the Skunk Ape. “STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! presented Jay, myself and the crew with the unique opportunity to reference the style of the great Floyd Crosby who shot the original beach party films of the 1960s,” said Lieberman. “Crosby used a simple yet dynamic sense of movement and an unusual degree of color saturation to create a playful sense of space that expressed the innocent fun and bright optimism of the time period before American youth culture descended into the more conflict-ridden psychedelia of the hippie era.” Edwards’ adds, “We bought leftover film and discovered it was from the Johnny Cash bio, WALK THE LINE, so our movie has a rock-and-roll lineage right down to the film stock!”
The film has screened at more than 30 festivals in five countries, including the Austin Film Festival where the Austin Chronicle noted, "STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! does it better than American International Pictures ever did… as much fun as an episode of Hullabaloo-- snappy bouffants, earnest braniacs, hippy-hippy-shake and all!"

The film has garnered praise worldwide, including: “A ridiculously delightful cinematic experience,” Film Threat. “In all its demented, straight-faced glory, John Waters would be proud,” Cinema Crazed. “See this picture for its catalogue of perfection,” John Huff, writer/director.

STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! includes cameos by “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” alumni Dana Snyder as well as Ned Hastings as the Skunk Ape. Animated titles were illustrated by renowned retro-tiki artist Derek Yaniger.

Edwards has worked as a professional television and film editor since 1991 and currently serves as editor and producer of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”, both the series and COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS (2007), for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. His other credits include “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” “Squidbillies,” “The Brak Show,” documentaries, and numerous promotional campaigns.

Monogram Releasing launched B Movie Nation with an initial slate of cutting-edge B-Movies with Kevin Tenney's BRAIN DEAD on March 20th. Other films set for distribution include U.K. import, JACK SAYS, and the world's first English language Luchador movie, MIL MASCARAS VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY. "We have to make going to movies fun again," says Bucky Kolkmeyer of Monogram. "Movies are the classic form of American entertainment. We are going to give people a reason to go to the movies.”

For more information on please visit:
www.stompshoutscream.com
www.monogramreleasing.com
www.bmovienation.com


STOMP! SHOUT! SCREAM! opens April 10, 2009 at these theaters:

Nova Georgia
340 Tanger Drive
Commerce, Georgia 30529
(706) 423-9659

Nova Cinemas at Sabal Palms
2539 Federal Hwy
Fort Pierce, Florida 34982
(772) 489-8266

Georgetown 14 Cinemas
3898 Lafayette Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46254
(317) 291-3456

Studio 10 Cinemas
1624 E. State Highway 44
Shelbyville, Indiana 46176
(317) 398-3549

Nova 10
4353 Merle Hay Road
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
(515) 270-8330

Nova 6 Theatres
2018 36th Ave
Moline, IL 61265
(309) 743-1153

Branson Meadows Theaters
4740 Gretna Road
Branson, Missouri 65616
(417) 332-2884

Dixie Dozen Cinemas
6801 Dixie Highway
Louisville, Kentucky 40258
(502) 935-3771

Theaters of Georgetown
401 Outlet Center Drive
Georgetown, Kentucky 40324
(502) 863-0055

Movie Palace Cinemas
1231 Woodland Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701
(270) 769-1505

The Amp Oxford Mississippi
206 Commonwealth Boulevard
Oxford, Mississippi 38655
(662) 236-4080

Portsmouth Cinemas
1623 Chillicothe Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
(740) 355-3456

Lake Geneva 4
244 Broad Street
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147
(262) 248-2370

Nova Cinemas at the Hartford Theater
2941 State Road 83
Hartford, Wisconsin 53027
(262) 673-4121