|Podcast| Trespassers - Orson Oblowitz

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Orson Oblowitz (Director) Born in New York City to a film making family, Orson came of age as a photographer, when he was awarded entry into the Nikon Hall of Fame while still in high school. Since then, His work has been shown in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Dubai and several years ago published a photo book with Milk Studios. After graduating with a BFA from Emerson College, Orson began working in film as a cinematographer. His credits as a cinematographer include the award winning documentaries Sea of Darkness and Heavy Water: The Life and Times of Nathan Fletcher. Oblowitz directed his first feature film, a gritty Neo-noir drama entitled, The Queen Of Hollywood Blvd. which won Best First Feature at the Boston Underground Film Festival. Indie Wire wrote "The film is for cinephiles and genre fans alike, who love crime films, beautiful women, and an unforgettable story." In addition to his work in film, he has extensive experience in the branded content arena. His clients include Massiv Clothing, Marina and the Diamonds, Motorola, Sol Republic, Hugo Boss, Pizza Hut, and Arnette Sunglasses.

JEANBOOKNERD PODCAST 2019: SEASON 1 EPISODE 28

GUEST: ORSON OBLOWITZ

JOURNALIST: ERIK WERLIN
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | IMDB

   

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

“Horror by definition is the emotion of pure revelation. Terror by the same standards is that of fearful anticipation.” - Dario Argento.

This quote lived with me as a mantra in making Trespassers. From the beginning, we wanted to elevate the home invasion genre, to operate within the usual genre framework while also putting a microscope on characters terrorized not solely by violent intruders but by each other as well. With Argento’s words in mind, I set out to do so by seducing the audience with terror and repulsing them with violence.

Our writer Corey Deshon crafted the script based off of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential masterpiece “No Exit.” This is what originally intrigued me about the film. These characters come together in a microcosm of HELL — in this case a remote vacation home — find that they are indispensable to one another, and, because or despite that, violently condemn each other for their wrongdoings.

As pure happenstance, something lies in the house without any of their knowledge. Something to usher in violence that tests their resilience, and ultimately give tragic meaning to Sartre’s famous phrase, “Hell is the people.”

As filmmakers, we are always influenced by not only the script, but the zeitgeist of the world, the specific moment in time surrounding the artistic endeavor at hand. I found the paranoia, confusion, and violence in the film, to be my catharsis to deal with the contemporary socio-political purgatory we, as Americans, find ourselves in. The feeling that something, just a few feet away, is watching us in the comfort of our vacation rental. Waiting to cut the power. To smash a chair through a window. And to hack a machete right into our collective consciousness.

Zach Avery as “Joseph” and Angela Trimbur as “Sarah” in Orson Oblowitz’s Trespassers. 
Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Midnight Release.

FILMMAKER BIOS
Julio Hallivis (Producer)
Julio Hallivis is an innovative Producer who brings a fresh approach to production, clever analysis and extensive market knowledge to the film industry.

After gaining production experience from working on various television shows, films and broadcast commercials, Julio produced his first feature film Game Time directed by Diego Hallivis, which would later be distributed by Lionsgate.

Following Game Time, Julio worked as Producer on independent films such as G.E.D and THE GANZFELD HAUNTINGS. Additionally, Julio has built an impressive resume of producing credits through commercial production for high-end clients to the likes of Coca Cola, Diesel, Porsche, Wendy’s and Doritos.

Janel Parrish as “Estelle”, Jonathan Howard as “Victor”, and Zach Avery as “Joseph” in Orson Oblowitz’s Trespassers. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Midnight Release.

More recently, Julio is the co-founder of 1inMM Productions, a multi-faceted production and distribution company that was founded in 2012.

In addition to CURVATURE, a directed by his brother Diego starring Lyndsy Fonseca and Linda Hamilton, 1inMM Productions has recently completed production of the upcoming horror film SINKHOLE.

Through a partnership with his filmmaker brother Diego known as The Hallivis Brothers, Julio specializes in developing, producing and distributing wholly original takes on familiar genre films such as TRESPASSERS.

Janel Parrish as “Estelle” in Orson Oblowitz’s Trespassers. 
Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Midnight Release.

Diego Hallivis (Producer)

Diego Hallivis is a film and commercial director and producer who started as an editor in the advertising industry. His post-production experience allowed him to jump into the director's chair at an early age doing commercials for Diesel, King of Shaves, GoDaddy, Nestle and high-end fashion clothing lines.

His sci-fi action proof-of-concept "Shifter" went viral, as well as his short film "The Laughing Man" which explores the violent and gory take on the early days of the comic book character, the Joker. “The Laughing Man” got over 2 million views in less than a week.

This viral success got him attention and buzz in the industry, allowing him to secure financing for his feature film “Curvature”, which he shot in 2016, starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Linda Hamilton and Glenn Morshower.

Part of a producing duo with his brother Julio known as The Hallivis Brothers, Diego has developed various upcoming projects and recently wrapped production on the upcoming horror film SINKHOLE.

The brothers’ production company, 1inMM Productions, promotes fresh filmmaking voices such as Orson’s which have yet to break through in the genre space.

Noah Rosenthal (Cinematographer)
As the son of a filmmaker, Los Angeles native, Noah Rosenthal, became fascinated with the art and craft of movies at a very young age. This early interest led him on an unconventional path to a career as a Cinematographer. Attending Middlebury College in Vermont, he took a double major in Film and Media Culture and American Literature (with a little Division III Football mixed in!), guided fly fishing trips on wild trout rivers of Wyoming, traveled the country taking photographs, studied acting at The Beverly Hills Playhouse before eventually receiving an MFA in Cinematography from The American Film Institute where he was the first second-generation graduate.

Noah prides himself on strong collaboration and the ability to work from the elements of a story to find the best look for a film. In finding and defining visual choices and structure, one can support a narrative visually in ways that help to elevate the story far beyond what is on the page. He has experience across the genres and looks forward to expanding it, fully expecting his passion for visual storytelling to be a life-long pursuit.

Jonathan Snipes (Composer)
Jonathan Snipes is a composer, sound designer, field recordist, and synthesistworking primarily in Film and Theater. He holds an MFA in Sound Design from UCLA, where he still teaches in the theater department. He is currently a member of the avant-rap group clipping. who have released multiple albums on Seattle’s Sub Pop Records. Film credits include Room 237 (2013), Starry Eyes (2014), The Nightmare (2015), Rebirth (2016), Contracted: Phase II(2015), and Excess Flesh (2015) with director Patrick Kennelly. On television, his music has been heard on The Mayor (ABC, 2017), The Office (NBC), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox), and Tron: Uprising (Disney), among others. Stage credits include The White Album (Lars Jan, Early Morning Opera), Meditations on Virginity (Michael Hackett, National Theater, Warsaw Poland), Nocturne (Matt Shakman, Black Dahlia Theater), Wait Until Dark (Matt Shakman, Geffen Playhouse), and the original musical Patty: The Revival (Highways), also with director Patrick Kennelly. www.jonat8han.com

1inMM Productions (Production Company)
1inMM Productions was founded by three cinephile filmmakers that all shared one common goal, producing high-quality genre movies.

TRESPASSERS typifies everything 1inMM aims to be as a company: fresh, edgy and unique its approach to high-concept content that allows a new class of auteurs to express their ideas and art form to the fullest.

Having distributed a number of titles throughout Latin America before expanding to finance and produce genre projects, 1inMM are now the new kids on the block. 1inMM’s mission is to push the boundaries and create content that will entertain, shock and keep audiences wanting more.



CAST  BIOS
Fairuza Balk (“The Visitor”)
Fairuza Balk has been celebrated by moviegoers and cinephiles alike, for her memorable turns in hit movies helmed by prestigious directors. Whether it’s Tony Kaye’s American History X, Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous or the Bad Lieutenant remake directed by Werner Herzog, she has established herself as one of the most familiar faces and dynamic performers in the business. In addition to her roles in the aforementioned films as well as cult hits The Craft and The Waterboy, she has also forged an impressive television career by appearing in major shows such as Family Guy, Celebrity Ghost Stories and recurring role on Ray Donovan.

Angela Trimbur (“Sarah”)
Angela Trimbur is perhaps best known for her work in Trash Fire, for which she received the Best Actress at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. She has also been recognized for her portrayal of the wild 80’s party camp counselor in the horror comedy film The Final Girls (2015). In addition to appearing in films, Angela has been a celebrated television actress who has appeared in shows like Community, Californication, Major Lazer and The Good Place. A passionate dancer, Angela arranged the choreography for the upcoming film Under The Silver Lake and recently created the LA City Municipal Dance Squad, a team of dancers who perform the halftime show for the Los Angeles Women’s Community Basketball pickup league.

Janel Parrish (“Estelle”)
Janel Parrish has worked extensively in film and television, perhaps best known for her portrayal of Mona Vanderwaal in Pretty Little Liars. She’s received numerous Teen Choice Award nominations for her work on the show, and has won four times for Best TV Villain. Her other TV credits include Heroes, Hawaii Five-0, The Mysteries of Laura and Rosewood. Her career in film acting began with 2007’s Bratz, for which she also wrote and performed an original song featured on the motion picture soundtrack. Since then, she’s made memorable turns in films such as April Showers, Triple Dog, Celeste and Jesse Forever and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Jonathan Howard (“Victor”)
Jonathan Howard is a rising star of film and television, who began his career by appearing in an educational show for children called Looking After the Penneys. After training at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) between 2008 and 2011, he was cast in the TV miniseries Titanic as Sixth Officer Moody as well as in one episode of the fourth series of Downtown Abbey. Shortly thereafter, he began a successful run of film appearances in major American movies such as World War Z and Thor: The Dark World. He’s also made a name for himself in the American television space, with recurring roles in Kingdom and The Last Ship.

Zach Avery (“Joseph”)
Zach Avery was first discovered after playing the lead role of Jay in the critically acclaimed, Internet sensation short film, The Laughing Man. He then followed this success by making his feature film debut in Curvature directed by Diego Hallivis; co-starring in the role of Alex in which he played opposite Lyndsy Fonseca and Glenn Morshower. He then co-starred opposite Katia Winer in the role of Mark in the feature film titled You’re Not Alone directed by Eduardo Rodriguez. Avery will next be seen in the feature film currently titled Shookum Hills, directed by Bradley Parker in which he will play the role of Jaime opposite Will Patton.

Two couples, each working through relationship issues, rent a gorgeous house in the desert for a sex- and drug-fueled escape from reality. Sarah (Angela Trimbur) and Estelle (Janel Parrish) are longtime best friends looking forward to reconnecting after a period apart; their boyfriends, Joseph (Zach Avery) and Victor (Jonathan Howard), however, are immediately wary of one another. As tensions escalate over the course of a debaucherous night, things take an unexpected turn when a woman (Fairuza Balk) claiming to be a neighbor with car trouble shows up at the door. She seems harmless enough…or so they think. As the twists and turns pile up so does the body count in this stylish, blood- and neon-soaked thriller which hits with the furious force of a machete to the skull.

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