by Kyna Morgan
I'm thrilled to see that new Contributor to the Her Film Project blog, Katie Carman-Lehach, is having her feature film Off Season screened on January 8 at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City! This is Katie's second feature film she has directed and co-produced and it will be screened as part of a NewFilmmakers New York event. Off Season screens at 9:30pm with a reception held beforehand.
Read more about Katie's film and watch the extended trailer below.
Short Synopsis: A noir inspired horror-thriller set on the windswept East coast during winter. Sylvie Stone takes refuge in an isolated beach hideaway after her husband is convicted of a sweeping act of financial fraud. Villainized in the press, and afraid to venture out into public, Sylvie savors the isolation, until a series of frightening occurrences lead her to discover she's being stalked by a mysterious presence. Soon each night alone is filled with terrors, and Sylvie seeks out romantic distraction with a local surfer. Uncertain of her own sanity, and faced with a terrifying ultimatum, Sylvie is forced to confront the secrets of her past, or take them with her to the grave.
Read more about Katie's film and watch the extended trailer below.
Short Synopsis: A noir inspired horror-thriller set on the windswept East coast during winter. Sylvie Stone takes refuge in an isolated beach hideaway after her husband is convicted of a sweeping act of financial fraud. Villainized in the press, and afraid to venture out into public, Sylvie savors the isolation, until a series of frightening occurrences lead her to discover she's being stalked by a mysterious presence. Soon each night alone is filled with terrors, and Sylvie seeks out romantic distraction with a local surfer. Uncertain of her own sanity, and faced with a terrifying ultimatum, Sylvie is forced to confront the secrets of her past, or take them with her to the grave.
From the Director's Statement:
Ideas for the films I make are sometimes born out of strange places, and "Off Season" was no different. The first spark of an idea came during a car ride home from Atlantic City, NJ with my longtime co-producer Elizabeth Lee, on what was decidedly an 'off season' trip to the shore. Bernard Madoff had just been arraigned and sentenced to 100+ years in jail, and the intrigue surrounding one of the largest ponzi schemes in history seemed unceasing. Yet there was still one side of the story yet to be told: that of Bernie's wife, Ruth Madoff. One of things I strive to do in my filmmaking is tell a story that hasn't been told, from a different perspective. Naturally I was struck by the puzzle of this character, Sylvie Stone, a woman whose life will be forever darkened by this massive crime, but whose motives are elusive and unknown to everyone but herself. What makes a person succumb so easily to greed? And what does she think & feel when she's alone? Is she remorseful? Unrepentant? These are the things we wanted to explore in creating this character and story. We also wanted to explore what would happen if outside forces were at play against her, as a means of reflection against the choices Sylvie makes. To what lengths will she go to get what she wants? Can someone like Sylvie ever be redeemed? There are many complexities at play in a character like Sylvie Stone, and we hope our film simultaneously sheds light on and questions her motives, while also acting as a reflection of our society and what our culture really values.
Visit the film's website at: www.offseasonmovie.com and follow Katie Carman-Lehach on Twitter @katiecarman.
Ideas for the films I make are sometimes born out of strange places, and "Off Season" was no different. The first spark of an idea came during a car ride home from Atlantic City, NJ with my longtime co-producer Elizabeth Lee, on what was decidedly an 'off season' trip to the shore. Bernard Madoff had just been arraigned and sentenced to 100+ years in jail, and the intrigue surrounding one of the largest ponzi schemes in history seemed unceasing. Yet there was still one side of the story yet to be told: that of Bernie's wife, Ruth Madoff. One of things I strive to do in my filmmaking is tell a story that hasn't been told, from a different perspective. Naturally I was struck by the puzzle of this character, Sylvie Stone, a woman whose life will be forever darkened by this massive crime, but whose motives are elusive and unknown to everyone but herself. What makes a person succumb so easily to greed? And what does she think & feel when she's alone? Is she remorseful? Unrepentant? These are the things we wanted to explore in creating this character and story. We also wanted to explore what would happen if outside forces were at play against her, as a means of reflection against the choices Sylvie makes. To what lengths will she go to get what she wants? Can someone like Sylvie ever be redeemed? There are many complexities at play in a character like Sylvie Stone, and we hope our film simultaneously sheds light on and questions her motives, while also acting as a reflection of our society and what our culture really values.
Visit the film's website at: www.offseasonmovie.com and follow Katie Carman-Lehach on Twitter @katiecarman.
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