FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Connie Mangilin
connie@thoughtcollide.com

MITTEN MOVIE PROJECT
independent short films

"MySpace: The Movie" Headlines the Mitten Movie Project
David Lehre Series Begins February 5th at the Main Art Theatre

Detroit, January 25, 2008 – The Mitten Movie Project is proud to present the history making, most downloaded movie of all-time, "MySpace: The Movie," directed by Washington, Michigan, native, David Lehre. This month's Mitten Movie Project marks the beginning of the David Lehre Series where each month thereafter a Lehre short will be shown on the big screen. All films in the February program are Michigan-made films and showcase the depth, creativity, and grittiness of area filmmakers. Showtime is Tuesday, February 5, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at the Main Art Theatre (118 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067).

"MySpace: The Movie," which satirizes the lame behavior of MySpace users, has catapulted Lehre into the Hollywood spotlight. His amazing success story has captured the attention of Esquire magazine, GQ, Complex, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and 20/20. Lehre's impressive portfolio includes over 50 short films, music videos, comedy skits, and a pilot TV show for FOX in which he had full creative control and responsibility. The 22-year-old filmmaker from Michigan is seen as something of a hero to the YouTube generation with his witty and hilarious spoofs on popular culture, and his in-your-face attitude. Lehre heads a group of young up-and-comers ready to start a revolution in filmmaking. His ability to reach an untapped market aligns him with innovators such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Hype Williams.

The Mitten Movie Project is a monthly film night dedicated to screening independent films the first Tuesday of every month at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak. Presale tickets are available for $8 at www.myspace.com/mittenmovieproject Tickets at the door are $10. A pre-screening reception starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Art lobby where moviegoers can mingle with the directors, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts. After the screening, a Q&A session will be conducted with the filmmakers in the theatre. An afterglow party will be held at Mr. B's Pub (215 S. Main Street – 2 blocks south of the Main Art Theatre) to end the night's activities.

MITTEN MOVIE PROJECT – PROGRAM NOTES

In order of screening:

TERRA (Raine Taurus 2069) [trailer] – Intrinsic Film (2008) (01:30) Directed by Nathan Quinn of SKITZ TV, The Crotchening, and Unconventional. One of several backstory shorts for the upcoming 2008 Future Fiction TV / Internet series TERRA. In this piece, tenacious journalist – Raine Taurus – has hired the S.E.R. (Shadow Earth Resistance) to help her investigate Predidyne Labs, a lab that is rumored to conduct unethical experiments and build abhorrent technologies. They discover that it's all too true as the DIMS (Digitally Integrated Modified Soldiers) are running loose around the labs as well as the neighboring buildings. Once activated, the DIMS pound anything in their sight to a bloody pulp. www.myspace.com/intrinsicfilm

After the Bloodrush [trailer] – No Fun Films (02:08) Written and directed by Peter Trudgeon. After a virus exterminates ninety percent of the vampire population and turns eight percent into powerless "blood junkies," some of the survivors stage what seems to be a Last Stand in Hamtramck, Michigan, by taking a valuable hostage . . . but things are not entirely what they seem as old grudges rise to the surface. With vampire hunters on one side, ancient powers on the other, and a trio of crazy vampire girls stuck in the middle, the only way out is through a maze of betrayals. www.nofunfilms.com, www.myspace.com/afterthebloodrush

American Piety [trailer] – Mass Effect Productions (01:40) Directed by Steven Karageanes. The trailer for this award-winning short takes a comedic look at what happens when a misguided man with more faith in his iPod than God gets hit by a car and goes to purgatory, and the only way to get back to Earth is choose a religion from three speed-dating sessions with Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. "American Piety" will make its screen debut on March 4th as part of the March Mitten Movie Project.

The Good Wife's Guide – Directed by Kristine Trever (06:50) Inspired by "The Good Wife's Guide" that was originally published in the May 13, 1955, issue of Housekeeping Monthly, this witty and bizarre short features Ruth (Dana Drew) as she goes about her daily duties as the good wife. The original text of "The Good Wife's Guide" was used for the voiceover narration. Originally from Detroit, Kristine Trever is now studying for her Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University in Media, Art and Text.

Revolver – Skeletons in the Closet Films (1997) (05:43) Written and directed by Tom Gurisko. A short film that takes a lyrical look at the fine line between appreciation and exploitation. A cautionary tale about the hazards of sharing.

Intersection – KNAGENfilms (2007) (02:08) Written and directed by Tom Gurisko. Produced by Jen Atanasovski. Director of Photography Jeffery Schultz. Short horror film conceived as an experiment for the "Slo-mo Horror Film Festival." Restricted by a 60 second length (not including titles), being shot entirely in slo-motion and staying within the genre of Horror, this film represented a unique challenge. "Intersection" is about the implications of a chance encounter on a dark street -- the beginning of the end as the plague spreads.

Sockblobula – Directed by Taryn Shick (07:37) The first installment in the sock puppet series by Taryn Shick. A group of sock puppet friends spend the night together. Will they survive the night? Or fall victim to . . . Sockblobula?!?!

"g" – Directed by Rich Jackson (1996) (01:30) "g" is an experimental animation made of 1,350 individual hand drawn frames. More metaphorical than literal, the short follows an apparently un-flight worthy character sporting homemade wings who is faced with the choice of whether to put them into use.

Eternal Education – Directed by Shrine High School Summer Animation Students (4:59) In association with a Ramp Production, Chili Jacc 98, and a Livid Hands Production. "Eternal Education" tells the tale of a mysterious, sunglass-clad girl (Becky Sase) who has control over a powerful clock that makes the school day longer for the already dreary students of Shrine High School. The students try to obtain her clock and change the time so that the day will finally end.

Mangurt–Yogurt for Men – Thought Collide Productions (01:51) Directed by Rob Gulley and written by Gary Burnaska. Absurdist comedy at its best, this commercial debuts yogurt flavors like cold pizza, cheeseburger, and buffalo wild wings. Starring Clark Eagling, Howard Hertz, Bart Bealmear, Tiffanie Kilgast, Nicole LaDouceur, and Jeanne Joubin. www.thebrokenfuture.com

Forever in Time – A Chuck Grady Film (28:30) During WWII a pilot meets a girl at a USO dance and it's love at first sight. After marrying the next day, he leaves for Europe but promises to return to have one more dance. However, his plane is shot down and he is killed. Now 60 years after his death, as she's selling her house and being put into a nursing home by her daughter, she begins to receive mysterious signs from the pilot to meet at the train station where they last saw each other. Starring Jim Lewis (InZer0, Little Red Devil, The Horsemen).

MySpace: The Movie – Vendetta Studios and David Lehre Productions (11:17) Directed by David Lehre. The history making, most downloaded movie of all-time masterpiece by Detroit born director, David Lehre. Follow the stories of five people whose worlds were changed forever because of the addictive social networking site. Watch out for the Yeti! www.davidlehre.com

Tuesday December 4th at 7:30 pm at the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre  The Mitten Movie Project present Josh Becker's Running Time starring Bruce Campbell. 

The story pivots around and stars Bruce Campbell, local boy done well in Hollywood,  as Carl just released from prison where he did five years for robbery, where he develops a plan that involves robbing a local front for the prison laundry operation. His not-so-bright buddy Patrick (Jeremy Roberts) sets up the necessary elements for the heist, within minutes of his release from prison he sets the plan in motion. Almost immediately on implementation, the plan starts to fail. Patrick has hired a junky, Donny (Gordon Jennison) to drive the getaway van, misidentified the model of the safe  and in ultimate stupidity shoots an elderly guard during the robbery—then, things get bad.

Shot in stark black and white with a necessarily linear storyline that sums up the past as well as the present, the film moves quickly and deftly. There are no cuts, the story is shot in real time as a continuous shot. The well-developed characters are played with authenticity, especially Campbell's Carl and Janie (Anita Barone), and ex-girlfriend turned hooker who Carl takes up with by chance in the moments after his release. The film's simplicity belies what must have been a truly complicated and challenging undertaking. Certainly there was more involved here than simply loading a camera with 70 minutes of film and following the actors around.

InZero Zombies will appear at the November 6th Mitten Movie Project.. 7pm at the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre.

All Zombies attending will receive a free delicious brain......

See Myspace.com/mittenmovieproject for more info

There are now four DVDs in the InZer0 series collection:

Volume I - InZer0 Missions 1-3
Volume II - InZer0 Missions 4-6
Volume III - InZer0 Missions 7-9
Volume IV - InZer0 Missions 10-12

This complete series has new artwork designed by Clark Eagling.

Individual DVDs are $15 and will be available on 9/4 at the Mitten Movie Project at the Main Art Theatre (118 N. Main Street, Royal Oak 48067). You may also pre-order them at www.myspace.com/inzero or www.thebrokenfuture.com.

The complete set of all 4 DVDs Missions 1-12 will be available at a special price of $50 at the Mitten Movie Project on 9/4.

New InZer0 bleach and embroidered T-shirts will also be available.

For more information on the InZer0 Marathon on 9/4, visit www.myspace.com/inzero

Thank you!