"The Burden of Choice" Accepted into the 2016 Long Island International Film Expo!

Here's some exciting news: for the 2nd consecutive year, a WM Production will be screening at the Long Island International Film Expo!

The Burden of Choice, a 13-minute dramatic sci-fi short, will premiere in Bellmore NY on Sunday July 17, 2016 at 1:30 pm. There will be an online service to buy advanced tickets soon, and I'll put the link up on this blog.

If you're a longtime reader of this blog, then you already know this festival means the most to me personally, and it's always a tremendous honor to be invited back. Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Burden of Choice for this win, and thank you to the Long Island International Film Expo for having us back again!

"Halina" at NewFilmmakers New York

Halina had its New York City debut this week at the historic Anthology Film Archives building as a part of NewFilmmakers New York. The screening went tremendously well...the audience seemed really into it and the reaction to the last line was priceless. I have to say that hearing the audience react to the last line of Halina is my absolute favorite part of any screening.

We had a few cast members in the house!

 Here's Patricia (Ms. Avery) with me.

 And here's the legend himself William Otterson (Thomas Crane) with me and Steve the composer!

 Halina screened amongst great company. The sci-fi shorts that ran that night were all very well-made and some of them brought some insanely original and intriguing ideas to life. I had a really good night.

New York City Premiere of "Halina" August 19th!

New York City! Halina is making its debut in the Big Apple on August 19th, 2015. This is part of the summer series from NewFilmmakers New York.

NewFilmmakers screens at Anthology Film Archives on the Lower East Side at 32 Second Avenue & 2nd Street. Tickets are $6 and are good for the whole night and go on sale at 5:30PM the night of performance at the Anthology Box Office. There are no advanced or online sales.

We'll be screening at 7:00pm along with a 12-minute short titled The Final Nights: The Proposition. you can visit the Halina profile page for the festival here.

I'll be there - come by and say hello!

Here's the entire program for the day:

6:00 PM Special Program

Stuart Langfield & Dylan Rekert ROAR (13 minutes, Canada)
A journalist travels deep into the north woods to investigate a mysterious government facility that's being built there.

Gavin Williams SLEEPWORKING (15 minutes, United Kingdom)
In the near future a young woman becomes a sleepworker: her body is programmed to do menial labour while she is asleep.

Federico Telerman ALBINO (14 minutes, Argentina)
In a society where albino people are persecuted because of the characteristics of their blood, a group of rebels will rise in arms.

Stephen Parkhurst FRONTIER (2014, 16 minutes)
A journalist travels deep into the north woods to investigate a mysterious government facility that's being built there. She interviews a local conspiracy theorist who's convinced the facility is a front for a sinister secret project. The man appears crazy, until some compelling evidence begins to surface.

7:00 PM Short Film Program

J.R. Howell THE FINAL NIGHTS: THE PROPOSITION
(2015, 12 minutes)
When young hedonistic attorney Kendal Edwards arrives at his mysterious friend's posh New Year's Eve party for a night of drugs, booze, and prostitutes, he discovers his friend's dark secret--a secret that will leave Kendal fighting for his life.

Ralph Suarez HALINA (2015, 32 minutes)
'Halina' is a science-fiction drama about a young woman hired by a reclusive billionaire to care for a mysterious and very lifelike humanoid robot.

8:15 PM Feature Presentation

Richard Cranor STAR LEAF (2015, 77 minutes)
Hikers find a secret grove of extra-terrestrial marijuana and must fight for their lives when they anger the other-worldly forces protecting the plants.

"Halina" World Premiere Recap

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who was able to make it out for the world premiere of Halina! Some people came a long ways to show their support and I really really appreciate that. I had the most amazing time. I love any chance to hang out with my cast and crews, and mingle with other filmmakers. 

Here are some of the pics I took. There were so many cool peeps there I didn't get a chance to snag a picture with, such as DP Mike and our composer Steve (to name a couple).

Here's a mix of team Halina and team Burden of Choice:

Next up is Lamis the graphic designer and Enge, the Casting Director for both Halina and The Burden of Choice.

Tyler, who played Aaron in Halina. He seemed to really dig the film which is always good to hear. I really want actors to be proud of working with me.

 Cheryl the Production Manager of Halina! We accidentally matched outfits.

 Marc the 1st AC for Halina and DP for The Burden of Choice.

There is no feeling in the world quite like screening your movie for a full theater (and it was a packed house, I couldn't believe it). Sitting in the back, I went through the whole screening with an odd mix of exhilaration and terror; it was the first time I'd shown the film to people who came in with no context, so I had some sudden self-doubts if the film was too subtle, not subtle enough, easy to follow etc.

But the response was terrific. The audience laughed at the right parts and cheered for the end pay-off, which is my personal favorite part. Afterwards I heard some great reactions, especially for Lilly and Hannah Jane. When 2/3 of your film is two women sitting and talking, it's a tricky balancing act...but those two carried the script like pros and everyone seems to absolutely love them.

The Q&A panel after the screenings was a lot of fun (that might've been because I slammed down a few drinks right before it).  I got to discuss the themes of Halina in a little more depth and even talk about The Burden of Choice a little bit.

Next up for Halina is the LIIFE award ceremony this week, and then the August 19th screening in New York City for New Filmmakers.

Watch "Halina" This Friday Online!

This Friday, Halina will screen at the opening night of the Long Island International Film Expo.  

Tickets are available right here (day 3 block 3).

However if you can't make it to Long Island, you can still watch Halina online! An added feature to the festival this year is online screening that runs concurrently with the theater screening. Here's how you can watch Halina online this Friday:

1. Watch Halina online at FestivalFilms.com
2. FestivalFilms will also be on BonkoTV
3. Go to the GooglePlay store and download BonkoTV.

No matter where you are, this Friday you can be a part of the world premiere of Halina!

"Halina" to Screen at NewFilmmakers Summer Series

Halina was invited to screen at NewFilmmakers, an ongoing film series that screens the hottest new film projects by up and coming independent filmmakers.

We'll be screening on the evening of Wednesday, August 19th in a film block that kicks off at 7:00pm. Tickets will be available at the door before the screening for just $6! The box office opens at 5:30pm.

This will mark the official New York City debut of Halina so as you can imagine, I'm very pumped. NewFilmmakers.com even set up a Halina page right here. See you in August, NYC!

"Halina" Accepted into the 2015 Long Island International Film Expo!

I've entered Halina into a good handful of festivals so far, and our first acceptance comes from one of the best ones: The Long Island International Film Expo!

Now obviously, this is a personal achievement for me because we're being recognized by the film community from my own home (which is Long Island) and because this festival helped put Purgatory Comics on a path to distribution back in 2010 . . . but also, this is a tremendous win for the entire cast and crew on a much grander scale. LIIFE is one of the most legit festivals I've ever found and it continues to grow exponentially every year. Being accepted for a screening is a major victory for Halina, and I can't think of a better place to premiere this short on a big screen. Plus, celebrities!

Even more of an honor: Halina will screen the opening night of the festival at the Bellmore Movies! The worldwide premiere of Halina will be Friday, July 10th at 6:45 pm. There will be an online service to buy advanced tickets soon, and I'll put the link up on this blog.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Halina for this win, and thank you to the Long Island International Film Expo for inviting us to be a part of the 2015 festival. What great news!!!

Fringe Festival Sept 26th @ CW Post

This weekend of course was the Fringe Festival at the CW Post Campus of Long Island University. I had to miss the opening party and first day of events since I was out of state, but I was back just in time for my own screening. Here are some pics:

Purgatory Comics was preceded by two short films: Bathtub Gin by Lou Yablonsky (above left), and The One That I Want by Sean Gannet (right). Both were incredible; Lou's short was a drama focused on bootleggers during the Great Depression, and Sean's was a hilarious musical with a sci-fi twist. Sean was also on the Bellmore panel with me this summer.

My pals from the Long Island International Film Expo: Jim Cook...

...and the lovable Debra Markowitz & John Marean! Great to see them as always, and would love to work with any and all of them one day in the future.

Fringe Festival 2010 Invites us to Screen

Mark your calendars, we were invited to screen at the 2010 Fringe Festival Sept 26th around noon. Brookville, NY. This is not a straight up film festival...from what I understand it's a celebration of all sorts of arts. Our invite comes directly from our 5-nomination, 4-win blowout at the Long Island International Film Expo.

Sounds like a lot of fun. More details to come!

PS - The image above is Zombie Gal art done by my old friend Ian, who began contributing some art for the movie but never got a chance to finish. Thought I'd pull it out of the archives!

Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore Theater June 9th

Purgatory Comics played opening day at the Long Island International Film Expo. Our screening was preceded by 3 short films, and then followed by a filmmakers wine and cheese meet to kick off the festival.

At the festival I had the pleasure of meeting Leo Fiorica, who was screening his short Window Shopping: Attack of the New Releases. The 12-minute film is hilarious, and definitely a similar brand of humor as Purgatory Comics. Follow Leo's site to learn more.

It also turns out Leo and I share a mutual friend in Matt, who was one of the first to see my film.

Here's Leo and I on stage during a Q&A after our screening. When we were asked "what's next for you two?" I answered "A collaboration."

Always a pleasure to see our own Peter Whales again, Bob-O Socci.

Bob took this picture right after I got interviewed by Cheryl, a super-cool actress who was interviewing filmmakers for a behind-the-scenes web series. If I make the cut, I'll be sure to post the video haha.

And here's Deb, the director of events and overall badass. It was a pleasure to finally meet her after many email exchanges, and if you're a filmmaker on Long Island, you want Deb in your corner.

So quick recap: there was a good turn out to the screening, but the audience age overshot my demo by a few decades. I was terrified that the theater would clear out during my very vulgar movie. To my surprise, everyone stayed and I received some amazing feedback later.

During the wine and cheese party, I got to hit it off with some awesome filmmakers. I also got to chat with some members of the LIIFE, who are just a great and friendly bunch. Although my screening is done, we still have the panel and awards ceremony to look forward to. More to come!

2010 LIIFE Commercial

Here's the commercial for the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo. Remember Purgatory Comics screens during the 2pm film block on July 9th 2010. If you haven't seen it on a big screen yet, or you want to see it again, come check us out!

Check out our Profile Page at LIFTF

The Long Island Film & Television Foundation updated their web site to include the official schedule of the Long Island International Film Expo. The schedule also includes links to individual profile pages. You can check out the Purgatory Comics page right here. Remember we screen during the 2pm film block on July 9th 2010.

What I think is really cool is that we're preceded by a 20-minute documentary called Dig Comics. How awesomely relevant is that? Check out the trailer and see for yourself:

Make sure you get to the 2pm film block on July 9th so you can check out both Dig Comics and Purgatory Comics!

Official Selection LIIFE 2010

Purgatory Comics has been selected for the 2010 Long Island International Film Expo at Bellmore Movies in New York. This is somewhat of a homecoming as this is the same theater we screened at almost one year ago. This is also the same festival that I joked played with my heart last year, so it's good to be a part of the program officially this year.

Mark your calendars: we're screening Friday, July 9th at 2:00pm. If you haven't seen Purgatory Comics on the big screen yet, get to this screening! It looks stunning.

Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore Theater May 21st

Last Thursday evening, Purgatory Comics made its Long Island premiere at the Bellmore theater. This was a private screening for cast, crew, family and friends, and the turnout was amazing. I couldn't believe how many coworkers swung by after work to check out my little flick. Plus I had friends from high school and college, and family too. It was bizarre seeing so many different "worlds" colliding like that, but the overwhelming support was probably the most rewarding experience of my life. Not to mention, I got to reunite with my talented cast...

Here's my leading man Tim "Evan" Kelly standing outside of the theater with me. It was great seeing the name of our flick up on the theater marque. Tim brought a small crowd from Staten Island to check out his performance, and there was a thunderous applause when he appeared on screen.

Here's some of my family inside the theater: my brothers and sister. I sat behind the little one and covered his eyes during the nudey scenes.

Here's leading lady Angela "Cola" Benedict with Bob "Peter Whales" Socci. Both brought their families to the screening. I think Bob's family was a little shocked as his character's foul mouth.

Here's one of several crowd shots I took from the stage before I said a few words. I basically thanked everyone for coming, the Bellmore theater, and a handful of people who got involved with the project late (so they weren't in the end credits). I also thanked my family for their unconditional support.

The screening went great! People laughed at all the right moments and the response was extremely positive. After the credits finished rolling I saw that Jonathan "Berner" Zungre did make it (he got stuck in traffic so came in right as the film began). His character definitely became classic.

After the film screening wrapped, I got to mingle a little and hear some people's great responses. Then I got to snap a few shots with the reunited cast.

Here's me with the leading cast, with DP Mike lurking in the back. We're in the theater lobby glowing from the excitement of seeing Purgatory Comics projected gorgeously on a big screen.

Here's DP Mike in the lobby with Bob.

After the screening, some of the audience joined me across the street for a few drinks at a pretty cool bar. In this picture is my longtime best friend Howard and his wife, me and Angela, and a guy who hilariously photobombed us in the background.

I got to mingle with a lot of friends (again, from all different "worlds"). Finally the night ended and I headed home. The next few days I got to hear a lot more positive reactions and learn everyone's favorite parts or lines. It was amazing. I think a lot of viewers were genuinly impressed, and a few even said they could relate to the story (the greatest compliment I could possibly get). Since I first decided to do a film, an image of this screening was on my mind. It was great to finally experience it, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

Cast & Crew Private Screening Next Week

There's a secret theater screening of Purgatory Comics next week for the cast, crew, family and friends. If you fit into one of those categories and haven't heard about this, drop me an email and let me know (email address is on right side panel). Should be awesome...I'm excited and terrified.

Reporting from Lancaster PA

Today we took a drive to Lancaster Pennsylvania for the Lancaster Area Film Festival that I've been writing about for a month now. Above you see me with some local stormtroopers securing the area. Here's the building where it took place:

Here's a spread from the program, where you'll see Purgatory Comics got a special spotlight:

And here's me and DP Mike backstage. We got to screen both of our projects in hi-def because Mike hooked up his PS3, which was really cool.

Overall, it's been a pretty neat experience so far. My friends and I are crashing in Penn. tonight and we're looking for something fun to do tomorrow. The festival was a blast, but the downside was that multiple theaters were screening multiple films at once, dividing the ticket-buyers substantially. So I didn't get the big audience I was really hoping for, but I did get to watch my flick projected in beautiful quality. And the audience reaction was positive, which makes me happy.

Purgatory Comics Gets Mention in Local Penn. Newspaper

There is a nice write-up on the Lancaster Area Film Festival in the Entertainment section of the Lancaster newspaper. The Entertainment section is in the Thursday evening "New Era" and the Friday morning "Intelligencer Journal."

"The two features are 'Purgatory Comics,' directed by Ralph Suarez, of Long Island, N.Y., about a young woman who hides out in a comic book store rather than face the responsibilities and challenges that come with young adulthood, and 'Schism,' directed by John C. Lyons, of Erie, about about a man's descent into Alzheimer's, as told from his perspective."
Click here to read the full article!

And don't forget to get your arse to Pennsylvania this Saturday for the festival. It's Saturday at 7:15 pm, doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $15 each. Address is Liberty Place, 313 W. Liberty St. Purgatory Comics screen roughly around 8:45pm in theater 1. See you there!

Purgatory Comics 2009 Festival Poster Art

Check out the new 2009 poster art above! I'm going to print these and distribute them at some upcoming screenings, though I won't have them in time for LAFF. This will also give you a pretty accurate idea what the front cover art of the DVD is going to look like.

Remember, we're screening next weekend in Pennsylvania! If you're in the area, go to this site for information and be sure to be there. Our film is headlining the event and getting a special spread in the program! More screenings to be announced soon. In the meantime, let me know what you think of the new poster art!

Edit: Made some minor tweaks to the "page tear" effect.

Purgatory Comics at Lancaster Area Film Festival May 2nd! Be There!

If you're around the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania on May 2nd, check out the Lancaster Area Film Festival! Purgatory Comics will be headlining a collection of short films from around the country (full list here). Of note is the short "It's Not You," written and directed by my director of photographer Mike LaVoie. Also screening is a short called "The Babysitter" by David H. Steinberg, who wrote "American Pie 2" and "Slackers." I'd like to sincerely thank Bryan Schaefer of 81st Street Productions for making this happen. Again, the festival is May 2nd 2009, at Liberty Place 313 W. Liberty St. Lancaster, PA 17603. Doors open at 6pm, tickets are $15. I'll be there, DP Mike will be there, and I'm hoping to muster a cast member or two. This screening's definitely on, and I'm hoping to arrange screenings in both New York and New Jersey in the very near future as well. Stay tuned for news on that!