WHERE: Los Feliz 3 Cinemas 1822 Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
WHEN: April 18-24: Daily: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00*, 9:45
*SATURDAY APRIL 19th: Q&A with Jonathan Rossetti, Kerry Knuppe, Marshall Bell, Julie Gearheard and DP George Su
NOTE: Writer and Director Jonathan Rossetti will be in attendance at the Saturday April 19 Los Angeles Screening
Director Rossetti took some time to talk with The "IN" Show about his film, "Home, James."
- LEARN MORE ABOUT "HOME, JAMES" AND FOLLOW ITS PROGRESS AT WWW.HOMEJAMESTHEMOVIE.COM.
- LIKE "HOME, JAMES" ON FACEBOOK.
- FOLLOW @HomeJamesTulsa ON TWITTER .
LOS ANGELES, CA - Not since S.E. Hinton's "THE OUTSIDERS" (1983) has a film been as recognizably Tulsa, Oklahoma as is "HOME, JAMES," set in present day Tulsa.
"HOME, JAMES," written and produced by Oklahoma natives Jonathan Rossetti and Julie Gearheard, tells the story of James, an aspiring local photographer who is left questioning his talent after being rejected by a major art gallery. While working his unfulfilling day job as a sober driver, he meets and falls in love with Cooper, a hard drinking Tulsa socialite. The couple is quickly consumed by a whirlwind romance that initially inspires and instills confidence in James, but ultimately threatens to derail him. The pair faces a difficult crossroads when they are forced to choose between pursuing their dreams and pursuing their relationship.
The world premiere of "HOME, JAMES" at the deadCENTER Film Festival in 2013 was the realization of a dream that originated in 2007, when Gearheard and Rossetti began writing the script. "We started with three things," says Rossetti. "The movie would be set in Tulsa, James would have a job as a sober driver, and James wouldn't get the girl. That was it."
"Actually, there was one more thing," says Gearheard, "...the idea of this girl living her life in such a messy way - with no real direction - falling in love with a guy who she thinks can rescue her. Only it doesn't work that way. Another person can't rescue you."
"It's not easy to make the decision that you love yourself and the other person enough to let them go. I don't think there's one side of this relationship that's responsible for its demise. Hopefully, you root for them to be together and then root for them to be apart," says first time director Rossetti. "The 'will he or won't he' ending is something that the audience should struggle with as much as the characters."
The script was finished in January 2012, and the $50,000 film was funded via a Kickstarter campaign by March 2012.
"At the time, neither Julie nor I had connections to any film investors, so we decided to try to raise the money ourselves. We really felt that the minimum budget for the film was $50,000, and luckily we were able to get there," says Rossetti. "Kickstarter" is all or nothing, so it was very stressful. I would sit at my computer, refreshing the page all day, just crossing my fingers that we'd find a way." When the money was raised, just a few days before the deadline, reality sat in for the first-time producers. "It's funny, the moment we got the money, my first thought was 'Oh no, now we actually have to make the movie,'" says Rossetti, with Gearheard quickly agreeing.
"Yes, the excitement was very short-lived, but not the gratitude. We are forever indebted to the many people who donated to our campaign. Sometimes you have to hold your breath and do it. And now we have a film."
Gearheard and Rossetti are both graduates of the Advanced Program at the Atlantic Acting School in Los Angeles, where they studied with David Mamet, Clark Gregg, Felicity Huffman, and William H. Macy. "Creating your own work is a major tenant of the Atlantic Acting School," says Rossetti. "As an actor you wait for the audition, you wait for the call back, and then you cross your fingers that you booked the part. Ultimately, Julie and I decided that we were tired of waiting. It was a challenging and rewarding experience stepping behind the camera for the first time as director." On setting the film in Tulsa, Rossetti says, "Everyone's from somewhere. We've both lived in LA for several years and, at least for me, there's a longing for home. The film
represents both sides of the coin. For James, home defines him, it's who he is; Cooper refuses to be defined by it. I think that's something that a lot of people deal with and it's not often seen on screen. Tulsa is my hometown and I wanted that to be the backdrop for James' struggle."
In just 17 days, "HOME, JAMES" completed principal photography in Tulsa and Los Angeles. The team is quick to credit the hard work of cast and crew, friends and family, their Kickstarter donors, and the people and businesses of Tulsa who welcomed them enthusiastically. And now as the film nears its release, what will the future hold for "HOME, JAMES?"
Learn more about "HOME, JAMES" and follow its progress at
http://homejamesthemovie.com/.
Like "HOME, JAMES" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homejamesthemovie.
Follow @HomeJamesTulsa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/homejamestulsa.
SOURCE Pamela Morris
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