The Shells Film919 Parkman Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90026maxfinneran@gmail.com

415-606-7941

THE SHELLS

Press Kit

Tagline : Turn your mind off.

Project at a Glance

Genre : Science Fiction

Running Time : 87 Minutes

format : RED Camera 4K

Locations : Young Lion Studio, Rochester NY Montauk, NY

FESTiVAL RELEASE : Spring 2013

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Synopsis

“The Shells” is a female driven sci-fi horror exploring

themes surrounding dream materialization and mind control.

Haunted by dreams that appear all too real, Alex reluctantly

joins a team of amateur filmmakers in a former undercover

DOD research facility to make a film about Dr. Marzena, a

mysterious neurologist who disappeared in the 1960s while

in the midst of a secret experiment. As members of the crew

are transformed into sleepwalkers, Alex discovers that Dr.

Marzena is alive inside the building, entrapping her victims

in a dream dungeon from which they cannot escape. Caught

in the crosshairs of Dr. Marzena’s demonic plan, Alex must

embrace her innate powers to save herself and the crew,

before it’s too late.

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DIRECTOR STATEMENT

“The Shells” grew organically out of a number of key interests and goals. One, I wanted to write a genre film that featured strong and dynamic female roles that defied the “scream queen” model and, unlike the vast majority of contemporary genre flicks, was centered on a dramatic relationship between women.

Two, I’ve been deeply inspired by the narrative flexibility, risk taking, and dark humor in genre films of the 1980s, which “The Shells” attempts to re-imagine. This sensibility is reflected aesthetically in the lo-fi approach of our VFX, our cinematography and lighting, and our hybrid electronic score. The story has the thrills of a sci-fi horror, but it is also quite funny – and we hope this combintion of dark humor and horror is a great way to open an audience to an unusual story.

Third, we had very little money to spend! So the story was built around a single location and we carefully planned to achieve an ambitious film on a very small budget.

At its heart, “The Shells” is intended to be a sexy, fun, wild ride for the midnight movie crowd while also challenging its audience to engage with a head scratcher of an ending that we feel “Generation Matrix” will spark to.

I hope you enjoy “The Shells”!

Max Finneran

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Britt Lower lives in Brooklyn, graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Theater, and just finished shooting the lead role in the indie feature The Shells as well as a supporting role in The Stare opposite Winona Ryder. She can currently be seen in the recurring role of “Tanya Sitkowsky” in Unforgettable on CBS. Last year, she played the recurring role of “Meg,” the sharp witted love-interest to the lead in Comedy Central’s series, Big Lake opposite Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz. Other credits include: The Winning Season, Hatching, Night Float, Thin Air, and A Different Kind of Animal. She is a member of the Striking Viking Story Pirates and an all-lady improv team.

THE CAST Cast primarily out of New York City, THE SHELLS features break-out performances by up-and-coming lead actors Britt Lower, Erik Heger, Sara Chase, Andy Ridings and Nadia Gan. These eclectic, intense, funny and unique performances are complemented by a supporting cast that includes veterans Carolyn McCormick and Lee Wilkof.

Britt Lower - Alex

Carolyn McCormick was born in Texas and holds a B.F.A in writing from Williams College and an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco where she was a company member for several years. She has worked extensively in television, film, and theatre. Her first film was Wolfgang Peterson’s Enemy Mine with Dennis Quaid. Many people recognize her from the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation where she played the holodeck simulation ‘Minuet’. She is best known, however, for her work on Law & Order, where she has played Dr. Elizabeth Olivet since 1991, appearing in all the various incarnations of the show. Other television credits include Cold Case, The Practice, Judging Amy, Homicide, LA Law to name but a few. Film credits include Whatever Works, Nights in Roadanthe, Loverboy, and Company Retreat. She has performed in dozens of Broadway and off Broadway plays over the years including The Dinner Party, Celebration, Biography, and Dinner with Friends.

Carolyn McCormick - Maryann Marzena

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Erik Heger is a New York City based actor who has appeared in over 50 plays, including the title character of Macbeth, Tom Buchannon in The Great Gatsby, and Prince Hal in Henry IV part 1. Erik’s television credits include guest staring roles on 30 Rock, Blue Bloods, and Law and Order. Erik’s film resume includes Henry Hinke, A Perfect Match, and Upside Out (with Olympia Dukakis). Erik is also an accomplished harpist who has played with Lou Reed and Roberta Flack at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

ERIK HEGER - Manny

Sara Chase can be seen this year in the upcoming films Hello I Must Be Going opposite Blythe Danner and The Normals with Brian Greenberg. Other credits include series regular on Comedy Central’s Michael and Michael Have Issues, and the films Arthur, The Other Guys, The Winning Season, and Little Black Book.

Sara Chase - Lizzy

Nadia Gan earned her B.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has appeared off-Broadway in The Shanghai Gesture(Mirror Repertory Theatre) and Shogun Macbeth (Pan Asian Repertory). Other New York and regional theatre credits include Hanako Junction (Gene Frankel Theatre), The Moth and the Flame (Target Margin), Rosa Loses Her Face (The Electric Theatre Company, PA, and Queens Theatre in the Park) and Dracula (Inwood Shakespeare). Television and film credits include Blue Bloods (Ming-Tai; CBS) and What Maisie Knew (Dirs. Scott McGehee and David Siegel). She has appeared in numerous commercials and works as a voiceover artist.

NADIA GAN - Michelle

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Michael Pemberton - alMichael Pemberton is an NYC based Actor/Songwriter/Singer. Most noted for his 3 season recurring as Glen Close’s (Patty Hewes’ Private Detective (Malcolm) on the hit series Damages. Films include: Brooklyn’s Finest, Family Stone, Children of Invention, Ice Grill USA et al Television: Damages, The Sopranos, Law & Order, L&O-SVU, L&O-Criminal Intent, Kidnapped, New Amsterdam & Oz. Michael has also appeared in numerous stage productions on and off Broadway.

Lee Wilkof is an American actor and veteran of the Broadway stage. He originated the roles of Sam Byck in Assassins and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, later earning a Tony Award nomination for the 2000 revival of Kiss Me, Kate. He appeared as The Wizard in the San Francisco production of Wicked, a role in which he previously played on the First National Tour of the show. Wilkof has appeared in numerous television series (Ally McBeal, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hart to Hart) and films (Asylum Seekers, The Grey Zone, This Boy’s Life). He is featured in the 2009 film Leaves of Grass, starring Edward Norton.

Lee Wilkof - Terry

Andy Ridings is a BFA graduate from Syracuse University and has attended classes at the Tisch NYU program and the Upright Citizens Brigade improv school. Andy has been seen on TV shows such as One Life to Live, where he was featured in a recurring role, and played JR Chandler on All My Children. He has also appeared on the CW’s Gossip Girl. He recently premiered in the feature film Sedona opposite Frances Fisher.

Andy Ridings - chuck

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Nick Fondulis - DannyNick Fondulis recently played Jayden Michael Tyler on 30 Rock (NBC). He’s also appeared on Mercy (NBC), Kings (NBC), As The World Turns (CBS), Friday Night with Greg Giraldo (Comedy Central) and in the short film Yearbook (2011 Sundance Film Festival). Theatre credits include The Boy in the Basement (Barrow Street Theater), 365 Days/365 Plays (Public Theater) and roger&tom (59E59 Theaters). Nick holds a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University and currently performs in the improv experience Accomplice: New York.

Born in Denmark, Anna Andresen has trained at The Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama and Drama Centre London. Her film credits include Burlesque Fairytales (Double Barrel Productions), Distance (NFTS), and Swan Song (Reel Film.) She has appeared on television in Miss Marple (ITV), Silent Witness(BBC) and Wire In The Blood (ITV) and in numerous theatrical productions, including The 39 Steps (West End, London) Red Admiral (Soho Theatre), Crossed Wires (Theatre 503) and The Boxes (Barons Court Theatre)

Anna Andresen - Anina

Born Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nation, Gary was raised on the Tonawanda Reservation near Akron, New York. Since 2004, past films include The New World (New Line Cinema), Black Hills, A Wife Alone, Bury My Heart with Tonawanda, and documentaries for PBS, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. Upcoming film projects include Alone Yet Not Alone, Trails of Tarnation, and Bloom.

Gary Sundown - bagman

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Max Finneran is a Los Angeles based director and screenwriter. He holds a BA from Brown University in Theater Arts and received an MFA from the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Program at New York University. He has authored numerous screenplays including Ventures, an environmental thriller; International Waters, an action-adventure comedy co-authored with Andy Greenwald (Miss Misery); and People of the Desert, a coming-of-age drama. His artistic background is in theatre and he has collaborated as an actor, writer, director and designer with such seminal experimental theatre companies as The Wooster Group and SOON 3. During his MFA studies at NYU, he wrote, directed and produced six short films that screened and won awards at multiple international film festivals and received international distribution. His short horror film Pumpkin Hell starring Dean Wareham was honored with three Wasserman Awards in Screenwriting, Directing and Producing and went on to play the international film festival circuit widely. The Shells is Max’s feature film debut.

CREATIVE TEAM

Max Finneran - Writer/Director, Producer

Kim founded Streetwise Pictures in 2007 to develop, finance and sell independent films. Some of her credits include, Inside Man directed by Spike Lee, Munich directed by Steven Spielberg, and Click directed by Frank Coraci. As producer her credits include, Tub (Sundance 2010), Tran.si.tions (Hamptons Film Festival 2010), Children of God (Newfest, Outfest 2010), Gun Hill Road (Sundance 2011 competition). Kim is currently in post production with The Shells directed by Max Finneran, Blue Caprice directed by Alexandre Moors and The Wave Maker a documentary directed by Kira Benzing. Ms. Jackson got her start in Los Angeles at Disney/Touchstone and currently resides in Manhattan.

KIm JACKSON - Producer

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Danny holds an M.F.A. from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where he focused on cinematography. While there, he shot over forty short films, winning the Wasserman Award an unprecedented eleven times. The projects that he has worked on have been shown in major film festivals across the world. Over the past several years, he has served as D.P. in every format, including feature films, branded entertainment, television, commercials, music videos, and documentaries. He shot the feature film Shadows And Lies, directed by Jay Anania and starring James Franco, Julianne Nicholson, Martin Donovan, and Josh Lucas, which was an official selection of the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Homewrecker (aka The Locksmith), directed by the Barnes brothers, won the “Best of Next” category at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. His most recent film, Kinyarwanda, directed by Alrick Brown, won the 2011 World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be released theatrically this December. Danny is represented by Elevation Talent.

CREATIVE TEAM

Danny Vecchione - director of photography

Kay Lee got her start as a costume designer on numerous Off-Broadway shows. She was also a Technical Designer for major apparel companies such as Express, the Gap and Polo Jeans. This experience led her to a career in film. Her feature film credits include Day On Fire (production designer) and Stanley Cuba (costume designer). Her short film credits include: Jesus Henry Christ (2003 Student Academy Award winner, DGA award), Seibutsu (2004 Student Academy Award Finalist) and Payday (2003 Sundance Short Selection) among others. Her most recent experience was as design assistant to the award-winning production designer Rob Pearson (The Matador) on Fireflies in the Garden, starring Julia Roberts, Willem Defoe and Emily Watson.

KAY LEE - ProducTION DESIGNER

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Gina Hirsch is a Los Angeles-based editor and assistant editor with a background as an actor in New York theatre. She learned the craft of editing from her father, film editor Paul Hirsch, and has assisted him on several feature films, including Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Source Code, and Mission to Mars under directors Brad Bird, Duncan Jones and Brian De Palma. Recently, Gina was the editor of the award winning short films George and Brad in Bed, starring George Takei and directed by Jessica Sanders, and Olive and Mocha: Fast Times at Sugar High, directed by Suzi Yoonessi. She is also a director, and her own short film You Move Me has appeared at over 50 festivals worldwide in the past year. You Move Me was a “Best of the Fest” selection at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and it won numerous awards, including the Audience Award for Best Dramatic Short Film at Outfest in Los Angeles. Gina is a graduate of Brown University.

CREATIVE TEAM

GINA HIRSCH - Editor

Enis Rotthoff is a versatile composer and music producer who likes to combine orchestral music with electronic elements. Since 2001, Enis worked as Assistant Composer to Academy-Award-Winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek on such projects as Finding Neverland, Unfaithful and Evening. He has composed the music for several independent feature films including The Job, directed by Shem Bitterman, Free Willy – Escape from Pirates Cove, directed by Will Geiger, Digging for Belladonna, directed by Franka Potente and A Quiet Love, directed by Till Franzen. After a scholarship for young composers in Berlin, Enis studied “Film Scoring” at the Film & Television Academy Potsdam-Babelsberg and “Audiovisual Communication” at the University of Arts Berlin. He received a Sundance Institute Fellowship for the Sundance Composers Lab and was awarded as European Composer 2008 for Germany by the Federation of Film & Audiovisual Composers of Europe.

ENIS ROTTHOFF - COMPOSER

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CREATIVE TEAM

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Lois Drabkin is a casting director and producer in New York City. Her film credits include Noah Buschel’s The Missing Person (Sundance 2009, Strand Releasing); Tanya Hamilton’s Night Catches Us (Sundance 2010, Magnolia); Restless City (Sundance 2011); Neal Cassady (2007, IFC); Red Doors (Tribeca Film Festival 2005); and the New York casting on Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds (2005). Lois was nominated by the Casting Society of America for an Artios™ Award in 2010 and 2011 for Outstanding Achievement in Casting -- Low Budget Feature for The Missing Person and Night Catches Us. Projects she has cast that are currently in post-production include Max Finneran’s first feature The Shells, Rodney Evans’ second feature The Happy Sad, and Reggie Bythewood’s BET pilot, Gun Hill. In addition, Lois has worked as an associate alongside a number of the industry’s top casting directors, on such recent projects as: the Phillip Noyce thriller Salt, starring Angelina Jolie; the AMC pilot Rubicon; Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, Jim Sheridan’s Brothers, Mira Nair’s Amelia, Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock, Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies (2008), the HBO series The Wire, and Jonathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate (2004). As an independent producer, she produced Michael Melamedoff’s first feature, the dramedy Weakness, a New York-shot ensemble with Bobby Cannavale, Danielle Panabaker and Josh Charles, now available on DVD, pay-per-view, and iTunes. The first feature she produced was The Missing Person.

LOIS DRABKIN - CASTING DIRECTOR

Production stills

All images property of The Shells Film LLC

All images property of The Shells Film LLC

All images property of The Shells Film LLC

All images property of The Shells Film LLC

AlexMannyLizzyChuck

MichelleAl

DannyAnina

Maryann MarzenaTerryBagman

Old SleepwalkerYoung AlexYoung Lizzy

BRITT LOWERERIK HEGERSARA CHASEANDY RIDINGSNADIA GANMICHAEL PEMBERTON NICK FONDULISANNA ANDRESENCAROLYN McCORMICKLEE WILKOFGARY SUNDOWNCHRISTOPHER RANDOLPHLEA MANCARELLAAVERY KRISTIN POHL

WriterDirectorProducer

Executive ProducerAssociate Producer

CinematographerProduction Designer

EditorCasting DirectorCostume DesignerMake Up Designer

Special FX Make UpUnit Production Manager

Assistant DirectorSecond Assistant Director2nd 2nd Assistant Director

Script Supervisor

MAX FINNERANMAX FINNERANKIM JACKSON, MAX FINNERANPAUL JARRETTMARA GLADSTONEDANNY VECCHIONEKAY LEEGINA HIRSCHLOIS DRABKINCOURTNEY MCCLAINJENNIFER SNOWDONARIELLE TOELKEJAMES TRISTAN MOOREANTHONY COXADAM LEELUCAS ISABELLAZOE TREESON

Full Cast & Crew

CAST

CREW

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First Assistant CameraAdditional First Assistant Camera

Second Assistant CameraThird Assistant Camera

GafferKey Grip

Digital Imaging TechnicianGripGripGrip

Steadicam OperatorSound Mixer

Boom OperatorChoreographer

Wardrobe SupervisorWardrobe Assistant

Art DirectorSet DecoratorSet DresserSet Painter

Art AssistantConstruction Coordinator

Assistant SFX MakeupAssistant Makeup ArtistAssistant Makeup ArtistKey Production Assistant

Editorial ConsultantPost Coordinator

VFX ArtistVFX ArtistVFX ArtistAnimator

Supervising Sound EditorSound DesignerFoley Editor

Sound Post FacilitiesOnline Post Facilities

STEPHEN McBRIDECORY STAMBLERAMANDA KEARNEYANDREA ROMANSKYJUAN CROUCHSTRATTON BAILEYRYLAND JONESALEXANDER LEWISERIC FAHYHARRISON CROWNERYLAND JONESBIMO SETIAWAN SANTOSOWILLIAM UTLEYABBIE DENHERTROXANNE KRATTKARIN ECKERTROXANNE KRATTLYDIA MOOREAMANDA WALTERJON HESSELDYLAN URQUHARTMICAELA CAROLANSHENNA VAUGHNAMANDA WALTERJENNA WOOLFJOE BRECKER

PAUL HIRSCHBEN ROSENBLATTRYLAND JONESHORSIE IN THE HEDGEJARED SILVERMIWA MATREYEK

DAVE PATERSONANDREW SCOTT DUNCANRACHEL CHANCYSOUND ONEPRIME FOCUS NY

CREW

Full Cast & Crew

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CONTACT

Max Finneran - Writer/Director, Producer 415-606-7941 maxfinneran@earthlink.net Kim Jackson - Producer 917-855-3841 kjackson@streetwisepictures.com

The Shells Film, LLC. 919 Parkman Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90026

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(C) The Shells Film LLC 2013