» new rom coms

Can’t Come To Germany? How About Arizona or Florida?!

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:03:32 +0000

The film festival invites just keep rolling in! 16 To Life has been officially accepted at two more film festivals in the US! We hope to see you there!

Sedona International Film Festival – Feb 21-28th in Sedona, Arizona
Come join a whole entourage of ’16 to Life’ cast and crew (more on that soon…) and see the film the week of Feb 21-28th. Ticket info and more on the official website.

Women’s International Film Festival – March 26-April 3 in Miami, Florida
Hot off the presses: ’16 To Life’ receives an invitation to sunny Southern Florida for the 5th Annual Women’s International Film Festival March 26th- April 3rd in Miami! Hope to see you there!

’16 To Life’ To Screen at The European Film Market @ Berlinale – Feb 14th

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:45:35 +0000

Hey Everyone

“16 to Life” will screen at the European Film Market in Berlin on Sunday, February 14th at 9:00am at the MGB Kinosaal. (hint, hint: sounds like a lovely little Valentine’s Day for your sweetie!) If you are going to be in Berlin – we’d be thrilled if you can see our film! If you’re an international distributor in search of a lovely film to distribute, we’d also love you to see our film! More info on the web at www.efn-berlinale.de!

New Festival Screening Updates: Five New Festivals

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:53:19 +0000

NEW FESTIVAL!!!

Saturday, October 17th, 8 pm Renberg Theatre
1125 N McCadden Place
LA, CA. 90038
(La Femme Film Festival)

Ticket Price: $10.00
Theater Capacity: 210 seats
Please Note neither the festival nor the theater offer advance tickets.
Tickets are available at the box office the night of screening and seating is on a first come, first server basis.

Friday, November 6th, 6pm
Greater Reading Film Festival
Reading Pennsylvania

Saturday, November 7th, 9:30am
(Palm Desert Film Society)
Camelot Theatres
2300 Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA.

NEW FESTIVAL!!
TBA, November 12-15th
(Asheville Film Festival)
Asheville North Carolina
Park Place Theatre
2 South Park Square
Asheville, NC 28801

TBA, December 26th-Jan 2nd
Macau Film Festival
Macau, China

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE “16 to Life” COME TO YOUR CITY? DEMAND IT!

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:50:43 +0000

View all Kansas City events on Eventful

or Change it to Whatever City you want to Demand it in.

Sellout Crowd Cheers for “16 to Life”

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:34:18 +0000

Sellout crowd cheers for ‘16 to Life’ | GazetteOnline.com

IOWA CITY — Becky Smith couldn’t wait to hear the first laugh.

She didn’t have to wait long. That laugh came just minutes into her film, “16 to Life,” which made its Iowa premiere Saturday night at the Englert Theatre during the Landlocked Film Festival.

(By Jen Neumann/de Novo Alternative Marketing) “16 to Life” star Hallee Hirsh (right) chats with a fan during preshow “green carpet” festivities Saturday night outside the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. The film, shot mostly in McGregor in October 2007, had its Iowa premiere during the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City.

The laughs kept coming for the next 90 minutes or so, followed by cheers, applause and screeches in the lobby as fans clamored to have their pictures taken with the stars.

Okoboji native Smith, an Emmy-nominated director, documentary filmmaker and professor at UCLA, came back to Iowa in October 2007 to shoot her first feature film. She brought some Los Angeles-based cast and crew members with her, but used many more Iowans on-screen and behind the scenes to help realize her dream project.

And they came in droves to see their movie, shot mostly in McGregor, with additional footage in Marquette and Stone City.

“This is nerve-racking,” Smith said during the film’s “green carpet” festivities before the screening. “Even though we’ve had good reception before, this is more important. Here it’s my home turf.”

The warm reception she received during the filming and on Saturday night was reassuring.

“It’s nice to see a lot of the people I worked with on the film,” she said. “Some of the crew I haven’t seen in two years. It’s cool to say hello to everybody.”

Citing the cooperation she received from Iowans every step of the way, she said, “It’s obvious this is a community that wants to work in film.”

(By Jen Neumann/de Novo Alternative Marketing) Ian Paul, 5, of Oelwein, who shouted out “That’s me!” when he saw himself onscreen in “16 to Life,” gets a little help from dad Jesse as he autographs a program before Saturday’s film premiere in Iowa City.

“This is exciting,” executive producer Terry Trimpe of Lisbon said as the crowd continued to gather outside the theater on a perfect late summer evening. “It’s wonderful we had the opportunity to make this film in Iowa. It’s going to be great to see the audience reaction. People will get to see Iowa in all its splendor.

“The people of McGregor opened their arms to us as wide as they could,” he said. “That was an instrumental part of making this film.”

Star Hallee Hirsh of Los Angeles (“ER,” “You’ve Got Mail”), who has been singing the praises of McGregor, was loving her first visit to Iowa City, too.

“We’re having a big reunion with cast and crew,” she said between chats and photos with fans. “I love this city. I’m really jealous I’m not going to school here.”

The air of electricity moved indoors a little after 7 p.m., as the crowd soon filled all 725 seats in the theater. After a few introductions and welcomes, the lights dimmed at 7:40 p.m. and the screen popped to life with the Mississippi River bluffs in a blaze of autumn glory.

With crisp dialogue and Smith’s keen ear for teenage turmoil, the coming-of-age film moved through a day in the life of Kate (Hirsh) and her co-workers at the Float-on-Inn ice cream stand near the river’s edge. It’s a birthday full of anguish for Kate, who is horrified to be “sweet 16 and never been kissed.” Her dad gives her a stun gun. Her sister slaps her. Her mind keeps wandering to the China she’s reading about in “Duck Farm No. 13.” What would happen to her there? To the others in her inner circle?

For as much laughter as the film generates, it also has great moments of tension and tenderness. Smith credits the cast with bringing “more pathos, more poignancy” to her script.

“It was really cute,” audience member Kelli Andresen, 28, of Iowa City said after the screening. “It’s really cool to recognize McGregor. I grew up in northeast Iowa, near Bankston. If the tax incentives are as great as everyone says, it will be nice to see more movies filmed in the state.”

The film can chalk up another award as it begins making the indie film festival circuit. It took the audience favorite award at Method Fest in Los Angeles last spring, and won the narrative feature award in the Iowa City festival, voted on by Landlocked’s visiting Danish filmmakers.

If it garners enough industry attention and accolades, the nearly-million-dollar made-in-Iowa-movie may find a bigger life on the silver screen.

But wide distribution “is always tough for indie films,” Smith told the crowd after the screening. “That’s why it’s so gratifying to see you here.”

And to remember the night, she has the photos she snapped of the audience before the lights went down. That actually brought the first laughs.

Share|

Responses to “Sellout crowd cheers for ‘16 to Life’”

Jamar Settlement says:

August 29, 2010 at 3:35 am

Matthew, i read all your posts, and i’m really loving your contributions so far.:)

Reply
Buying Silver says:

September 5, 2010 at 8:33 am

What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much.

Reply
Hortense Donel says:

September 6, 2010 at 7:18 am

I am trying to figure that all out but also amazing, simply amazing.

Reply
Florinda Enyeart says:

September 6, 2010 at 8:08 pm

i thought this was a really great post to read. i’ll check back for new posts by you!

© 2010 GazetteOnline.com. All Rights Reserved.

Reply

UPCOMING SCREENINGS OF “16 to life”

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:54:36 +0000

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Here are the upcoming screenings of “16 to Life”

September 3rd, 2009 7:00PM

Elkader Operahouse
207 N. Main Street
Elkader, Iowa 52043

September 5th, 2009 7:00PM

Pearson Lakes Art Center
Lauridsen Theater
2201 Highway 71 N.
Okoboji, IA 51355
Please reserve at the Box Office 712/332-7029 $5

September 19, 2009 5:15pm

Kansas International Film Festival Website Here
Glenwood Arts Theatre
95th Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park, Kansas
Box office: 913 642-4404

September 27th, 2009 4pm

Napa/Sonoma “Wine Country Film Festival” Website Here
1650 Soscol Avenue
Napa, California 94559
Tickets: 707 935 3456

“16 to Life” Romantic comedy Iowa Premiere Aug. 29, Red Carpet & VIP party

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:29:16 +0000

Romantic comedy “16 to Life” returns to Iowa, the state where the film was shot, for four screenings. Here is the facebook event page

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101360661842&ref=ts

Join us for The Landlocked Film Festival’s screening
Sat. August 29th at 7:30pm.
Watch the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQYsoMADqs

Red Carpet & VIP Party to follow screening. Writer/Director/Producer Becky Smith in attendance as well as many cast and crew!

For Ticket Information, please email Landlocked Film Festival
info@landlockedfilmfestival.org
Please invite your friends!
Tickets are just $5.00 and available at the door the day of the screening.

“16 to Life” sold out it’s World Premiere at the MethodFest 2009 Film Festival taking home the Audience Award and Best Supporting Actress Award for screen star Theresa Russell.

Beijing China was the next stop for “16 to Life” with four screenings as part of the Beijing Underground Film Festival.

Storyline: A rural American teenager’s angst about sexual inexperience drives a comic quest for love and understanding on a birthday to end all birthdays. Kate is sweet 16 an never been kissed! But before the clock strikes midnight, Kate will learn more about love than most 16-year-olds could imagine and Kate will learn what an American teenager has in common with a 16-year-old Chinese girl half a world, and a cultural revolution away.
https://16tolifethemovie.org

For distribution inquiries, “16 to Life” is repped by CIRCUS ROAD FILMS

Becky Smith and Cast of “16 to Life” in Beijing

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:06:35 +0000

Becky Smith and cast members Hallee Hirsh, Emily Foxler, and Nicholas Downs of “16 to Life” touched down in the capital city of China, for the Beijing Underground Film Festival premiere.

: Hallee Hirsh, Becky Smith, Emily Foxler and Nicholas Downs in front of the movie poster.

: Nicholas Downs, Becky Smith and Emily Foxler in Tianamen Square

: Hallee Hirsh and Emily Foxler posing for a photo

: Emily Foxler and Nicholas Downs taking in the sites

: Bullfrog on the menu

: Becky Smith, Nicholas Downs and Emily Foxler at Forbidden City

Emily Foxler and Becky Smith in front of the Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest)

Nicholas Downs, Hallee Hirsh, Emily Foxler and Becky Smith at the Great Wall of China

Beijing Premiere for Emmy Nominated Director Becky Smith’s Romantic Comedy “16 to Life”

admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:15:31 +0000

Dated: May 08, 2009

Emmy nominated director Becky Smith’s indie romantic comedy “16 to Life”, which recently garnered two awards and five nominations at Method Fest will have its Asian Premiere in Beijing on May 22nd at the Beijing Underground Film Festival.

”16 to Life”, focuses on an American teenage girl whose angst about sexual inexperience plays out in unlikely fantasies of the Cultural Revolution in China. The film stars Hallee Hirsh (Rachel Green on ER), Shiloh Fernandez (“United States of Tara”, “Skateland”) and Theresa Russell (“The Black Widow”, “Spider Man 3″),

Actors Hallee Hirsh (“ER”, “Flight 29 Down“), Emily Foxler (“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”) and Nicholas Downs (“Anderson’s Cross“) will travel with Smith to Beijing. The film will be screened with Mandarin subtitles.

“Since we have many recreated scenes of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the film, as an American girl imagines it,” says writer/director Becky Smith, “we are particularly thrilled to have the opportunity to screen the film in China

“16 to Life” will have three major screenings as part of the International Beijing Underground Film Festival; the Central Academy of Drama on May 22nd, the Communications University of China on May 25th and the Beijing Film Academy on May 27th.

“16 to Life” is a Capra-esque, romantic comedy of small town misfits. Kate, a rural American teen, is obsessed with books on eclectic subjects, currently theCultural Revolution in China. Kate is turning 16 and has never been kissed. Kate’s angst about sexual inexperience and guilt will drive a comic quest for love and understanding on a birthday to end all birthdays. Before the clock strikes midnight, Kate and her best friend Darby will discover more about love than most 16 year-olds can imagine. And Kate will learn what a 16-year old American girl has in common with a 16-year-old Chinese girl half a world, and a cultural revolution away.

Full Press Release Here

Facebook Event Details

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80253246692

Film Festival Website Here

Best Summer Comedies – “16 to Life” at Landlocked Film Festival

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:37:13 +0000

On August 29th, “16 to Life” will have it’s Midwest Premiere at the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City. The film will also screen in early September in Elkader and Okoboji, Iowa.