20 WAYS: Award Success for The Astronomer's Sun

Welcome to the new comedy film '20 WAYS'

'20 WAYS'
A sixteen minute satirical drama.

Hymie, his family, his family's horse and a chicken go up a mountain where they encounter Marc a lone border guard.

20 WAYS went into production in May 2011 as winner of the State of New Mexico New Visions Award for 2011 and one of the two Panavision Awards for equipment.

We now have only $5,000 dollars to complete post-production.

Produced by Duchy Parade Films LLC. Filmed in New Mexico. Written & Directed by Peter M. Kershaw

This site provides a rolling update on our progress.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Award Success for The Astronomer's Sun

While last night many film buffs were watching the Golden Globes the real film drama was being played out in New Mexico at Comic Com, Albuquerque. Sunday's award ceremony concluded Fire Born Films screening event. I'm pleased to annouce on an evening with award success for a number of NM's industry talent, Duchy's The Astronomer's Sun walked away with Awards for CINEMATOGRAPHY, the AUDIENCE AWARD and star prize, BEST FILM (see blue figure in photo). Thank you to all who voted, judges, Jerry & the Fire Born team the audience who made the event and Monique and the VJ's for a great interview.

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Meet the Cast & Crew

Introducing our team: Anders Uhl - DP Cinematographer http://www.andersuhl.com/projects/commercials/ Director and Cinematographer Anders Uhl was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Having studied with Parson School of Design, Antioch College and The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Anders got his start in the film business in Chicago where he honed his skills working in commercials, documentaries and feature films. Having been based in New York for the last ten years, Anders currently lives in Philadelphia. Anders has won many awards and accolades for his work over the last 15 years. His most recent projects include "4 Rivers" a documentary film shot in remote areas of Western Tibet, commercial work for Steinway and Canon and feature film development for several projects to be filmed in New Mexico. Erica Mehaffy - UPM/Line-Producer moved to Asia before her first birthday, returning to California when she was twelve. She received a BA in Nursing from the University of California at Chico and an MA in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco. She has been a nurse, a teacher, an EMT, and a health care consultant. Production credits include The Lark Snare and Heat Lightning, two award winning shorts for pieboy films, and INK - A Tale of Captivity, for Inkwell Productions. When not filmmaking she is likely to be traveling, writing poetry or dancing. Judith Hennessey, Assistant Producer Judy brings a mix of knowledge of business and arts and as an Associate Producer Judy is busy fund raising for WHAT?. Here is a little about her. Judith DiSalvo Hennessey, from St. Louis, Missouri, studied Business Administration and Fine Art at St. Louis University and Regis College in Denver, Colorado. After graduating, Judith worked in the automobile industry for 20 years, in sales, marketing, and financial operations at her families Jeep Chrysler franchise in St. Louis. She was promoted to president in 2003 and sold the business in 2008. Her creative talents include writing, photography and painting. It is her desire to capture and record the western landscape, the people, and way of life she feels is rapidly disappearing. The Kodner Gallery in St. Louis, The Velvet Thorn in Dubois Wyoming, and Michael’s American Bistro in Vail, Colorado have represented her work. Her art is collected by individuals and corporations in St. Louis, Florida, Colorado and Washington. A published journalist, her stories have appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, The St. Louis Suburban Journals and Seasons Magazine. Ms. Hennessey has just completed her first novel, adapted it to a screenplay and is currently working on a non-fiction project. She splits her time between her homes in Missouri, Wyoming and Santa Fe. David L. Dirks - Production Counsel David L. Dirks has worked in entertainment law for twenty years. He is very enthusiastic about joining our team. After studying at Stanford University and the University of Michigan, he received his juris doctorate from the New York University School of Law. He practiced entertainment law in New York and worked in film production and management in Los Angeles. He settled Santa Fe in 2000, where he enjoys a private practice. David is a member to the New York and New Mexico bar associations, and especially enjoys helping clients save time and money. He can be reached at davidldirks@gmail.com or 505.989.3656. Actor - John Flax John Flax has done a number of independent film and television projects beginning in the 1980's. Mostly however, he is a theater artist. He is the founding artistic director of Theater Grottesco, a 27 year old ensemble that began in Paris and is now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Flax has been creating and performing original theater for over 30 years. He has worked with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis and Paris, The Paris Circus, London’s Theatre Complicite, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Choreographer Della Davidson, the Sundance Playwriting Laboratory and has been a member of New Mexico’s Out of Context Orchestra since 2002. Flax has translated works from French into English and has taught at theaters and colleges internationally and across the country including 8 years as a National Endowment for the Arts artist-in-the-schools. He was a board member of the national Network of Ensemble Theaters from 2003-2006 and is a graduate of the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. He holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Prescott College and an ABD Ed.D in Anthropology and Philosophy from the University of Northern Colorado. Actor - Lili Ashman, Playing Jessica Lili Ashman is from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a recent graduate of Drew University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, Cum Laude. She also studied with the British American Drama Academy in Oxford and New York University: Tisch School of the Arts in Dublin Ireland. Favorite Roles: Lady MacBeth, MacBeth, BADA Ida Cartmill, Rock Shore Theaterwork (World Premiere) as well as original roles in original works at Drew University. Lili is interested in competitive Irish step dancing, Applied Theatre, and Drama. Actor - Joe Feldman, playing Hymie With over fifty plays from 1969 to present at theatres all over the country including: Playwright’s Horizons, Director’s Co., Caliban Productions, (NYC), Guild of Performing Arts (Minneapolis) Seven Stages, Theatrical Outfit, Theatre Gael, Emory University, Atlanta Arts Festival, Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta), Tricklock Theatre Co., Vortex Theatre, Albuquerque Little Theatre (Albuquerque). Acted in over forty plays from 1972 to present including: Mr. Peachum (Three Penny Opera), Ben (Dumbwaiter), Krapp (Krapp’s Last Tape), Max (Homecoming), Quince (Midsummer Night’s Dream), John Proctor (Crucible), Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing), Beaujo (Geography of a Horse Dreamer), Skinner (Freedom of the City), Estragon (Waiting for Godot) Frank (Faith Healer). Multi award winning track recording including as Director/ Adapter for “Under Milkwood”. Selected by Creative Loafing in Atlanta as one of the ten best plays of 1997. Director of Michael McClure’s “The Beard” selected as one of Pancho’s Picks (the three top productions) at the Seattle Fringe Festival (2000). Director of John Stephen’s adaptation of “Canterbury Tales” in Atlanta, for which he was selected by Creative Loafing as Director of the Year (2000). Production Designer Patrick Mehaffy is an artist. His work is included in the permanent collections of The New Mexico State Capitol Collection of New Mexico Artists, The New Mexico Museum of Fine Art, The Albuquerque Museum, and the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. His work has also been acquired by many corporate and private collectors in the United States, as well as collectors in London, Paris, Madrid, Toronto, and Sydney, Australia. His next solo exhibition will open July 1st at Shiprock Gallery in Santa Fe. He has also been set designer for Ironweed Productions and Theater Grottesco, and written and directed three short films. His second short, called The Lark Snare (produced by his wife, Erica, under the banner of their production company, pieboy films), won Best American Short at the 2007 Napa/Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival. (He was also production designer on that film.) Their most recent project, called Heat Lightning, will next screen at the Edgemar Center for The Arts Film Festival, in Santa Monica, on April 29.

ROLL OF HONOR

The following people we are thankful to for their support: Zane Bennett, Keith & F. Roth, Gerald G. Stiebel, Michael M. Mitchell, Steven R Hoeft, Jim & Jan Rohlfing, David & Rose Wells, N Loch Moller Staley, Tim O'Connor, Beatriz M Lund, John & Kathleen A Butler, Michael E. Thum, Pat Fell, Steve Melander-Dayton, Elieen Simon, Evoke Contemporary, J Kay Lee, Dorothy Bottomley, Susan Oberlander, Adrian Bridges, Penelope Stiebel, David Beale, Joan Mudd, Halsweeney, Matthew Rowe, Price Happy, Patricia Simon, Kate Simon, Viola Kershaw, Mark Keen, Jacquelyn Hall, Michael Pye, Peanut Simon, Duncan Laing, John T Johnson, Ruud Satijn, David Bunting, Savile Kershaw, Tim Hennessey, Laura Foret, Lori R Harris, Jill Disalvo, Karen Gunderson....... Let's not forget a lot of people who wish to remain anonymous - thank you also to you - you know who you are. Your contributions are appreciated by all the cast & crew and once the film is made, by audience's world wide. Thank you all for being first in and for being such a trail blazer for the arts.

Director’s Statement

WHAT?
or
A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE

Is a 10-minute comedy/drama with a social heart, it is very much a character piece.

I recently put together a screening of short films in Santa Fe, personal films if you like that I’d made over a number of years and directed outside of my professional body of work. From doing this I realised that there are certain themes that run through my work: the themes of loss, memory and most importantly, a strong sense of place.

Our film has two titles as I see the story in two strands.

The impetus for the film came from an article I was reading about the proposed 2010 Arizona laws on immigration and illegal immigrants. The article, by an Oklahoma lawyer, dealt with twenty ways to spot an illegal immigrant and was meant as advice to law enforcement officers. As a new immigrant from Europe, what struck me was that if not for my legal papers then I could fail all 20!

This is not a unique question for the US. Coming from Europe I’m well aware of the increasing pressure countries are feeling by floods of legal and in many cases illegal people. People who are leaving their home country for reasons of economic need. People become rootless because they want to seek a better life at a time when the world economy crash is putting strain on economies and resources. Africans in boatloads into southern Europe, Eastern Europeans into Western Europe, people displaced by wars leaving the Middle East, N. Koreans into China, etc. As a global concern the impact of these movements of people is going to grow to be one of the major issues the world faces. As a filmmaker I wanted to respond to this. This is the WHAT? of our film.

However, behind the AZ laws I sensed a more sinister road, the second part of the film’s title. What concerned me was a trend I think we’ve seen before. Large scale politics using society’s underdog, the minority, the outsider, as a scapegoat. Who better to target than ‘illegals’ – who, by labeling them as such, are placed outside the law and therefore an easy target.

There is no doubt that the border question is far larger and needs to be addressed and certainly discussed but there is an echo for me of avoiding dealing with the larger question by wrapping the whole issue up into making one group of society the problem that needs to be resolved.

Regardless of political opinion, ignorance is the world’s greatest curse. So while not being polemical or making a documentary or some kind of diary, I thought we’d take a different tack in the hopes of reaching a wider audience and lifting, maybe just a little, the stone of ignorance which surrounds the question.

WHAT? or A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE is a short comedy intended to show the absurdities in this situation, and how better than through humor? By using a story from our common history and saying, hey! wait a minute! if you follow this route we’ll be going down a road that we’ve seen before and know where it leads. As someone who grew up in Europe there is one time and story that will always symbolise for me the world’s failing; the labelling of a people growing out of ignorance and convenience.

There are certain themes that run through my work. The themes of loss, memory and most importantly, a strong sense of place. WHAT? or A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE is very much rooted in place, SW USA. It is a story with characters built around memory. In style it works with a favorite form for me - humor. Let’s make more films that make people laugh. Laughter like music is a great connector and cuts through to truth. What of the theme of loss? For me the stakes are high in our story as behind both the historic and contemporary telling lies loss - a loss from land, nature and place. The loss of home, country, roots in telling someone they don’t belong even in the place they think of as home.

We are making WHAT? or A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE to be seen in Film Festivals around the world. We are making it for a very modest budget for film. The team that is coming together for the film brings a quality in cast and crew that given the budget, will make a classic piece of storytelling. For me as Director, while there is something important behind our tale, we are also bringing a little more humor into the world and some days we all just need to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

By supporting WHAT? or A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE you too can help bring a little more humor into our lives.

Peter M. Kershaw
Writer/Director & Producer
WHAT? or A ROAD TRIP TO EUROPE

How do I make a gift?

There are two options to make a gift to the production: (1) By check direct to the company production account made out to Duchy Parade Films LLC Sent to: Duchy Parade Film LLC, 377a Garcia Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. We will allocate Perks (see elsewhere on the site) depending upon the level of donation. Or, if Perks are not your thing and you’d prefer to explore the possible tax advantage: (2) You can make gifts to 'WHAT? or A Road Trip to Europe' through our Fiscal Sponsor, Fractured Atlas. Fractured Atlas is a 501(c)(3) public charity; all gift donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. There are two methods: By check if you choose this option: If you would like to make a payment through our Fiscal sponsor, please make your check payable to 'Fractured Atlas' and send it to: Duchy Parade Film LLC, 377a Garcia Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. Online: If you wish to make a donation online through our Fiscal Sponsor, you can do so at https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=3673e

Follow our running total

SUCCESS! - WE REACHED OUR PRODUCTION TARGET WITH A $20,000 NEW VISIONS AWARD from the STATE OF NEW MEXICO. How much have we raised? As of 20th October 2010 we have raised: Indiegogo - Phase One - $2,410 Indiegogo - Phase Two - $2,655 Direct giving - $3,700 This means our grand total raised to date is: $8,765. Raised 10/20/10 : $ 8,765 Raised 10/21/10 : $ 8,865 Raised 10/22/10 : $10,365 Raised 11/23/10 : $10,465 Required: $19,535 Note: a large amount of the match funding raised has come from outside of New Mexico so we've been able to bring extra film funds into the State thanks to the hard work of the film's AP.

SUCCESS! - WE REACHED PRODUCTION TARGET WITH $20,000 NEW VISIONS AWARD.

PRODUCTION BUDGET TARGET TOTAL $30,000

The New Vision's award is for service to the State and requires some costs also be covered from the award but we've raised enough aling with the NV award to give us our target production budget.

Dec. 6th 2010 - first target reached. $30,000. This leaves us with $20,000 to $25,000 to raise in 2011 for post-production to cover - editing, music, foley, post-sound, a Spanish subtitle version, etc. Thanks to: Supporters on October 6 to 14th Laura Foret, Lori R Harris, J kay Lee, Supporter on 14th October - Tim Hennessey, MO Supporter 15th October - Karen Gunderson, NY Supporter 19th October - Jill Disalvo, MO Supporter on 20th October - Steven Melander-Dayton, NM Supporter on 20th October - Pat Fell, UK Supporter on 21st October - Eileen Simon, NJ 23rd November - Gerald G. Stiebel, Santa Fe, NM & December - Michael E. Thum, MO Business Supporters - Associate Producers 22nd October - Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM December - T. H. Gilroy, Law Firm & Zane Bennett

How to become a supporter - From 20th October 2010

Here is how post 20th October you can gain film perks by becoming a supporter, it is easy - all you need is a check book! Don't forget to check the Roll of Honor to see your name appear or you can choose not to be named. Perks start at 5 dollars so anyone can be a supporter. VIP Perks Payment can be sent by check made out to: Duchy Parade Films LLC send to: PO BOX 2489, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, 87504, USA SUPPORTER ($5 minimum) Special thanks from the writer/director ·Named thanks on the film’s websites. FRIEND OF FILM ($25 minimum) All of the Supporter perks plus a DVD of the previous 9-minute fantasy drama Cinema of Horror. CINEPHILE ($55 minimum) All of the Friend of Film perks plus·a DVD or download of our NEW drama WHAT? (after the film’s premiere), a screen thank you credit on the film. PATRON ($110 minimum) All of the Cinephile perks plus a Screenplay of WHAT? signed by production crew & cast, 6 behind the scenes jpeg production stills. DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE ($250 minimum) All of the Patron perks plus a crew t-shirt produced to launch the film, a 46-page color art novel published by Duchy, part as development for the feature film The Last Coiner. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER ($1,100 minimum) Associate Producer screen credit, and you get to say you’re a producer on a drama film Associate Producer credit on the poster and a free poster Associate Producer credit on all publicity, marketing & website signed screenplay of WHAT? 2 DVDs or downloads of the finished film, SPECIAL ACCESS - an invitation to a private screening for cast, crew, donors and invited audience at a venue in Santa Fe. (airfare/accommodation not included) ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Business ($1,500 minimum) All of the above Associate Producer benefits plus; Your company logo on the film credits, poster and production tee-shirt. Your company logo as a sponsor on all publicity materials, including the film’s website and trailer. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ($5,000 minimum) Exec Producer credit on screen, poster & free poster Exec Producer credit all press, marketing, websites, trailer Production T-shirt Signed screenplay Score & trailer download 2 DVDs of WHAT? 4 8x10 signed photos invitation to a private screening for cast, crew in Santa Fe invitation to a days shooting (airfare/accommodation not included) BUSINESSES also get a single screen credit. Your logo on film, publicity, T-shirt. How These Funds Will Be Used All the of the money raised will be to shoot the film including location, travel, production and the four key areas listed below. When deciding on your level of donation you may wish to consider supporting an area of production that matches your own interest. Here are our four key areas: 1. Actors – $2,500 will cover the costs associated with the film’s cast. 2. Employment - $5,000 will secure employment for New Mexico Crew. 3. Design - $3,000 will fund design aspects of the film. 4. Equipment - $3,500 will enable us to hire the equipment to create the film. The simple way to support is to share this link.

SYNOPSIS

WHAT? or A Road Trip to Europe is a 10-min. comedy/drama inspired in response to AZ’s recent laws on illegal immigrants, a contemporary story. Synopsis: Hymie, his family and horse go up a mountain where they meet a Border guard. Our hoped for outcome is to use humor, with its ability to reveal truths, to present a contemporary SW story in such a way as to avoid polemic but reach an audience who may have already made up its mind without exposure or consideration to an alternative viewpoint. The growing debate in the American SW is a daily reminder of why the spirit of our cautionary tale is relevant, current and much needed. The front page of Sept. 17th New York Times' account of France and Italy’s expulsion of Romas is another good example of why we need a WHAT?

20 WAYS

Welcome to the new comedy film '20 WAYS'

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Award Success for The Astronomer's Sun

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ROLL OF HONOR

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Director’s Statement

LINKS