The Woods is a 2011 film written and directed by Matthew Lessner and starring Toby David and Justin Phillips. The script was written by Lessner with contributing writer Adam Mortemore, and additional dialogue by David and Phillips.
| The Woods | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Matthew Lessner |
| Written by | Matthew Lessner |
| Produced by | Matthew Lessner Jett Steiger Max Knies |
| Starring | Toby David Justin Phillips |
| Cinematography | Wyatt Garfield |
| Edited by | Matthew Lessner |
| Music by | Lydia Ainsworth |
Production companies | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Under $10 million |
The film was co-produced by Lessner, Jett Steiger and Max Knies, and made history as the first film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival that used Kickstarter for production financing.[2] The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.[3] The Woods premiered in New York at the BAMcinemaFest held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[4] The Woods premiered internationally at the Cologne Conference in Cologne, Germany.[5]
Premise
editA group of young Americans, disillusioned by the world's many problems, move to the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with hopes of creating their own utopian society. Despite their idealistic goals of revolution, the group comes ill-prepared for their new life, bringing a wide assortment of consumer electronics, recreational vehicles and snack foods. After catastrophic events in the outside world sever their electricity and Wi-Fi, and their leader's once-inspiring rhetoric fails to hold them together, the group is forced to find a way to live in harmony with the natural world.
Cast
edit- Toby David as Daniel
- Justin Phillips as Dean
- Nicola Persky as Maggie
- Adam Mortemore as Lucas
- Brian Woods as Tanner
- Anne-Sophie as Nadia
- Lauren Hammersmith as Genevieve
- Amanda Furches as Annakate
- Chris Edley as Bryce
Production
editThe film was filmed over 30 days in Oregon. To make the film, the director and cast lived in a tent-city in the forest.[6]
Music
editThe film features songs by [7]
Film Festival/ Film Conference screenings
edit| Date | Venue | Location | Premiere Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 January 2011 | Sundance Film Festival | Park City, Utah USA | World Premiere | |
| 24 February 2011 | Portland International Film Festival | Portland, Oregon USA | ||
| 26 June 2011 | BAMcinemaFest | Brooklyn, New York USA | New York Premiere | |
| 16 July 2011 | Maine International Film Festival | Waterville, Maine USA | ||
| 26 August 2011 | White Sands International Film Festival | Las Cruces, New Mexico USA | ||
| 26 September 2011 | Cologne Conference | Cologne, Germany | International Premiere | |
| 7 October 2011 | Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| 10 November 2011 | Stockholm International Film Festival | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 10 November 2011 | Napa Valley Film Festival | Napa, California USA | ||
| 15 November 2011 | American Film Festival | Wrocław, Poland | ||
| 1 March 2012 | The Queens World Film Festival | Jackson Heights, New York USA | ||
| 26 October 2012 | Impakt Festival | Utrecht, The Netherlands | ||
| 16 November 2013 | Clair-Obscur Filmfestival | Basel, Switzerland |
University/ College screenings
edit| Date | Institution | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2011 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, Pennsylvania USA |
| 31 May 2011 | University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois USA |
Miscellaneous screenings
edit| Date | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October 2011 | Vienna, Austria | WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald |
| 8 October 2011 | Linz, Austria | WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald |
| 15 October 2011 | Salzburg, Austria | WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald |
| 3 November 2011 | Los Angeles, California USA | Downtown Independent, Film Finds |
| 02-8 March 2012 | Brooklyn, New York USA | reRun Theater, 1 Week New York Theatrical Release |
References
edit- ^ "Sundance Film Festival 2011: The Woods". sundance.slated.com. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
- ^ Miller, Daniel. "SUNDANCE: How 'The Woods' ' Unique Financing Model Could Shake Up the Festival". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Sundance 2011: New Frontier Lineup". 2 December 2010.
- ^ "The Woods". Archived from the original on 2011-06-25. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
- ^ "The Woods - Cologne Conference 2011". www.cologne-conference.de. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
- ^ "Roseburg native's film shot in Lookinglass to premiere at Sundance Film Festival". 2010-12-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "Exclusive: Listen To Sun Araw's Neil Young Cover 'Thrasher' From Sundance Film 'The Woods' > The Playlist". blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-11.