After the Act Wrapped

Yesterday we wrapped on After the Act, our fifth improvised narrative feature in the same number of years and our third time filming in Berlin.

After the Act Cast & Crew

We’re still buzzing with pride and contentment, thinking about some of the amazing performances we captured and the beautiful cinematography. The entire cast and crew were a joy to work with, the energy on set so positive, yet another reminder of why we love being on set and making films. It’s not just the stories we get to share, it’s the people we meet and create with along the way that makes this so special. Post production now begins and we can’t wait to bring you the completed film in 2024!

BTS photo of a dance club scene.

Sam (Jacob Wolf Lefton) and Mia (Laura Petracco) share a vulnerable moment.

Reviewing the shot

Sam (Jacob Wolf Lefton) contemplates his choices.

Free Improv for Indie Filmmakers Chapter

Thanks to independent film news and review site indieactivity for doing a write-up about Ivan Malekin’s book Improv for Indie Filmmakers and sharing a sample chapter.

The book uses multiple real-world case studies, plus our own experiences, to illustrate the many benefits of improv and how putting away the script can lead to new discoveries, making your work fresh and exciting. Improv for Indie Filmmakers will show you how to save time and money by working efficiently at all stages of the production process so you can make more films, faster.

Read the free chapter here. And learn more about the book here.

Free Live Improvisation Course

On Sunday 27th September, at 3pm CEST, we team up with the Malta Film Foundation to teach our course How Improvisation can Improve Your Filmmaking live on Facebook. It is completely free and open to everyone in the world.

From the filmmakers using improv today, to the speed and efficiency of the development and production process, the surprise factor and how it leads to authentic performance, plus many more topics, we'll take you through the advantages of improvisation and how you can use it in your next project.

We think that is pretty cool. 

To go to the event page and find out how you can join us for this free live course click here.

Machination Casting

Pre-production is underway for our new feature Machination, an improvised psychological horror about a germaphobic woman struggling to cope in isolation as a pandemic sweeps the world, forcing her to confront dark conspiracies and sinister monsters. We are pleased to announce we have cast talented local actress Steffi Thake in the lead role of Maria.

For the last 10 years, Steffi has been acting in film, TV and theatre. She began with Christmas pantomimes and gradually made a name for herself in Malta with notable titles under her belt as Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, The Vagina Monologues, and Image of an Unkown Young Woman. In 2013 she was awarded Best Actress at the MADC's One Act Play Festival for her performance in Murder Play.

Steffi gravitated towards film, training specifically in film acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as well as Identity School of Acting. She has featured in Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Chris Zarb's Do Re Mi Fa, and starred in Take2's pilot Never After and, most recently, Stephanie Sant's Camilla. 

Improvised Micro Budget Indie Feature Film available on Blu-ray format →

Happy New Year! We hope you had a safe and memorable NYE and are ready to tackle 2020.

We are pleased to announce that our improvised micro budget feature film Friends, Foes & Fireworks is now available worldwide on Blu-ray via Amazon. Grab your own collector’s copy and watch with your friends, champagne in hand.

Featuring behind the scenes as well as deleted scenes, all in glorious HD, Friends, Foes & Fireworks is the ultimate New Year’s Eve film, filmed completely in a single night on New Year’s Eve without a script. How many films can say that?

Purchase your copy here now!

This was a lot of fun. For those based in Malta who have not made the trip across to the sister island of Gozo for the festival, we say do it!

On Saturday 24th after a late afternoon swim at Ramla Bay, followed by cave exploring in Nadur and an alfresco seafood dinner on a clifftop, we headed off to the Cittadella, where we enjoyed watching locally produced feature film Limestone Cowboy. It was past midnight when we returned to our AirBnb to rest so that we could wake early to prep for our Sunday morning Improvised Filmmaking Workshop for Teenagers, held at the same venue.

This is our third year in attendance and each year we are very happy that we made the trip down from Malta to watch films and be welcomed by really passionate and enthusiastic people who love film as much as we do.

And to teach improvised filmmaking, the niche style we love so much, to young students intrigued by the 'no script' process we developed was an absolute blessing. We played games, filmed scenes, and went over everything from different improvisation styles to developing ideas to filming without a script and more. A big thank you to Gozo Film Festival, its volunteers, and festival director Federico Chini.

We'll be back next year. But we'll be teaching another improvised workshop very, very soon.

To Hold the Moon Poster

We love this first character poster for To Hold the Moon!

This is Lucinda Lee, played by super talented Australian actress Whitney Duff.

In the film, Lucinda is a rising star actor playing the lead in a sequel to a cult hit zombie movie, which has catapulted her career into the spotlight.

However, Lucinda has to deal with the ugly side of fame and gossip and her own personal feelings of guilt about a past relationship with the director.

At the same time her relationship with her first same-sex partner Summer (Asleen Mauthoor) is stagnate, and when Summer follows her to the set in Malta to try and revitalize the relationship, the conflicting pressures of love, sexuality, fame, and career may prove too much for Lucinda to handle.

The poster was designed by Kathy Kennedy with photography by Kristian Pirotta and make-up by Mirjana Laferlita. And we couldn't be happier.

Check out more news about the film at www.toholdthemoon.com, browse the gallery, and sign up to the official newsletter to follow our progress as we develop this exciting project.

TRIPLE THREAT

After a headline screening on night six of the Oz International Film Festival, our improvised feature film Friends, Foes & Fireworks was awarded for Best Drama Film, Best Supporting Actress Jess Riley, plus Best New Talent Lara Deam. We were thrilled to have had the film screen in St Kilda and the awards were a bonus.

Actress Lara Deam was at the festival on the night representing film and collecting the certificates and she was supported by fellow indie filmmakers, Donald Percy (pictured below) and Naomi Lisner.