Picking up two decades after the groundbreaking 2005 LGBTQ+ documentary “The Aggressives” left off, Chin, Octavio, Trevon, and Kisha are back to catch up on their lives in the past quarter century and share the spotlight with new voices from the wider Qtpoc community about the triumphs and trials experienced as queer, transmasculine people of color.
Daniel Peddle returns to his spot behind the camera for “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later,” an all-new Showtime documentary, premiering on Paramount+ for subscribers on the Paramount+ with Showtime plan on Saturday, March 30, and on Showtime later that night at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus.
How to Watch 'Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later' When: Saturday, March 30, 2024 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. Get 30 Days Free$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get a...
Daniel Peddle returns to his spot behind the camera for “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later,” an all-new Showtime documentary, premiering on Paramount+ for subscribers on the Paramount+ with Showtime plan on Saturday, March 30, and on Showtime later that night at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus.
How to Watch 'Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later' When: Saturday, March 30, 2024 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. Get 30 Days Free$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get a...
- 3/30/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Exclusive: Wellington Love has started the w/Love production company, and already has an inaugural slate of projects lined up.
After more than three decades working in various film business capacities — including distribution, festival direction, and publicity — Love made the leap into producing as co-producer of Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), for which Andra Day was an Academy Award nominee and a Golden Globe Award winner.
His latest producing project is Daniel Peddle’s feature documentary Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later. Peddle’s follow-up to his groundbreaking documentary The Aggressives will debut on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ with Showtime Plan on Saturday, March 30th. Beyond the Aggressives revisits principals from the previous feature, uniting two generations of queer Bipoc in conversation and in action. Beyond the Aggressives is nominated for Outstanding Documentary Feature at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards. View exclusive clip below.
Love reflects,...
After more than three decades working in various film business capacities — including distribution, festival direction, and publicity — Love made the leap into producing as co-producer of Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), for which Andra Day was an Academy Award nominee and a Golden Globe Award winner.
His latest producing project is Daniel Peddle’s feature documentary Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later. Peddle’s follow-up to his groundbreaking documentary The Aggressives will debut on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ with Showtime Plan on Saturday, March 30th. Beyond the Aggressives revisits principals from the previous feature, uniting two generations of queer Bipoc in conversation and in action. Beyond the Aggressives is nominated for Outstanding Documentary Feature at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards. View exclusive clip below.
Love reflects,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime announced director Daniel Peddle’s Beyond The Aggressives: 25 Years Later documentary will debut on streaming and on-air for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan on Saturday, March 30 and premiere that day at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on Showtime.
The film, which was nominated for the Outstanding Documentary Feature at the GLAAD Media Awards this year, is a follow-up to Peddle’s groundbreaking 2005 film The Aggressives, which will premiere streaming and on-air March 5 on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan. March 31 marks International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Beyond The Aggressives: 25 Years Later revisits four of the original subjects from The Aggressives, a doc centering transmasculine people of color who were assigned female at birth, enlightening viewers on what has transpired in their lives since the first film was made. The now iconic Kisha, Trevon, Octavio and Chin are back, sharing an array of their triumphs and challenges...
The film, which was nominated for the Outstanding Documentary Feature at the GLAAD Media Awards this year, is a follow-up to Peddle’s groundbreaking 2005 film The Aggressives, which will premiere streaming and on-air March 5 on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan. March 31 marks International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Beyond The Aggressives: 25 Years Later revisits four of the original subjects from The Aggressives, a doc centering transmasculine people of color who were assigned female at birth, enlightening viewers on what has transpired in their lives since the first film was made. The now iconic Kisha, Trevon, Octavio and Chin are back, sharing an array of their triumphs and challenges...
- 2/29/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The cult documentary “The Aggressives” began with a queer NYU graduate film student, Daniel Peddle, hanging out on the West Side Highway with a minicam before becoming a groundbreaking indie sensation in 2005. Shot with a vérité brio throughout New York City, “The Aggressives” pivoted around half a dozen queer and Bipoc people struggling with health and housing while finding community in identifying as masculine-presenting “AGs,” or aggressives, stretching their self-expression beyond the borders of their assigned gender. But Peddle was left dissatisfied with that documentary’s ending, which left doors of uncertainty ajar in detailing the pleasures and pains of queer life. Thus, a quarter of a century later, he returns to his subjects for “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later,” a heartfelt and hopeful portrait of four of the original AGs that feels more complete and finds each of them on steadier footing — eventually.
A few of the lesbians...
A few of the lesbians...
- 11/17/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In the early 2000s, director Daniel Peddle turned his gaze to the lives of several young, masculine-presenting lesbians of color living in New York City. He called his documentary “The Aggressives,” in a nod to the label given to, but also embraced by, the women featured. The film was groundbreaking then and remains illuminating today. For his sequel, “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later,” Peddle has gathered four of the subjects who made the 2005 film both insightful and inspiring. The original was filmed between 1997 and 2003. The sequel covers the years 2018-23, with Peddle and editor Yvette Wojciechowski deftly interspersing footage from the original documentary throughout.
It’s good to see Kisha Batista, Trevon Haynes, Octavio Sanders and Chin Tsui again. In the original, they were teenagers wrestling with identity amid issues of race, class, sexuality and, it turns out, gender. Beneath their swagger coursed questions about belonging, labels and identity. In “Beyond,...
It’s good to see Kisha Batista, Trevon Haynes, Octavio Sanders and Chin Tsui again. In the original, they were teenagers wrestling with identity amid issues of race, class, sexuality and, it turns out, gender. Beneath their swagger coursed questions about belonging, labels and identity. In “Beyond,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Showtime has acquired rights to “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later,” a follow-up to director Daniel Peddle’s pioneering documentary about masculine-presenting people of color who were assigned female at birth.
A quarter of a century after 2005’s “The Aggressives,” the sequel catches up with four of the original subjects to see what has been going on in their lives since the first film. A press release describes the follow-up as “more than just a ‘where are they now’ and hears directly from the subjects about topics they’ve experienced, like being held in Ice detention, seeking gender-affirming care and starting their own families. The new chapter also delves into how much the language, culture and visibility of the trans community has evolved and grapples with many of the complexities around gender identity and representation.
“Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later” will open in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 17 to...
A quarter of a century after 2005’s “The Aggressives,” the sequel catches up with four of the original subjects to see what has been going on in their lives since the first film. A press release describes the follow-up as “more than just a ‘where are they now’ and hears directly from the subjects about topics they’ve experienced, like being held in Ice detention, seeking gender-affirming care and starting their own families. The new chapter also delves into how much the language, culture and visibility of the trans community has evolved and grapples with many of the complexities around gender identity and representation.
“Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later” will open in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 17 to...
- 10/17/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Leading New York City LGBTQ+ film festival NewFest has unveiled its 2023 lineup featuring a slew of highly anticipated fall releases for films and TV.
The festival, which runs October 12 to 22 in-person and virtually until October 24, boasts over 130 films from 26 countries. The New York premiere of Netflix’s historical film “Rustin” will open the 35th edition of the festival, with Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” closing out the lineup. The U.S. Centerpiece film is confirmed to be “Nyad,” featuring the true story of Diana Nyad who swam from Cuba to Florida. The festival’s International Centerpiece film is the New York City premiere of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster,” which won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
“May December” director Todd Haynes will receive the 2023 NewFest Queer Visionary Award on October 19, followed by a special screening of the latest drama starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman,...
The festival, which runs October 12 to 22 in-person and virtually until October 24, boasts over 130 films from 26 countries. The New York premiere of Netflix’s historical film “Rustin” will open the 35th edition of the festival, with Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” closing out the lineup. The U.S. Centerpiece film is confirmed to be “Nyad,” featuring the true story of Diana Nyad who swam from Cuba to Florida. The festival’s International Centerpiece film is the New York City premiere of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster,” which won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
“May December” director Todd Haynes will receive the 2023 NewFest Queer Visionary Award on October 19, followed by a special screening of the latest drama starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Just in time for Succession‘s end, let’s look at method acting. The Criterion Channel are highlighting the controversial practice in a 27-film series centered on Brando, Newman, Nicholson, and many other’s embodiment of “an intensely personal, internalized, and naturalistic approach to performance.” That series makes mention of Marilyn Monroe, who gets her own, 11-title highlight––the iconic commingling with deeper cuts.
Pride Month offers “Masc,” a consideration of “trans men, butch lesbians, and gender-nonconforming heroes” onscreen; the Michael Koresky-curated Queersighted returning with a study of the gay best friend; and the 20-film “LGBTQ+ Favorites.” Louis Garrel’s delightful The Innocent (about which I talked to him here), the director’s cut of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation, and Stanley Kwan’s hugely underseen Lan Yu make streaming premieres, while Araki’s Totally F***ed Up and Mysterious Skin also get a run. Criterion Editions include Five Easy Pieces,...
Pride Month offers “Masc,” a consideration of “trans men, butch lesbians, and gender-nonconforming heroes” onscreen; the Michael Koresky-curated Queersighted returning with a study of the gay best friend; and the 20-film “LGBTQ+ Favorites.” Louis Garrel’s delightful The Innocent (about which I talked to him here), the director’s cut of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation, and Stanley Kwan’s hugely underseen Lan Yu make streaming premieres, while Araki’s Totally F***ed Up and Mysterious Skin also get a run. Criterion Editions include Five Easy Pieces,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Every June, a barrage of LGBTQ media and news coverage arrives to announce the beginning of Pride month. The final season of FX’s groundbreaking drama “Pose” debuted in May, and Hulu’s adorable teen coming out story “Love, Victor” will return in two weeks. But for those seeking an engaging and accessible history lesson in the LGBTQ movement, FX’s six-part docuseries “Pride” is a delightful and substantive addition to the canon of Pride-related content. By giving queer filmmakers full creative control, “Pride” goes way beyond the conventional narrative of LGBTQ history.
Part political history, part cultural record, each of “Pride’s” six episodes follow a single decade, beginning with the McCarthyism of the 1950s and ending with the growing mainstream acceptance of the 2000s. Produced by FX, Vice, and Killer Films, each episode is directed by different queer filmmakers who were given full creative license on what to feature.
Part political history, part cultural record, each of “Pride’s” six episodes follow a single decade, beginning with the McCarthyism of the 1950s and ending with the growing mainstream acceptance of the 2000s. Produced by FX, Vice, and Killer Films, each episode is directed by different queer filmmakers who were given full creative license on what to feature.
- 5/29/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Hazily atmospheric “Moss” chronicles the 18th birthday of its titular rural youth, to whom the 36 hours or so depicted end up seeming quite eventful — though viewers may find them less so. Daniel Peddle’s indie drama has a handsome hero and attractive photography of the coastal North Carolina locations, but isn’t quite arresting enough in mood or style to sustain a feature so slight in story terms. Still, this is no failure, but a nice slice-of-life miniature that falls a bit short, suggesting its writer-director (whose prior efforts were mostly documentaries) is just another film or two away from more expertly combining a meditative tenor with narrative content.
Pleasure Island, just off North Carolina’s southernmost coast, is home to teenage only child Moss (Mitchell Slaggert) and his father Ray (Billy Ray Suggs). The latter makes a living crafting sculptures from driftwood, a profession his son scoffs at — though...
Pleasure Island, just off North Carolina’s southernmost coast, is home to teenage only child Moss (Mitchell Slaggert) and his father Ray (Billy Ray Suggs). The latter makes a living crafting sculptures from driftwood, a profession his son scoffs at — though...
- 7/5/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance debut Sorry to Bother You opens in seven markets this weekend via Annapurna, which picked up the title out of the festival. Written and directed by Boots Riley, the genre-bending fantasy-sic-fi stars Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson. Cannes 2018 doc Whitney will go out in well several hundred locations, hoping to tap the momentum of docs Rbg, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Three Identical Strangers, which have had robust theatrical runs this spring/summer. Time will tell whether the Whitney Houston pic can replicate the success of the 2015 Amy Winehouse doc Amy, which also spotlighted a musical sensation who died way too soon. That A24 release took in more than $8.4M and an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. And Breaking Glass Pictures is opening Daniel Peddle’s adventure-drama Moss in two New York and L.A. locations ahead of an on-demand release July 10.
Other limited rollouts this weekend...
Other limited rollouts this weekend...
- 7/5/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to writer-director Daniel Peddle’s Moss and has set a July 6 theatrical release for New York and Los Angeles.
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to writer-director Daniel Peddle’s Moss and has set a July 6 theatrical release for New York and Los Angeles.
DVD and VOD release will follow on July 10 on the coming-of-age story that follows a troubled young man who embarks on a journey of self-discovery amid the nature of rural North Carolina.
Mitchell Slaggert, Christine Marzano, Billy Ray Suggs, and Dorian Cobb star, while John Solomon...
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to writer-director Daniel Peddle’s Moss and has set a July 6 theatrical release for New York and Los Angeles.
DVD and VOD release will follow on July 10 on the coming-of-age story that follows a troubled young man who embarks on a journey of self-discovery amid the nature of rural North Carolina.
Mitchell Slaggert, Christine Marzano, Billy Ray Suggs, and Dorian Cobb star, while John Solomon...
- 4/16/2018
- by Jenn Sherman
- ScreenDaily
A mini-odyssey set on the title character’s 18th birthday, Moss is a quiet, slender drama that resounds with hefty questions. Writer-director Daniel Peddle has made three documentaries and one previous narrative feature (Sunset Edge), each concerned with marginal, unsung or isolated lives, and here he delves into a fascinating rural world, captivatingly undeveloped. With its sensory immersion in nature and its yearning characters, the gorgeously shot film is a memorable study of solitude and connection.
As Moss, model-turned-actor Mitchell Slaggert embodies the character's bottled-up frustration as well as his readiness for new experience. On Pleasure Island, the coastal corner of North...
As Moss, model-turned-actor Mitchell Slaggert embodies the character's bottled-up frustration as well as his readiness for new experience. On Pleasure Island, the coastal corner of North...
- 6/17/2017
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Set in the American South, Daniel Peddle’s Los Angeles Film Festival premiere “Moss” finds former Ck model Mitchell Slaggert taking on a tricky role. As the eponymous Moss, Slaggert is tasked with playing an isolated young man grappling with a legacy he doesn’t fully understand. Motherless since birth, Moss is eager to break away from his resentful father, and he thinks his 18th birthday is the perfect time for such a life change.
Moss unexpectedly meets someone new during his chosen day of busting loose, a mysterious hiker who opens his eyes to the possibilities of the world — at least partially aided by psychedelics. What follows looks to be a lush, lyrical look at life in Southern Gothic America and the people who are tied to it forever.
Read More: ‘Thank You For Coming’ Trailer: Sara Lamm’s Documentary Goes Inside Unexpected Consequences of Sperm Donorship
The film...
Moss unexpectedly meets someone new during his chosen day of busting loose, a mysterious hiker who opens his eyes to the possibilities of the world — at least partially aided by psychedelics. What follows looks to be a lush, lyrical look at life in Southern Gothic America and the people who are tied to it forever.
Read More: ‘Thank You For Coming’ Trailer: Sara Lamm’s Documentary Goes Inside Unexpected Consequences of Sperm Donorship
The film...
- 5/25/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017, a five-day documentary celebration in the nation’s capital. Each year, the festival is committed to providing artists with the opportunity to present powerfully told, artfully constructed stories — and to connect audiences and filmmakers with policy leaders. AFI Docs 2017 runs June 14 – 18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.
“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI Docs’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.
Lineup Announcements
– The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017, a five-day documentary celebration in the nation’s capital. Each year, the festival is committed to providing artists with the opportunity to present powerfully told, artfully constructed stories — and to connect audiences and filmmakers with policy leaders. AFI Docs 2017 runs June 14 – 18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.
“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI Docs’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.
- 5/19/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, better known as Laff if you’re fun, has unveiled its full slate of 2017 offerings, including new offerings from Vincent Grashaw, Leena Pendharkar, Hong Sangsoo, Lea Thompson and many more. The slate includes 48 feature films, 51 short films, 15 high school short films and 10 short episodic works representing 32 countries. The festival’s five competitions feature 37 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres and 9 North American Premieres. Across the competition categories, 42% of the films are directed by women and 40% are directed by people of color.
“Our competitions reflect who Film Independent is as an organization,” said La Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “Within each section you’ll find discovery, diversity, and promising talent both in front of and behind the camera.” Programming Director Roya Rastegar added, “The films curated for the 2017 competition reflect the changing political climate’s impact on emerging independent filmmakers, who are compelled to tell stories about the power of conviction,...
“Our competitions reflect who Film Independent is as an organization,” said La Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “Within each section you’ll find discovery, diversity, and promising talent both in front of and behind the camera.” Programming Director Roya Rastegar added, “The films curated for the 2017 competition reflect the changing political climate’s impact on emerging independent filmmakers, who are compelled to tell stories about the power of conviction,...
- 5/9/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The days are getting longer and the nights are getting warmer, which means that we're edging ever closer to this year's La Film Festival. Taking place June 14th–22nd, the La Film Festival's 2017 competition lineup has been unveiled, and of particular interest for genre fans is the Nightfall section, which includes Colin Minihan's It Stains the Sands Red, Julius Ramsay's Midnighters, and Amanda Evans' Serpent.
Press Release: Los Angeles (May 9, 2017)— Today the La Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, La Muse and Nightfall sections. The 2017 La Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and episodic series, along with programs such as Coffee Talks and Future Filmmakers Showcase. The La Film Festival takes place June 14 – June 22, 2017 headquartered at ArcLight Cinemas Culver City, with additional screenings at ArcLight Hollywood,...
Press Release: Los Angeles (May 9, 2017)— Today the La Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, La Muse and Nightfall sections. The 2017 La Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and episodic series, along with programs such as Coffee Talks and Future Filmmakers Showcase. The La Film Festival takes place June 14 – June 22, 2017 headquartered at ArcLight Cinemas Culver City, with additional screenings at ArcLight Hollywood,...
- 5/9/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– Exclusive: Jcc Manhattan’s 5th Annual Israel Film Center Festival announced its complete line-up of feature films from acclaimed Israeli filmmakers. The festival, which highlights Israel’s latest groundbreaking cinema and also features conversations among industry creative, runs June 8 – 13, 2017 with two pre-festival previews on May 21, and May 23, at Jcc Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street.
Highlights of this year’s film line-up include the New York premieres of Meni Yaish’s “Our Father,” Erez Tadmor’s “Home Port,” Roee Florentin’s “Mr. Predictable,” and a special preview of “Aida’s Secrets,” set to open in theaters in the fall. Most films included in this year’s slate are New York premieres.
This year’s festival includes popular films coming out of Israel’s industry. “Most...
Lineup Announcements
– Exclusive: Jcc Manhattan’s 5th Annual Israel Film Center Festival announced its complete line-up of feature films from acclaimed Israeli filmmakers. The festival, which highlights Israel’s latest groundbreaking cinema and also features conversations among industry creative, runs June 8 – 13, 2017 with two pre-festival previews on May 21, and May 23, at Jcc Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street.
Highlights of this year’s film line-up include the New York premieres of Meni Yaish’s “Our Father,” Erez Tadmor’s “Home Port,” Roee Florentin’s “Mr. Predictable,” and a special preview of “Aida’s Secrets,” set to open in theaters in the fall. Most films included in this year’s slate are New York premieres.
This year’s festival includes popular films coming out of Israel’s industry. “Most...
- 4/27/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Places, like people, have a history that sometimes gets buried under ruble and dust as years go by, but there are always signs that point to that hidden past and its secrets. With that in mind, a single decaying space represents two entirely different experiences for the characters that collide in Daniel Peddle’s minimalist teen-driven drama “Sunset Edge.” Almost entirely non-verbal, except for a couple sequences, the narrative revolves around an abandoned mobile home park and the surrounding wooden area. It doesn’t like much, but that’s where Peddle’s sharp filmmaking sensibilities are applied to turn these components into an efficiently told and reflective narrative.
Ramshackle units filled with forgotten objects, as if those who once lived there ran off without any time to salvage any belongings, serve as isolated haven for a group of adolescents killing time without anyone to bother them. Jacob (Jacob Kristian Ingle), the group’s daredevil, Blaine (Blaine Edward Pugh), the quietest one, plus Will (William Dickerson) and Haley (Haley Ann McKnight ), who are a very relaxed version of the typical high school sweethearts, aimlessly skate around and destroy the forsaken property. Unconcerned with much else other than fighting boredom, the kids document their small town feats with a video camera and their cell phones – a trait that embeds “Sunset Edge” with our current and easily recognizable need for immediacy.
But beyond the once inhabited area lays a brooding landscape, a wooden area that has an odd magnetism at once frightening and spiritual. It’s only when Will gets lost inside this natural labyrinth that Peddle’s turn to the other part of the of the story. Told not to ever ask questions by his grandfather, Malachi, a young Latino boy, grew up painting faces on trees to make up for the lack of friends. Older now, he is curious to find out more about his family and why he was raised in isolation. Glimpses of Malachi’s memories are revealed to us through quick and bright flashbacks that include an older woman dressed in flowy white gown. Without any inclusion of technology or modern attires, Malachi’s part of the story could be taking place at any point in the past century. It’s believably timeless.
Peddle’s cast is consistently natural and their banter conveys visible comfort between, probably because their relationship extent beyond the screen and that surely benefits the film - at least in regards to the four teenagers that filmmaker introduces initially. The same can’t be said about the performances in Malachi’s segment, which are shaky and not as convincing. Yet, since “Sunset Edge” is first and foremost an experiential journey, this doesn’t really deter from the overall success of the filmmaker in creating an atmospheric work.
The film’s greatest strengths are in its evocative visuals that capitalize on the unconventional location. Dp and Editor Karim López focuses on the contrast between the shadowy indoor sequences as both Malachi and the outsiders explore the homes, and the dazzling outdoors, which add a substantial otherworldly quality. Every small trinket or elements present in nature are shot as if they were as important as the human protagonists, because without dialogue every message and piece of information comes from the conversation between the space and the people occupying it.
Banking on its moody and tense notes, “Sunset Edge” moves slowly and sometimes without much direction. Nevertheless, the way in which Peddle plays with time and the effect this has on his characters helps bridge the gap between the two perspectives he tries juxtapose. For the group of urban teens the place is a creepy and lonely spot where they can be free and nothing has value, for Malachi, however, Sunset Edge is sacred ground and a painful one to walk on.
Despite showcasing skillful delivery in diverse areas, the ideas in “Sunset Edge” are unfortunately muddled and for the most part anticlimactic. Still, from what this truly independent project exhibits, Peddle has an unusual point of view that was able to construct a story out of what many would have considered creatively barren. With a tighter screenplay and a more sizeable budget he’ll become someone worth keeping up with.
"Sunset Edge" is now playing in L.A. at the Laemmle's Playhouse 7 and in New York at the Cinema Village...
Ramshackle units filled with forgotten objects, as if those who once lived there ran off without any time to salvage any belongings, serve as isolated haven for a group of adolescents killing time without anyone to bother them. Jacob (Jacob Kristian Ingle), the group’s daredevil, Blaine (Blaine Edward Pugh), the quietest one, plus Will (William Dickerson) and Haley (Haley Ann McKnight ), who are a very relaxed version of the typical high school sweethearts, aimlessly skate around and destroy the forsaken property. Unconcerned with much else other than fighting boredom, the kids document their small town feats with a video camera and their cell phones – a trait that embeds “Sunset Edge” with our current and easily recognizable need for immediacy.
But beyond the once inhabited area lays a brooding landscape, a wooden area that has an odd magnetism at once frightening and spiritual. It’s only when Will gets lost inside this natural labyrinth that Peddle’s turn to the other part of the of the story. Told not to ever ask questions by his grandfather, Malachi, a young Latino boy, grew up painting faces on trees to make up for the lack of friends. Older now, he is curious to find out more about his family and why he was raised in isolation. Glimpses of Malachi’s memories are revealed to us through quick and bright flashbacks that include an older woman dressed in flowy white gown. Without any inclusion of technology or modern attires, Malachi’s part of the story could be taking place at any point in the past century. It’s believably timeless.
Peddle’s cast is consistently natural and their banter conveys visible comfort between, probably because their relationship extent beyond the screen and that surely benefits the film - at least in regards to the four teenagers that filmmaker introduces initially. The same can’t be said about the performances in Malachi’s segment, which are shaky and not as convincing. Yet, since “Sunset Edge” is first and foremost an experiential journey, this doesn’t really deter from the overall success of the filmmaker in creating an atmospheric work.
The film’s greatest strengths are in its evocative visuals that capitalize on the unconventional location. Dp and Editor Karim López focuses on the contrast between the shadowy indoor sequences as both Malachi and the outsiders explore the homes, and the dazzling outdoors, which add a substantial otherworldly quality. Every small trinket or elements present in nature are shot as if they were as important as the human protagonists, because without dialogue every message and piece of information comes from the conversation between the space and the people occupying it.
Banking on its moody and tense notes, “Sunset Edge” moves slowly and sometimes without much direction. Nevertheless, the way in which Peddle plays with time and the effect this has on his characters helps bridge the gap between the two perspectives he tries juxtapose. For the group of urban teens the place is a creepy and lonely spot where they can be free and nothing has value, for Malachi, however, Sunset Edge is sacred ground and a painful one to walk on.
Despite showcasing skillful delivery in diverse areas, the ideas in “Sunset Edge” are unfortunately muddled and for the most part anticlimactic. Still, from what this truly independent project exhibits, Peddle has an unusual point of view that was able to construct a story out of what many would have considered creatively barren. With a tighter screenplay and a more sizeable budget he’ll become someone worth keeping up with.
"Sunset Edge" is now playing in L.A. at the Laemmle's Playhouse 7 and in New York at the Cinema Village...
- 6/2/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
It's being promoted as "a Hitchcockian mash-up," but Daniel Peddle's debut narrative feature, Sunset Edge, more resembles a horror film grafted onto last year's Southern-poverty documentary Rich Hill. Four of today's bored youth — Will (William Dickerson), Jacob (Jacob Kristian Ingle), Blaine (Blaine Edward Pugh), and Haley (Haley Ann McKnight, the standout in the cast) — travel to a deserted trailer park in North Carolina late one afternoon to hang out, make soft-drink suicides (yep, kids apparently still do that, and they now add candy), record themselves, and generally wallow in the rural decay. Meanwhile — or seemingly before, or after, or in ano...
- 5/27/2015
- Village Voice
What matters a phone’s service if the device is gone? Teens lost in the woods is a wildly familiar image in horror. Teens seeking cell service, even more so. But this disorienting clip from Sunset Edge, a raw, new southern indie from director Daniel Peddle, isolates its young character without even the comfort of a…
The post Exclusive Clip: Coming-of-Age Horror, Sunset Edge appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Exclusive Clip: Coming-of-Age Horror, Sunset Edge appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 5/21/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Gotham-based indie film distribution company Cavu Pictures will be releasing Daniel Peddle’s thriller "Sunset Edge" in theaters nationwide, beginning May 29th, 2015 in New York City at the Cinema Village (22 E.12th Street NY, NY 10003), in Los Angeles at Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 (673 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101). The film will expand into additional cities throughout the summer.
On a lazy afternoon, two tales intertwine in this meditative portrayal of disaffected youth set in a graveyard of abandoned mobile homes known as "Sunset Edge." Four suburban teens rummage through the decay completely unaware of the shadowy figure that moves among them - a tormented soul with a horrific past. Day turns to night and people disappear as the secrets of "Sunset Edge" are revealed in a haunting finale.
The film has been described as part gothic thriller, part coming-of-age tale, which evolves into a Hitchcockian mash-up that upends teenage horror films. Shot entirely on location in North Carolina, the director’s Southern roots are the inspiration for the film. In setting his story amidst the rural decay of this pastoral landscape, Peddle aimed to capture a poignant snapshot of American culture. He has been praised for the way he manipulates time and linearity to create a gripping, layered story. Using only available natural light, he doesn’t rely on special effects or gore to enhance the drama or tension. The sparse dialogue gives his characters a natural quality, permitting the audience the vantage point of unseen observer.
A native of North Carolina, artist and filmmaker Daniel Peddle first found his voice as a “street scout” discovering unconventional talent for the fashion world and his own student films while at Nyu Graduate Film School. Peddle’s discoveries include the Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who he scouted at Union Square when she was just 14 years old.
His debut feature documentary "The Aggressiveness" (2005) was a provocative work about gender identity that revealed a world of butch lesbians of color passing as men. "Trail Angels" (2011), Peddle’s second film, follows four unsung heroes, who make it their quest to help the seasonal thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail. With partner Drew Dasent, Peddle currently runs The Secret Gallery, a NY based casting company with runway and commercial divisions; casting for major fashion houses like Givenchy, Phillip Lim and Comme des Garçons.
"Sunset Edge" will be released on VOD and DVD later this year by Kino Lorber. Cavu Pictures executives Isil Bagdadi & Michael Sergio negotiated the deal directly with Kino Lorber President / CEO Richard Lorber, and Senior Manager, Contract & Acquisitions Grace Jung just before the Cannes Film Festival.
Writer / Director, Daniel Peddle added, “'Sunset Edge' was a total labor of love that seemed to will itself into being. I’m thrilled to get to share this strange flower with the world."
Cavu’s Co-Founder / President of Distribution, Isil Bagdadi: “From the moment we saw 'Sunset Edge,' we recognized Daniel Peddle as a talent to watch. As a boutique film distribution company, we’re very selective in the films we choose in getting behind and often gravitate towards the more challenging art films. It’s what fuels our passion and drive in this business, and it makes us that much more excited to be the vehicle that drives a film like 'Sunset Edge' into the marketplace.”...
On a lazy afternoon, two tales intertwine in this meditative portrayal of disaffected youth set in a graveyard of abandoned mobile homes known as "Sunset Edge." Four suburban teens rummage through the decay completely unaware of the shadowy figure that moves among them - a tormented soul with a horrific past. Day turns to night and people disappear as the secrets of "Sunset Edge" are revealed in a haunting finale.
The film has been described as part gothic thriller, part coming-of-age tale, which evolves into a Hitchcockian mash-up that upends teenage horror films. Shot entirely on location in North Carolina, the director’s Southern roots are the inspiration for the film. In setting his story amidst the rural decay of this pastoral landscape, Peddle aimed to capture a poignant snapshot of American culture. He has been praised for the way he manipulates time and linearity to create a gripping, layered story. Using only available natural light, he doesn’t rely on special effects or gore to enhance the drama or tension. The sparse dialogue gives his characters a natural quality, permitting the audience the vantage point of unseen observer.
A native of North Carolina, artist and filmmaker Daniel Peddle first found his voice as a “street scout” discovering unconventional talent for the fashion world and his own student films while at Nyu Graduate Film School. Peddle’s discoveries include the Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who he scouted at Union Square when she was just 14 years old.
His debut feature documentary "The Aggressiveness" (2005) was a provocative work about gender identity that revealed a world of butch lesbians of color passing as men. "Trail Angels" (2011), Peddle’s second film, follows four unsung heroes, who make it their quest to help the seasonal thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail. With partner Drew Dasent, Peddle currently runs The Secret Gallery, a NY based casting company with runway and commercial divisions; casting for major fashion houses like Givenchy, Phillip Lim and Comme des Garçons.
"Sunset Edge" will be released on VOD and DVD later this year by Kino Lorber. Cavu Pictures executives Isil Bagdadi & Michael Sergio negotiated the deal directly with Kino Lorber President / CEO Richard Lorber, and Senior Manager, Contract & Acquisitions Grace Jung just before the Cannes Film Festival.
Writer / Director, Daniel Peddle added, “'Sunset Edge' was a total labor of love that seemed to will itself into being. I’m thrilled to get to share this strange flower with the world."
Cavu’s Co-Founder / President of Distribution, Isil Bagdadi: “From the moment we saw 'Sunset Edge,' we recognized Daniel Peddle as a talent to watch. As a boutique film distribution company, we’re very selective in the films we choose in getting behind and often gravitate towards the more challenging art films. It’s what fuels our passion and drive in this business, and it makes us that much more excited to be the vehicle that drives a film like 'Sunset Edge' into the marketplace.”...
- 5/15/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
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