‘You Can’t Kill Stephen King’ world premier
at Lewiston Auburn Film Festival April 14
Homage to horror novelist among second round of films accepted
For Immediate Release
MEDIA CONTACT:
Danielle Eaton, Media Relations, Lewiston Auburn Film Festival
Telephone: 207-713-4672
Email: Danielle@lafilmfestival.org
www.lafilmfestival.org
Directors of the Lewiston Auburn Film Festival announced this week the world premiere of the Maine-made feature film “You Can’t Kill Stephen King” will be part of this year’s festival.
The film, which has already received national mainstream attention in cinema magazines, is a comedic take on the horror genre, putting Maine’s own master horror novelist at the center of the story, which follows a group of friends who visit the state in hopes of meeting King, but come face-to-face with a bevy of eccentric characters.
Although a screening time has not yet been set, “You Can’t Kill Stephen King” will be shown on April 14 at the Community Little Theatre in Auburn. Both festival organizers and the film’s creators plan to send personal invitations to Stephen King, welcoming him to view the world premier of the film. Co-director Monroe Mann said, “we hope after he sees it that he will smile.”
A question-and-answer session with cast and crew will follow the film’s world premier.
“This movie is supposed to be fun and campy, I think we achieve that,” said co-director Ronnie Khalil. While spending a dark and dreary weekend at Mann’s family cottage on a lake in Maine, Mann and Khalil spent two days writing the first draft of “You Can’t Kill Stephen King”. Mann recalls: “We suddenly thought why has no one ever written a story about Stephen King, and since it’s raining, why don’t we do it ourselves?” The 90-minute film took 19 days to film and many more to edit. The film was shot at that very family cottage. Meant to sleep between five and six adults, thirty members of the crew stayed in the cramped quarters while shooting. “We were sleeping like Jenga blocks,” Khalil remembered.
Chairperson of the LAFF board of directors, Sandra Marquis said: “We cannot express our excitement of having ‘You Can’t Kill Stephen King’ make its world premiere right here at the Lewiston Auburn Film Festival. This film, shot in Maine, exemplifies the creativity and determination of independent film makers that is LAFF’s mission to support and foster.” As for the directors’ feelings on the world premier of their project, Mann said: “I’m excited, nervous, but mostly, I am proud. Even though I’m hoping people like the film, I am most proud of everyone for creating something that I am really proud of.”
In addition to “You Can’t Kill Stephen King” festival organizers have announced the acceptance of two more feature length films, as well as six shorts and three documentaries. In the category of feature length films, LAFF welcomes “Moment of Truth: The Andy Meyers Story” and “Bad is Bad”. The six shorts LAFF has accepted include: a trio of shorts by director Rob Underhill “Timed Romance”, “Wolf Call” and “Empty Space”, “Bathing & the Single Girl” directed by and starring Christine Elise McCarthy, “Children of Air”, and “The Telegram Man”. The three documentaries accepted in this round into this year’s LAFF are “Are All Men Pedophiles?”, “Beverly Hallam: Artist as Innovator” and “Roadmap to Apartheid”.
The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will take place on April 13, 14 & 15, 2012. Friday April 13 will open the festival weekend with a special concert with Don McLean at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston. Saturday’s movie goers will experience theatre going in a whole new light as venues all across Lewiston Auburn turn their spaces into movie theaters for a day. Saturday night will culminate with a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch. Sunday’s VIP ticket holders will enjoy a brunch at Fishbones before heading over to the Public Theater, where a selection of the 2012 award winning films will be shown. Ticket prices and film information are available at www.lafilmfestival.org.
Media outlets interested in interviewing Mr. Khalil or Mr. Mann are asked to first contact Danielle Eaton for the co-directors’ contact information.
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