Killer Grannies: The New Short Film

 

It's been awhile since we've put up a new blog. So much has been going on. Here's an update!

Our brand new short film KILLER GRANNIES is starting to be sent out to the film festival world. Over the last 2 years, this short film has been shared around the film festival world with a screenplay, and that short screenplay has been making a statement, winning awards at many film festivals around the world over the last year. This summer, the short film was shot, and has been in post-production over the last couple of months. Now made, it's being distributed to the film festival world. Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled for it showing at a film festival near you! Also, we have a Facebook page for the short film. Here it is:

https://www.facebook.com/p/Killer-Grannies-61571219532483/

Check it out and keep updated, if you like!

So much is going on with Jack Truman Productions. The Holly Weird Film Festival is in its 8th season. Our brand new theatre group, the Senior Theatre Guild, with a focus on the 55+ community, is in its first season. All of this is a part of our production company. Plays and films are art. Simple as that. It's amazing what you can get done with no money, if you're passionate about making a difference in the world. 

Seeking Locations for 'The Walkers '

 

Want to be part of a major motion picture?

Locations are needed for The Walkers, a female led thriller about a serial killer who works in a furniture store.

An ultra low budget feature film

Several types of locations are needed for the shoot! If you're a business, this is an opportunity to have your local business featured in a major independent film.

Writer/Director Jack Truman is an award winning filmmaker. His films have screened at over 600 film festivals around the world. He is also the Founder of the Holly Weird Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.

For more information and details, email Jack directly at jacktrumancountry@gmail.com

The Walkers

A Red Block Film

The Walkers on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/walkersmovie/

Casting and Crew Notice - The Walkers

Red Block Films is casting and seeking crew members for 'The Walkers', an ultra-low budget female led film thriller about a serial killer who works in a furniture store.

Copy and Credit provided. There is possible deferred pay.

Jack Truman, Director/Producer

Shoots Summer 2023 in Ohio and Texas

Casting:

Eve, LEAD, 18-60, the world's worst salesperson

Mary, Salesperson, 25-45, extremely obese

Maxine, 25-40, a nice salesperson, Eve's best friend

Rob (Roberta), 35-50, a top dog salesperson

Erica, 18-35, a super salesperson wanna be

Jennifer, 25-70, the store manager, a 'bitch on wheels'

Edwina, 40-55, Hispanic, the ultimate negative employee

Waitress, 35-55

Cop, 40-50

Businessman, 35-55

Store Customer, Female, 40-50

Bar Groupie, 18-40

Store Customers, all ages, Background Extras

Also seeking the following Crew:

Producer

Production Assistant

Cinematographer

Sound Mixer

Submit all headshots and resumes directly to Director Jack Truman at jacktrumancountry@gmail.com 

The Walkers

A Red Block Film

Winter in the Middle of Nowhere

 

What a winter!

A person can get a lot done in the middle of nowhere. As of this writing, I'm reading a different book each month, writing a book, making a film, working on our annual film festival, and being creative.

Just finished writing a new short film script as well. It's going to be awesome! There's nothing out there like this.

Right now, the book I'm reading is Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals. I love that guy. Over this last year, reading books by Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Kant, and film directors...it's a pretty awesome time!

Subjects like Film Dramaturgy, Virtual Production, Drama Therapy and Entertainment Management are great topics being explored. 

On top of all this, isolation with the Great Pandemic is wonderful. Health, safety and life...those are the most important things.

The Aesthetics of Theatre and Performance - A Virtual Workshop on Zoom

 

The Aesthetics of Theatre and Performance

A Virtual Workshop by Jack Truman

There is a philosophy to theatre. Most actors are focused on performance and less focused on what art is really about. How can we apply philosophy to our theatrical shows and performances? By reviewing acting techniques of Stanislavski, Spolin, Meisner, Hagan Hagen and Boal, combined with theatre theory of Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and Camus, along with implementing philosophical ancient Indian values from the Upanishads, Truman introduces a new style of acting that focuses on the aesthetics and philosophy of performance. Included are theatre games from the world's most renowned acting teachers. 

A creative, virtual one hour workshop for all! 

Date and Time: April 30th, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

Location: https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/2669655744

A 1 hour virtual workshop on Zoom! Open to the public and free for all!

About the Presenter: Jack Truman is a 35 year veteran in the entertainment industry. An award winning actor, writer, producer, director and filmmaker, he has also appeared in many major motion pictures and television series. Jack's independent films have screened at over 500 film festivals around the world. Founder of the Holly Weird Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, he is also author of the book An Actor's Journal: 90 Days in L.A. Truman has an MFA in Theatre and is a college professor.

Holly Weird Film Festival Announces 2021 Lineup

 

Holly Weird Film Festival Announces Lineup

Burbank, California - The other side of Hollywood is becoming fearless to the entertainment capital of the world.

The third annual Holly Weird Film Festival has announced the lineup for the 2021 season. Celebrating true original underground filmmaking, Holly Weird celebrates and showcases independent films of all genres that feature a distinct vision, a unique voice, or an avant-garde challenge to what is expected or accepted. The festival is making it's mission to showcase the work of filmmakers who defy independent visions.

“It's important for original underground filmmakers to have a venue to share their work with the world”, says the festival's founder, award-winning underground filmmaker Jack Truman. “As a filmmaker, I know how hard it is for underground filmmakers to make their movie. It's important for them to share their art. I'm proud of the diversity in this year's lineup. Films are from around world, and 6 of the 23 selections are from female directors. There is an audience out there that is hungry for true, original independent film that defies the norm. We're focused on the unique and innovative, and are thrilled to bring the other side of film to the entertainment capital of the world”.

23 films from around the world were selected for the 2021 season from over 600 submissions worldwide. Included are short and feature narrative, documentary and experimental films. The range of countries selected include Israel, Lebanon, Russia, France, Spain, Australia, Canada and the United States. Some of the films to be included is the feature film “Shellfish” by Hunter Hopewell, and short films “Chesty & Opal”, “Pluto” and the World Premiere of “Molotov”.

Holly Weird has also partnered with television giant Roku and Shorts Daily for a limited televised event. This year, Roku will allow previous Holly Weird alumni filmmakers the opportunity to screen their films on Roku's Shorts Daily channel this summer. Roku has a nationwide base of over 50 million subscribers, and this will give little-known alternative filmmakers the opportunity to have their independent films screen to a nationwide audience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“We have an electric lineup of amazing films scheduled for this season”, states Truman. “These films will shock the world”.

More about the festival can be found on the Holly Weird FilmFreeway page at https://filmfreeway.com/HollyWeirdFilmFestival .

Holly Weird on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollyweirdfilmfest/

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS for HOLLY WEIRD 2021:

Shorts:

Angel and Opal – Jack Truman (5 minutes) (Missouri)

Behind the Glass – Pedro de la Llave (5 minutes) (Canada)

Parked – Yoon Hei Cho (4 minutes) (California)

The Shattering – Marcus Adams (8 minutes) (California)

Television Quest – Terence Cover (5 minutes) (Michigan)

Molotov – Ariel Semmel (30 minutes) (Israel)

Geneva Jacuzzi's Casket – Chris Friend (6 minutes) (California)

The Orange Cheddar Debacle – Forrest Fenske (10 minutes) (New York)

Counting Sheep – Brandon Hicks (2 minutes) (Canada)

The Fear – Chanin Russo (12 minutes) (California)

Glugga – Omar Lopex (7 minutes) (California)

Trouble for Miles – Jamin Scotti (9 minutes) (California)

How to Get $100 Million – Ilya Polyakov (9 minutes) (California)

Pluto – Larke Miller (15 minutes) (Canada)

Lahza – Noel Bassil (7 minutes) (Lebanon)

Super Cool – Marina Potapova (5 minutes) (Russia)

Quarantine: Day 100 – Paul Chomicki (2 minutes) (California)

Smile – Kevin Uskovic (5 minutes)

Adam – Christine Zivic (12 minutes) (California)

Terror Fervor – Phoebe Parsons (6 minutes) (Canada)

Chesty and Opal – Jack Truman (10 minutes) (Missouri)

Documentary Feature:

We are the New Chimeras – Mathias Averty (51 minutes) (France)

Narrative Feature:

Shellfish – Hunter Hopewell (82 minutes) (California)

A Deep Year

 

This has been a deep year.

That's the simplest way to put it.

The coronavirus hit America back in early March 2020. That was 14 months ago. I'm getting ready to begin my 15^th month in isolation. This is a crazy world we live in. I won't take the vaccine. Simply put, there's a lot of reasons for this, but it basically boils down to personal beliefs. I won't take any medicine. I won't even get a flu shot. I've got a lot of personal opinions about this world we live in, and today's culture, but I just have to keep my mouth shut. That's all I'll say about that.

Having said that, this has been one crazy year. That's an understatement. So much has happened over this last year that has changed my life. I now look at things in a completely different way. I see the things that are important in life. It took the worse pandemic in the history of the world to force me into isolation and look at things in a different way.

The things that have happened over this last year:

There's two books I've been reading and studying over the last year while in isolation that have really opened my eyes: the Upanishads and the Christian Science textbook 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures'. Both of these books have been helping me a lot. I've come to realize that both deal with the Mind. The Christian Science bible is medicine for the mind. The Upanishads exercise the mind. Both of these books are helping me a lot while in isolation.

I've also began to look at things in a philosophical view. Over this last year, I've learned so much about the arts while in isolation that I never knew about. I've been in the entertainment business for over 35 years. Until now, there were so many things I was not educated in. Before this last year, I always looked at the arts from a creative angle: as an actor, a writer, a producer, a director, a filmmaker. Now, I'm starting to see the arts from a philosophical viewpoint. Analyzing things. Questioning things. Last year, I discovered Dramaturgy for the first time in my life, and it fascinates me. Over the last 6 months, I've discovered 13 different cultures around the world that practice art that I was never familiar with. Also, I've learned about philosophers in art from over the last 500 years I never knew about. My life is changing, that's for sure. Also, there's different art forms I never knew about. Take the art Theatre of the Absurd. Or Theatre of the Oppressed. Or Devised Theatre. Look at philosophers I had never heard about like Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Boal...this is a fascinating new world to me.

There is a lot I have planned to work on this summer. Over the next 12 weeks, I plan on writing a script a week, and working on a different project each week. If I keep to that schedule, then come August, I'll have 12 new scripts written and 12 projects worked on. That's a pretty constructive summer! Plus, there's other things to work on daily not included here. It's amazing what one person can do in isolation out here in the middle of nowhere. All you have to do it set your mind to doing things and having the discipline. Thank God I'm the way I am and lived in another time before today's world.

That's about all I have to say about that.