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 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. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The Woods premiered in New York at the BAMcinemaFest held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Woods premiered internationally at the Cologne Conference in Cologne, Germany.
Premise A 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 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 The film was filmed over 30 days in Oregon. To make the film, the director and cast lived in a tent-city in the forest.
Music The film features songs by Dirty Projectors Sun Araw Lucky Dragons Ananda Shankar Indian Jewelry Lydia Ainsworth
Film Festival/ Film Conference screenings
DateVenueLocationPremiere Status20 January 2011Sundance Film FestivalPark City, Utah USAWorld Premiere24 February 2011Portland International Film FestivalPortland, Oregon USA26 June 2011BAMcinemaFestBrooklyn, New York USANew York Premiere16 July 2011Maine International Film FestivalWaterville, Maine USA26 August 2011White Sands International Film FestivalLas Cruces, New Mexico USA26 September 2011 Cologne ConferenceCologne, GermanyInternational Premiere7 October 2011Rio de Janeiro International Film FestivalRio de Janeiro, Brazil10 November 2011Stockholm International Film FestivalStockholm, Sweden 10 November 2011Napa Valley Film FestivalNapa, California USA15 November 2011American Film FestivalWrocław, Poland1 March 2012The Queens World Film FestivalJackson Heights, New York USA26 October 2012Impakt FestivalUtrecht, The Netherlands 16 November 2013Clair-Obscur FilmfestivalBasel, Switzerland
University/ College screenings
DateInstitutionLocation 1 April 2011Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania USA31 May 2011University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois USA
Miscellaneous screenings
DateLocation Event1 October 2011Vienna, Austria WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald8 October 2011Linz, Austria WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald15 October 2011Salzburg, Austria WALDflimmern, die 1. Filmschau zum Wald3 November 2011Los Angeles, California USADowntown Independent, Film Finds02-8 March 2012 Brooklyn, New York USAreRun Theater, 1 Week New York Theatrical Release
References
External links