A Lonely Place for Dying is a 2008 American independent thriller drama film directed by Justin Eugene Evans and produced by James Cromwell. Starring Ross Marquand, Michael Wincott, Michael Scovotti and James Cromwell, the film is set in 1972 during the Cold War. The film's score was composed by Brent Daniels.
Plot In 1972, an abandoned Mexican prison sits alone in the dusty Chihuahua desert. KGB mole Nikolai Dzerzhinsky waits for his contact from The Washington Post. Dzerzhinsky holds explosive evidence against the CIA; information he will trade for asylum in the United States. Special Agent Robert Harper must obtain this evidence and kill Dzerzhinsky or risk the end of his CIA career. As the two men hunt each other, they discover that the sins from their past destined them for this deadly confrontation.
Cast Ross Marquand as KGB Officer Nikolai Dzerzhinsky Michael Scovotti as CIA Agent Robert Harper Michael Wincott as CIA Project Manager Anthony Greenglass James Cromwell as Washington Post Editor-In-Chief Howard Simons Brad Culver as Special Forces Captain Robert "Bob" Altman Mike Peebler as Special Forces First Lieutenant George Roy Hill Luis Robledo as Special Forces Staff Sergeant Solares Jason R. Moore as Special Forces Staff Sergeant William "Bill" Friedkin Stephen Jules Rubin as Special Forces Buck Sergeant Konigsberg
Release "A Lonely Place For Dying" held an unannounced sneak preview at the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival. Despite being an out-of-competition rough-cut screening with no visual effects, music, sound mix or color grade, it was nominated for three awards and won the Heineken Red Star Award.
The first 22 minutes of the motion picture was released on VODO in July 2011. It was downloaded over one million times and became the best-seeded movie Torrent in the world for several weeks. "A Lonely Place For Dying" screened at its final three festivals and concluded its two-and-a-half-year-long festival run, while "part one" of the film dominated Bittorrent.
After nearly three years on the festival circuit, "A Lonely Place For Dying" received a limited theatrical release on approximately 19 screens throughout the United States. It debuted on September 7, 2012 at the Al Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin and concluded its run on November 4 of the same year in several theaters in Portland, Oregon. The film played in theaters across Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
In February, 2013, it was released on iTunes and Amazon. On May 31, 2013, the filmmakers held a charity screening of "A Lonely Place for Dying" at Justin Eugene Evans' high school in Clackamas, Oregon. All proceeds went to Clackamas High School's speech and drama departments.
Accolades "A Lonely Place for Dying" was an official selection of 46 film festivals where it was nominated for 53 awards and won 29 including 18 as best picture. The film began its festival run at the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival and concluded its run as the Opening Night film for the 2011 Oaxaca Film. Fest Below is a partial list of the film's awards.
AwardDate of CeremonyCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRefSanta Fe Film FestivalDecember 7, 2008Heineken Red Star AwardJustin Eugene Evans Eugene International Film Festival October 10, 2010Best Action NarrativeJustin Eugene EvansSomewhat North of Boston (S.N.O.B.) Film Festival November 10, 2010 Best Action FilmJustin Eugene Evans Park City Film Music Festival June 10, 2010 Silver Medal for Excellence In Original Music Brent DanielsWild Rose Independent Film Festival November 6, 2010 Best Visual Effects Marc Leonard & Daniel Broadway Best Cinematography (Certificate of Distinctive Achievement) Justin Eugene Evans Best Makeup and Hair Catherine Doughty Best Music Brent Daniels Best Editing Brad Stoddard Best Lighting Design Justin Eugene Evans Best Ensemble The Cast of ALPFD Best Actor Ross Marquand Best Director - Feature Film Justin Eugene Evans Best Feature Film Justin Eugene EvansMaverick Movie Awards2010Best Cinematography Justin Eugene EvansBest Actor Ross MarquandBest Supporting Actor Michael WincottBest Production Design Justin Eugene Evans, Jan Shane & Catherine DoughtyBest Special Effects Daniel Broadway, Marc Leonard & Mystic ArtsBest Special Effects Make-Up Catherine DoughtyBest Stunts Rick Kingi & Kurly TlapayawaThe Precious James CromwellBeloit International Film FestivalFebruary 19, 2011Best ScreenplayJustin Eugene EvansBest Feature Justin Eugene EvansIndie Spirit Film FestivalApril 17, 2011Director's Choice AwardJustin Eugene EvansVan Wert International Film FestivalJuly 10, 2011Grand PrixJustin Eugene EvansOutstanding DirectionJustin Eugene EvansOutstanding ActorRoss MarquandOutstanding Film EditingBrad StoddardBurbank International Film FestivalSeptember 21, 2011Best Feature FilmJustin Eugene Evans Best PictureJustin Eugene EvansOaxaca FilmFestNovember 12, 2011Opening Night Film Justin Eugene Evans
Reception A Lonely Place for Dying was met with almost universal praise. Justine Browning of Huffington Post said "A Lonely Place for Dying (currently available on iTunes) is a powerful independent thriller from a promising new director Justin Eugene Evans." Andrew L. Urban of Urban Cinefile said "Executed with skill, the film uses its primary element - the abandoned Mexican prison - to terrific effect...excellent design and music, with terrific camerawork, complete what is arguably a better movie than many which get a theatrical release." Jesse Veverka of the Clyde Fitch Report refers to the film's director as an "independent narrative film prodigy." Charles Monroe Kane of WPT's "Director's Cut" said "A Lonely Place For Dying is an absolutely fantastic film!"
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