Opus 35 is a unique 30 minute film that takes the entirety of Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 Op. 35, and uses it as the soundtrack to a story that fits it’s music and themes. The story itself follows four musicians who are at a crossroads in their relationships and careers.
Teaser Trailer:
UPDATE: OPUS 35 has wrapped principal photography! After an intense 7 day shoot, we've completed of most of our film. However, these is still 2 more days, and the entirety of post production left to go! Our FundAid page is still up, and anyone is welcome to still claim perks, and contribute to our project.
What We need Help With: The visual and auditory aspects of this film being of utmost importance, your contribution helps us get the locations, gear and crew we need to make this project really stand out, as well as the post-production. Your support will also help us cover festival submission fees, so that the movie can find a wider audience!
How Will the Money Be Spent: $6000 will go towards recouping production costs, as well as supporting post production. $600 of that will go towards the perks, and if we collect an aditional $1150 it will cover most of our post-production and submission costs for festivals!
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Email: opus35themovie@gmail.com
Luke, a concert pianist, invites his closest friends to his new home for a private salon concert. He wants to play for them the piece that he has been preparing for his tour: Chopin’s Second Piano Sonata. Amongst his friends are Michael, a violinist in the orchestra, realizing his time as a musician maybe coming to an end and Nadia, his girlfriend, struggling to complete her final auditions because of her depression. Meanwhile, Anna, Luke’s newly wedded wife, once herself a talented musician, struggles to maintain a lifestyle in support of his career, seeing herself settled into the role of housewife. As Luke’s performance of the Sonata begins, the film enters into their recent pasts, recounting the events that lead them to their present predicaments, and follows them after the concert, as they battle against and reconcile with their lives.
From the love and nostalgia of the Scherzo to the loss and grief contained within the Funeral March, Chopin’s music plays out in their lives, pinpointing pivotal moments in their careers as well as their relationships. The film explores themes of artistry, disconnect, relationship, love, loss, and the fight to keep alive dreams that seem to be moving further out of reach everyday.
Opus 35 is ready to head into production, and is going to camera on December 14th!
Who We Are:
Director/Screenwiriter:
Ian W. Mrozewski has been screenwriting for the past three years, and currently studies Cinematography at Capilano University. Ian has also been playing guitar for the past 10 years, piano for the past 4 years and has been producing electronic music throughout that time as well. On occasion he blogs about classical music and jazz at: http://weknowtheidiom.tumblr.com/
The Cast:
Panthea Vatandoost as Nadia: Panthea has been acting for 7 years. Her first love being the stage, she started out in a high school mounting of And So Ad Infinitum, moving on to produce and star in The Owl and the Pussycat. Since then, she has focused more on film and television, with her most recent role being a lead in Sahar, a short film which made its debut at TIFF 2014, and a screening at the Vancouver Short Film Festival where it picked up 3 awards for Best Student Film, Best Director, and Best Male Actor. Sahar will also be screening at the 2014 Whistler Film Festival .
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4853251/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Samer Salem as Michael: Samer started acting 4 years ago. Through these years he has studied with some wonderful studios and teachers such as The Foundry, Ben Ratner, John Cassini, and Alisson Araya. He is currently represented by Characters Talent Agency, and his most recent role was on the TV show Blood, Lies, and Alibis. Samer also plays the piano, and has recently started the cello.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4877882/
Ellen MacNevin as Anna: Ellen has been acting since before she could read, making her theatre debut in an Arts Umbrella original play in which she was a turtle. The theater has been her second home and some of her most memorable roles include Mary Tilford, the manipulative, lying child from The Children's Hour, as well as Louise in the post-apocalyptic two man show After the End. For the past few years Ellen's primary focus has been a career in film and television. This past spring she starred in an independent thriller called Suspension, set for release in 2015. She still gets her live audience fix doing improv with Instant Theatre Company.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5561119/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Xander France as Luke: Xander started his acting career in kindergarten where he made his debut as the Cat in the play “The Cat”. Xander pursued acting at an early age on Vancouver Island, Canada. His first plays included Jesus Christ Superstar and Pirates of Penzance. He moved on to become the lead in the Full Monty and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, one of his favorite musicals and a dream role. Shortly after, he moved to New York to train at Stella Adler’s School of Acting. Upon returning home, he decided to focus his energy on moving to Los Angeles where he could do both film and theatre while training at Edgemar Center of the Arts in Santa Monica. Following California, Xander moved to Hollywood North (Vancouver), where he signed with Play Management.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5686754/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Piano:
Benjamin Woo recently graduated from a 5 year joint degree program at Harvard College and the New England Conservatory of Music. He studies music, cognitive science, political philosophy and literature.
Crew:
Director of Photography: Leonardo Harim is a Cinematographer working out of Vancouver, Canada, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leo studied Cinema and Film Theory at university in his hometown Rio de Janeiro, and later completed a one year program in Vancouver, Canada, specializing in Lighting and Camera Operation. He also earned a Diploma of Photography from Imagens do Povo, a center for documentation, research, training and integration of photographers from the favelas and suburbs of Rio into the labor market. In 2014 Leo was awarded Best Cinematography at the Oregon Independent Film Festival for his work as DP on Canadian independent feature film Thirty-One. He has been working as a freelance Cinematographer, Camera Operator, and Lamp Operator for the past 8 years.
Perks
- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will get both a special mention at the end of the film credits as well as a digital copy of the film, PLUS, a digital copy of the movie's soundtrack, performed by the talented Ben Woo.
- 1 claimed
At this level, you will receive all the perks of Waltz, as well as a digital album of Ben Woo's original compositions.
- 1 claimed
At this level, you will receive all the perks of Nocturne, PLUS a poster of the movie signed by the Director himself.
- 0 claimed
You will receive a special mention at the end credits of the film, a digital copy of the film upon release, a digital copy of the soundtrack performed by Ben Woo, a digital album of Ben Woo's original composition performed by him, as well as the poster of the film signed by the whole cast, as well as a private concert by Ben Woo.
- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will receive all the perks of Ballade, as well as a dinner with the Director himself, and a private concert by Ben Woo.
- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will receive all the perks of Polonaise, as well as a private concert by Ben Woo, and an Executive Producer title.
- 0 claimed
At this level, you will get all the Sonata perks, as well as a copy of the sheet music to all of Chopin's Sonatas, signed by the whole cast, as well as the pianist.
Highlights
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- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will get both a special mention at the end of the film credits as well as a digital copy of the film, PLUS, a digital copy of the movie's soundtrack, performed by the talented Ben Woo.
- 1 claimed
At this level, you will receive all the perks of Waltz, as well as a digital album of Ben Woo's original compositions.
- 1 claimed
At this level, you will receive all the perks of Nocturne, PLUS a poster of the movie signed by the Director himself.
- 0 claimed
You will receive a special mention at the end credits of the film, a digital copy of the film upon release, a digital copy of the soundtrack performed by Ben Woo, a digital album of Ben Woo's original composition performed by him, as well as the poster of the film signed by the whole cast, as well as a private concert by Ben Woo.
- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will receive all the perks of Ballade, as well as a dinner with the Director himself, and a private concert by Ben Woo.
- 0 claimed
For your donation, you will receive all the perks of Polonaise, as well as a private concert by Ben Woo, and an Executive Producer title.
- 0 claimed
At this level, you will get all the Sonata perks, as well as a copy of the sheet music to all of Chopin's Sonatas, signed by the whole cast, as well as the pianist.