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Media Contact: Alison Week Ph: (808) 9900053 Em: [email protected] For more about the film, the fundraiser and the cast & crew please read on! Introducing, PUSHING OUT DAISY A short film by Alison Week Local filmmakers aim to raise $15K on SEED&SPARK (the new Kickstarter for film) in 31 days Saturday June 28 July 26 The cantankerous, old Daisy is on her way out and her daughter Anne is more than happy to help. Watch the Pitch Video & read more about the film at: www.pushingoutdaisyfilm.com Synopsis Pushing Out Daisy is a short film that explores the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter later in life. When Anne returns home to take care of her terminally ill mother Daisy, she imagines killing her might do them both a favor. It is a lighthearted tale, one that weaves Anne’s reality, elaborate fantasies and past to illustrate this difficult period in their lives. For many people as they age, they don’t realize their parents are aging, too. As the role of caretaker in the relationship reverses, many people are not prepared to handle the shift. This short film, Pushing Out Daisy aims to be a window into that struggle.

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The cantakerous Daisy is on her way out and her daughter Anne is more than happy to help.

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Media  Contact:  Alison  Week    Ph:  (808)  990-­‐0053    Em:  [email protected]    

For  more  about  the  film,  the  fundraiser  and  the  cast  &  crew  please  read  on!  

 Introducing,  

PUSHING  OUT  DAISY  A  short  film  by  Alison  Week  

 Local  filmmakers  aim  to  raise  $15K  on  SEED&SPARK    

(the  new  Kickstarter  for  film)  in  31  days  Saturday  June  28  -­‐  July  26  

                               

 The  cantankerous,  old  Daisy  is  on  her  way  out  and  her  daughter  Anne  is  more  than  happy  to  help.  

  Watch  the  Pitch  Video  &  read  more  about  the  film  at:    

www.pushingoutdaisyfilm.com          Synopsis  Pushing  Out  Daisy  is  a  short  film  that  explores  the  complicated  relationship  between  a  mother  and  daughter  later  in  life.  When  Anne  returns  home  to  take  care  of  her  terminally  ill  mother  Daisy,  she  imagines  killing  her  might  do  them  both  a  favor.  It  is  a  lighthearted  tale,  one  that  weaves  Anne’s  reality,  elaborate  fantasies  and  past  to  illustrate  this  difficult  period  in  their  lives.      For  many  people  as  they  age,  they  don’t  realize  their  parents  are  aging,  too.  As  the  role  of  caretaker   in  the  relationship  reverses,  many  people  are  not  prepared  to  handle  the  shift.  This  short  film,  Pushing  Out  Daisy  aims  to  be  a  window  into  that  struggle.      

 Some  of  the  fundraising  perks  include:  

• For  $25//  The  digital  gift  box:  a  chance  to  pre-­‐view  the  completed  film  online,  a  copy  of  the  lined  script  &  thanks  in  the  credits  

• For  $50//  Art  Prints:  Photos  by  award-­‐winning  photographer  Filipa  Rodrigues  • For  $250//  VIP  Invite  to  local  screenings  of  the  film  in  Austin,  TX  and  Kona,  HI    • For  $500//  The  Business  Sponsorship  Package:  social  media  shout  outs,  special  credit  in  

the  completed  film,  your  logo  on  our  website  and  a  video  thank  you  (limit  7)      SEED&SPARK  gives  filmmakers  a  new  option:  instead  of  choosing  to  donate  money,  people  also  have  the  option  to  lend  or  donate  items  to  the  project.  As  a  non-­‐monetary  donation  SEED&SPARK  doesn’t  take  a  cut.  You  can  still  donate  money,  and  then  they’ll  take  a  percentage  (less  than  Kickstarter!),  but  when  the  film  is  complete  you  can  also  distribute  your  film  via  their  platform.  Makes  sense  right?  You  can  view  the  film’s  wish  list  here:  [LINK]      About  the  Writer/Director  Alison  Week  is  an  independent  filmmaker  originally  from  Kailua-­‐Kona,  Hawaii  who  moved  to  Austin,  Texas  several  years  ago  by  way  of  France.  At  university  she  studied  filmmaking,  advertising  and  French.  Because  she  is  passionate  about  all  three  subjects,  she  continues  to  work  not  just  as  a  film  producer,  but  also  as  a  Community  Outreach  Coordinator  for  Exterminating  Angel  Press  and  as  a  pre-­‐school  teacher  in  a  French  immersion  Montessori  school.      As  a  producer,  Alison  carefully  selects  films  that  seek  to  inspire  change.  Currently  she  works  as  an  associate  producer  with  Issue  Television  (501c3)  on  the  ‘National  Geographic’  sponsored  Radio  Taboo  and  Yellow  Fever:  The  Navajo  Uranium  Legacy,  which  is  slated  for  a  2014  Fall  PBS  World  TV  broadcast.  She  is  also  currently  directing/producing  the  documentary  Trackers:  The  Story  of  a  Conservation  Dog.  Most  recently  she  produced  Stunt  Fighter  directed  by  Erica  R.  Pallo  –  a  University  of  Texas,  Austin  pre-­‐thesis  short  film  crewed  entirely  by  local  women  filmmakers.      Praise  for  Pushing  Out  Daisy…    Received  ‘Honorable  Mention’  in  the  script  competition  at  the  Women’s  Independent  Film  Festival  (2013)  in  L.A.      “[Alison  Week]  began  in  my  life  as  one  of  the  best  screenwriting  students  I've  ever  had,  proceeded  to  convince  me  against  my  will  that  I  wanted  an  intern  for  Exterminating  Angel  Press,  was  then  the  best  intern  I've  ever  had,  and  now  is  a  huge  part  of  the  press,  organizing  our  community  outreach.  I  saw  the  beginnings  of  the  script  for  this  film  years  ago,  and  it  was  great  then...go,  Alison!  Suerte!”        

-­‐-­‐  Tod  Davies  (screenwriter,  Fear  and  Loathing  in  Los  Vegas)  |  Editorial  Director,  Exterminating  Angel  Press    

 

MEET  THE  AUSTIN  BASED  FILMMAKERS:      

Sunday,  June  29,  2014  &  Sunday  July  20,  2014    409  E.  Monroe  St.  Austin,  TX    78704  

 Morning  ‘Treat  and  Greet’,  9am-­‐1pm  

Read  a  copy  of  the  award-­‐winning  script,  enjoy  free  coffee  and  baked  goods  on  Madi’s  Porch  (one  of  the  locations  to  be  used  in  the  film)  just  two  blocks  off  of  S.  Congress.    

Buy  a  cool  art  poster  too  and  support  indie  filmmaking.  Coffee  sponsored  by  Austin  Roasting  Company  

 More  events  coming  soon…  

     

FAQ  with  the  writer/director,  Alison  Week    Q:  So,  hate  to  say  it  but  it  almost  comes  off  as  if  you  hate  your  mother  …      Oh  no…  In  fact,  it’s  quite  the  opposite!  We  have  an  incredibly  loving  and  supportive  relationship.  I  don’t  know  if  it  makes  her  nervous  that  I’m  making  a  film  that  seems  so  personal,  about  a  daughter  who  envisions  killing  her  mother...  So  far,  she’s  refused  to  read  the  script,  so  the  only  thing  she  really  knows  is  the  synopsis.  I’ve  told  her  not  to  be  worried  –  there’s  a  reason  the  film  is  labeled  “light-­‐hearted”.  I  just  think  relationships  like  this  that  are  so  personal  and  complicated  –  being  a  daughter  is  a  lifetime  of  challenges  and  changes  too!  This  story  has  more  depth  to  it  than  just  about  a  woman  who  wants  to  kill  her  aging/dying  mother.  And  sometimes  the  best  way  to  deal  with  difficult  issues  is  with  a  little  bit  of  dark  humor.    Q:  If  you  don’t  hate  your  mother,  then  what  inspired  the  story?    The  story  was  mostly  inspired  by  my  grandmother  and  what  she  went  through  and  how  she  changed  after  she  was  diagnosed  with  brain  and  liver  cancer.  She  was  this  feisty  woman,  who  did  what  she  pleased  and  just  lived  every  moment  of  her  life.  She  traveled,  she  was  the  captain  of  her  own  boat,  she  was  an  avid  reader  –  I  looked  up  to  her  in  so  many  ways.  But  this  person  that  I  remember  and  the  person  she  was  right  before  she  died  were  completely  different.  Her  quirky  sense  of  humor  was  still  there,  but  she  was  in  a  lot  of  pain.  And  her  struggle,  more  than  just  the  pain,  was  that  it  forced  her  to  slow  down.  She  couldn’t  do  the  things  she  loved  any  more  and  I  think  she  knew  that,  which  if  you  can  imagine  was  extremely  frustrating.      Writing  is  always  a  cathartic  experience  for  me,  and  since  I  wasn’t  with  her  in  her  final  years  (I  was  busy  traveling  –  something  she  would  have  much  preferred  I  did  than  be  with  her  at  her  worst),  so  I  kind  of  wrote  this  as  an  ode  to  her.      

Q:  You  seem  to  have  a  varied  background  in  advertising,  film  and  French.  Do  they  intersect  somehow?      Yes!  Sometimes  it  sounds  as  if  I’m  completely  schizophrenic  when  I  tell  people  everything  that  I  do  (filmmaker,  community  outreach  coordinator  and  French  teacher),  but  I’m  interested  in  a  lot  of  different  things  and  I  refuse  to  just  do  one.  True,  it  would  be  easier,  but  I  fully  believe  in  doing  the  things  that  you  love  (&  as  many  of  them  as  you  can!).  Carpe  Diem!    Also,  cross-­‐disciplinary  training  is  becoming  more  and  more  valued  in  today’s  world,  especially  in  the  art/design  world.  You  could  be  a  great  artist,  but  if  you  don’t  know  a  thing  or  two  about  marketing  or  advertising  good  luck!  For  independent  filmmakers  you  need  a  good  marketing  person  on  your  team  from  day  one  to  make  crowdfunding  happen,  to  create  an  audience  for  your  film,  etc.  Now,  justifying  the  French  is  a  little  more  difficult,  but  I  love  the  language  (and  the  food!).  Someday,  if  one  of  my  films  are  selected  for  the  Cannes  International  Film  Festival,  then  I  can  say  all  of  my  interests  definitely  intersect…  A  girl  can  dream!    Q:  Let’s  talk  a  little  about  your  fundraiser…  Why  do  you  need  to  go  to  Alaska?      Our  film  takes  us  to  Alaska  in  one  of  Anne’s  fantasy  sequences.  But  I  won’t  go  any  further.  It’s  really  the  moneymaker  shot  in  this  and  I  don’t  want  to  give  it  away.  I  will  say  this,  if  you  are  interested  in  knowing  why  Alaska  and  you  live  in  Austin,  TX  then  come  to  one  of  our  little  Treat  and  Greets  this  month  and  read  this  script  in  person.  I  would  be  more  than  happy  to  answer  any  questions.        Q:  Why  chose  SEED&SPARK  and  not  Kickstarter  or  Indiegogo?      I  crowdfunded  three  projects  last  year.  It  is  exhausting  work,  let  me  tell  you.  We  had  our  best  results  with  Kickstarter.  The  film  TEETH  that  I  worked  on  was  selected  as  IndieWire  Project  of  the  day,  and  then  beat  out  three  other  independent  films  (with  budgets  at  least  3x  ours!)  as  Project  of  the  Week.  We  were  selected  as  a  Kickstarter  Staff  Pick  on  their  homepage  and  on  the  Kickstarter-­‐Austin  page  as  well.  All  that  exposure  was  great  and  we  connected  with  so  many  amazing  people  along  the  way.    But  now  it’s  been  a  year.  The  market  is  saturated  with  projects  just  like  that  and  when  I  discovered  SEED&SPARK  I  was  impressed  with  how  directly  it  fit  the  market  for  independent  film.  You  can  create  this  wish  list  of  items  you  need  that  people  can  donate  or  loan  to  the  cause!  People  get  hit  up  by  so  many  projects  these  days  asking  for  money…  but  as  a  non-­‐monetary  donation,  you  can  get  what  you  need  without  paying  any  fees.  On  top  of  that,  I  love  the  transparency.  They  also  take  a  smaller  percentage  than  does  Kickstarter  (which  takes  a  whopping  10%  -­‐  more  than  you  initially  anticipate!)  and  when  the  project  is  finished  we  can  screen  it  on  their  website  too  –  so  it  will  have  a  guaranteed  distribution  platform  if  we  decide  to  go  that  route.  It  is  so  smart,  I’m  surprised  that  more  people  either  aren’t  talking  about  it  or  using  it.  But  I  have  a  feeling  it  won’t  take  long  for  more  people  to  catch  on...  

   

MEET  THE  CAST  

From  left  to  right:  Cara  Spralding,  Elizabeth  Lodge  and  Penny  Glawe    

 Elizabeth  Lodge  (Anne):  Elizabeth  Lodge  is  an  Austin-­‐based  actor  and  producer  who  aims  to  bring  important  content  to  audiences.  Trained  in  the  Meisner  technique,  Elizabeth  stars  in  the  narrative  short  T  IS  FOR  TRACKER  by  Raven  Parks  and  appears  in  INVADERS  by  John  Calhoun,  PARANORMAL  by  Dr.  Matt  Mitchell,  and  various  independent  film  productions.          As  well  as  acting,  Elizabeth  is  a  co-­‐producer  for  two  of  Dir.  Terrence  Malick's  upcoming  feature  films:  KNIGHT  OF  CUPS,  and  his  untitled  project  set  in  the  Austin  music  scene.  She  is  also  co-­‐producing  A.J.  Edwards'  directorial  debut  entitled  THE  BETTER  ANGELS,  starring  Diane  Kruger,  Jason  Clarke  and  Brit  Marling,  which  premiered  at  Sundance  Film  Festival  and  Berlin  Film  Festival.  Prior  to  joining  Terrence  Malick's  team,  Elizabeth  produced  SLACKER  2011,  a  remake  of  Richard  Linklater's  cult  classic  SLACKER,  developed  in  association  with  the  Austin  Film  Society.      Penny  Glawe  (Daisy):  Penny  H.  Glawe  was  born  and  spent  her  early  years  in  Germany  before  moving  to  the  U.S.  She  has  a  strong  appreciation  for  diversity,  history,  and  culture,  inspired  by  her  Greek  father  and  German  mother  and  her  many  adventures  around  the  globe.  She  continues  her  travels  throughout  Europe,  South  America,  and  Asia,  employed  by  a  major  

airline.  These  days,  you'll  find  her  either  flying  her  airplane,  riding  her  motorcycle,  or  working  on  her  newest  adventure  –  acting!    Cara  Spralding  (Young  Anne):  Cara  started  acting  at  the  age  of  10  when  she  was  cast  as  "Pearl  Prynne"  in  UT's  Mainstage  production  of  "THE  SCARLET  LETTER".    Cara  received  a  nomination  from  the  Austin  Critics  for  "Best  Actor  in  a  Supporting  Role"  (2013),  and  two  nominations  by  Broadway  World  Austin  for  "Best  Featured  Actress  in  a  Play"  (2013)  and  "Best  Actress  Under  18"(2013).  Cara  also  enjoys  ballet  and  jazz/tap  and  she  plays  the  piano  and  a  little  guitar.  She  is  the  lead  singer/songwriter  for  the  Austin  band  "Rocket  Frog"  and  is  currently  writing  the  music/soundtracks  for  two  short  films.        

MEET  THE  CREW    

 From  left  to  right:  (Top)  Carlos,  Alison  Week,  Elizabeth  Lodge,  Lee  Rothenflue;  (Bottom)  David  Y.  Conly,  Penny  Glawe,  Cara  Spralding,  Filipa  Rodrigues  and  Joanna  Cravo.          Producer/Assistant  Director  |  Filipa  Rodrigues:  www.filiparodriguesphotography.com    Portuguese  born  and  raised,  Filipa  Rodrigues  traded  in  her  “Olá!”  for  a  “Howdy  y’all!”  two  years  ago.  Most  recently,  she  was  the  AD/Post-­‐Production  Supervisor  for  Dir.  Pedro  Resende’s  award-­‐winning  music  video  FOREVER  and  as  AD  on  Spanish  filmmaker  Jennifer  Cox’s  short  film  TEETH.  In  addition  to  working  as  a  Producer  and  Assistant  

Director  on  local  independent  film  productions,  she  is  also  an  award-­‐winning  photojournalist/reporter  for  KUT,  Austin’s  NPR  member  station  and  State  Impact  Texas.  Filipa  is  a  passionate  storyteller  who  finds  opportunities  to  tell  these  important  stories  across  both  news  media  and  film  platforms.      Director  of  Photography  |  Jim  Flores:  www.jilmflores.com    Jim  Flores  is  a  cinematographer  who  believes  nothing  captures  emotion  like  the  moving  image  and  how  that  serves  its  ultimate  purpose  -­‐  storytelling.  He  brings  ten  years  of  creative  and  technical  expertise  to  every  project;  and  feeds  his  visual  storytelling  passion  through  commercials,  documentaries,  broadcast  television,  and  high-­‐end  corporate  content.  Recently,  a  music  video  he  was  Director  of  Photography  on,  won  a  Music  Video  of  the  Year  award  and  a  feature  documentary  he  shot  aired  on  PBS.  He  has  worked  for  major  brands  including  Verizon,  LG,  HP,  Dell,  Samsung,  Charles  Schwab  as  well  as  regional  brands  and  non-­‐profits.    Production  Designer  |  David  Yépez  Conley:    www.dyepez.co    David  Yépez  Conley  is  a  production  designer  based  in  Austin.    An  Air  Force  brat  born  in  Sacramento,  California,  he  has  lived  and  travelled  in  several  different  countries.    He  has  degrees  in  Architecture  and  Structural  Engineering  from  the  University  of  Texas  in  Austin.    He  is  also  a  musician,  dancer,  and  amateur  historian.    He  has  used  all  his  combined  experiences  to  benefit  his  production  design  work  in  film.    He  also  works  as  a  designer  in  the  fields  of  architecture  and  industrial  design,  and,  on  occasion,  as  a  script  doctor  and  editor.    Editor  |  Lee  Rothenflue:  www.cuttoblack.com    Lee  Rothenflue  is  an  Austin,  Texas-­‐based  Editor  with  over  13  years  of  experience  in  film  and  video  production.    He  has  thousands  of  hours  in  post-­‐production  ranging  in  scope  in  both  the  narrative  and  documentary  storytelling  formats.    Whether  it’s  feature  films,  documentaries,  corporate  promos  or  commercials,  Lee’s  project  emphasis  is  always  on  the  heart  of  the  story.    His  attention  to  the  specific  needs  of  each  project  and  ability  to  deliver  excellence  on  time  and  on  budget  have  made  me  a  go  to  guy  in  an  extremely  competitive  industry.    After  graduating  from  Texas  A&M  with  a  BBA  in  Marketing,  Lee  began  his  career  in  sales  which  brought  him  to  work  for  one  of  the  largest  corporate  film  and  video  companies  in  the  southwest,  AMS  Pictures.    During  this  time,  he  continued  to  hone  his  skills  in  post-­‐production  by  working  on  the  side  for  smaller  clients  and  volunteering  for  non-­‐profit  organizations.    In  2005,  he  left  AMS  to  begin  his  current  company  Cut  to  Black.        

Unit  Production  Manager  (Alaska)  |  Cail  Hubert:    Cail  Hubert  has  been  working  professionally  in  the  film  industry  for  almost  a  decade  on  everything  from  feature  films  to  webisodes  —  in  almost  every  role  there  is.  A  native  to  Alaska,  he  only  just  recently  returned  after  working  his  way  through  Oregon,  California  and  New  Zealand.  He  is  currently  a  photojournalist  for  KTUU,  an  NBC  affiliate  news  station  in  Anchorage,  Alaska.        Associate  Producer  |  Avalon  Gordon:    Avalon  Gordon  recently  wrapped  production  on  Estonian  director,  MadliLääne’s  (winner  of  the  jury´s  MAIN  PRIZE  at  Estdocs  film  festival)  newest  narrative  short  entitled  Marc  (May  2014).  Avalon  also  has  experience  producing  music  videos  such  as  'Stop  the  Pipeline'  for  singer  and  advocate  Dagny  Zenovia.      Marketing  |  Diogo  Neuparth:  Diogo  Neuparth  is  based  out  of  Porto,  Portugal  and  remotely  lends  his  marketing  expertise  to  Pushing  Out  Daisy  from  4.83  thousand  miles  away.  Neuparth  launched  Social  Footprint,  a  Public  Relations  Agency,  with  his  long  time  friend,  Gustavo  Costa  after  they  graduated  from  the  Universidade  do  Porto  not  long  ago.  Already,  they  have  a  large  number  of  clients  that  include  some  of  the  best  restaurants  in  the  city  and  two  of  the  most  important  Portuguese  sports  figures  in  Futsal  and  Handball.  This  will  be  their  first  adventure  into  the  film  industry.  Working  from  across  the  Atlantic  will  prove  to  be  a  challenge,  however  one  that  Neuparth  is  sure  it  won’t  be  a  problem.      

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