PHANTOM SWAY

    • American Ugly: A Dramatic Comedy of Dark Secrets

    A Comedy about Pedophiles

    American Ugly is a short dramatic comedy that depicts a heated argument between a couple in their Manhattan apartment about whether or not it is still okay to watch American Beauty after finding out about Kevin Spacey’s history of sexual assault.

    The Vision

    The #MeToo movement is reshaping the fabric of our society. It has already demonstrated enormous power and caused radical changes, but a groundswell like this without defined leaders or a clear forum for discourse leaves the burden of responsible guidance up to artists.

    As a survivor of sexual assault and a passionate movie lover, #MeToo has presented a tangle of difficult questions and conflicting emotions that have kept me up on several long nights.

    It is my intention to use these emotions and questions as the foundation for an entertaining drama that I hope will be at once cathartic for the audience and will serve as a provocation for discussion about ideas and feelings that had previously gone unspoken.

    Beyond my desire to make a good film, this project is intimately important to me as a means of trying to make sense of my feelings and to come to terms with my part of the blame in all of this. I feel as though film is the most appropriate medium to explore these ideas and find a way to honestly express something that, although highly controversial, is worth saying.

    What We Need & Why

    In my opinion, if a story is worth telling at a time when the world is already saturated with content, then the story is worth telling in the most polished way possible.

    I have worked on film sets both professional and amateur as well as volunteered as a screener for film festivals. In so doing, I have reviewed hundreds of independent and student film projects and reached the conclusion that simply getting a movie made is no longer special, nor ultimately worthwhile.

    Producing a great movie costs a lot of money, most of which I will pay out of pocket, however to supplement my resources I am seeking contributions to help defray the cost of making a movie worth watching.

    The funds will go to getting the equipment and trained professionals needed to create something special. It will go procuring sound recording equipment and professionals. A Director of Photography and a camera. Lenses. Lighting. Craft services. Production insurance. Art direction. Festival submissions. Marketing budgets. Production design. A post production studio and expert technicians to help with editing, color corrections, sound mixing, and Foley. I want to hire trained SAG actors, pay them union wages for their work, and be able to afford the rehearsal time needed to collaborate and produce the excellent performances of which they are capable.

    I don’t want to rush this off like an annoying homework assignment, I want to create an exemplary piece of art that is worthy of an audience’s attention.

    If you’d like support our film please visit our indiegogo campaign.

    Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy the movie.

    Stay Ugly.

    -John Gillen

    Writer/Director of American Ugly

    John Gillen
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