Brief Synopsis of ‘Valley of the Sun’

Andy Taggert, played by Johnny Whitworth, set out for Hollywood to pursue acting, but years later finds himself as Vick Velour and working in adult films (as a porn star). Disillusioned and trapped, Andy walks off the set and lands himself in a mental hospital. His estranged parents pick him up and take him to their Arizona retirement community where Andy’s troubles seemingly all but disappear until his past unexpectedly comes back to haunt him.

Is it a rom-com or a dramedy?

If I was forced to choose between those two categories, I’d say it was more of a dramedy. At the core of the story is a troubled father / son relationship. But there is also a lot of comedy inherent in the fish-out-of-water situation that Andy Taggert finds himself in. The great thing about the film is that it will appeal to audiences that are interested in either drama or comedy.

How did this story come about and do you think the story is still relevant today?

One of the writers, Jon Langston, grew up in Sun City, Arizona, and he was inspired to make that the setting for the film. It’s such a quirky, colourful setting, filled with old people driving around in golf carts and cactus plants in front of every house. The main character, Andy Taggert, was first conceived as a retrenched dot-com guy who has to go back home to live with his parents. When Langston saw some VH1 special about pornstars one night, he decided to make the main character a pornstar, which made the original premise even funnier. That’s how Valley of the Sun was born. Stokes, the director, took the script and worked on it for a few more years after that. Stokes is really good with quirkiness, so he took up the quirk a notch.

The story is about non-conformity, which is always going to be a relevant theme. Every society needs its non-conformists. Equally, every society needs rules and values to live by. The film explores in a lighthearted way what happens when those two worlds collide. There’s a lot of social commentary on religion and the pernicious effects of judgment. I think people are at their worst when they judge or are being judged. I think everyone’s going to be able to identify with something in the film.

In your opinion, is this film considered an independent film?

You couldn’t get a more independent film. We had a great cast and crew, and everyone understood this to be a work of passion. Our financing was raised outside of the studio system. We also used some of the cash that we had accumulated through our commercial work. Even though we’ve got someone like cinematographer Jeffrey Kimball, who has worked on movies like Top Gun, True Romance and Mission Impossible 2, this is the smallest film he’s worked on for 30 years. The entire budget of our film was less than what they spend in one day on some of the studio movies he’s worked on.

There are many producers in the film, what are the different roles being played by the producers including yourself for Valley of The Sun?

This is probably the hardest question for me to answer. The roles change depending on what stage the film is in.

I helped to catalyse the film. I encouraged Stokes to do Valley of the Sun, at a time when he was weighing different projects. I loved the premise, and I knew that he would create something quirky from it. I helped with financing and script development. I was more of a ‘creative’ producer, keeping the focus on the story as much as possible.

Stokes was like Superman, doing everything that could humanly be done on a film. He wore both the producer and director hats, and that’s a challenging thing to do, as anyone who works in film would know. At some point, though, once production started, he just focused on telling the story, and left the producing to the rest of us.

Chris Hall and Aaron Tudisco did much of the heavy-lifting. Chris Hall had previously handled paperwork on Matrix Reloaded, and he’s worked as a production manager on countless shows, so we really counted on him to hire the crew, manage the budget, and make sure all our t’s were crossed and i’s dotted. Aaron Tudisco used to work in development with Jodie Foster’s Egg Pictures, and then at Industrial Light and Magic. He lives in LA and was our main point of contact with agents, sales reps, and distributors. From early on, he helped position the film within the industry.

The main lead Johnny Whitworth is also the main antagonist in the latest Marvel comic Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. How is it like working with Johnny and other actors in Valley of The Sun?

Johnny was a difficult actor to work with, but he was perfect for the role. What made him difficult was how long it took him to get into his scenes. He’s a method actor, and he needed to talk through everything quite a bit. This ate up a lot of our time, which is critical for an independent film. Every hour we go overtime is an hour we can’t afford. So that was frustrating. To Stokes’ credit, however, he focused on Johnny’s strengths as an actor. He’s a good actor, which is why he’s gotten roles in movies like Ghost Rider and Limitless.

The older actors were all a joy to work with. You would think that veterans like Garrett Morris (Saturday Night Live) or Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove) would feel entitled, but they were genuine pros. They were humble, and loved their craft. They just showed up for work and did their thing. We couldn’t afford big luxury honeywagons for them to rest in, so often they would just sit in a tiny air-conditioned cubicle the size of a toilet, hiding from the Arizona heat. The stories they told were amazing. Peter Jason (Deadwood) has worked with Orson Welles. He had vivid stories about working on his films. Pasha Lychnikoff (Deadwood, Star Trek) was a student at the Moscow Academy of Dramatic Arts. He spent the first year working on entrances and exits. No speaking parts. And the training shows. He can convey something with just a look. I learned something from just about every actor who worked on the film.

Valley of The Sun was selected as an official selection in Newport Beach Film Festival in 2011. It sounds like a great platform for independent and studio films. Any words of encouragement for our fellow film students or filmmakers here who wish to be a producer?

The only real question you have to ask yourself is, “What story do I want to tell?” Then tell it to the best of your ability. Don’t just make something that’s good enough for Singapore. Compete on a world stage. But keep in mind that there are different ways of telling a story. Maybe you can’t get the money to make a film. Well, graphic novels are a lot cheaper, and they are a powerful medium in their own right. Be flexible.

But, above all, be honest. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with others. The best producers have a sense of ethics. They have a sense of the bigger picture.

What is the next upcoming project for you that we can look forward to?

I’ve got several things going on. I’m writing a sci-fi graphic novel called Gush. I’m hoping to make that into a film one day. I’m also working on a script based on Gerrie Lim’s book, Invisible Trade, about high-end social escorts in Singapore. I’m also producing a film with my friend Pran Jintanapornphan. It’s a true story about a Thai kickboxer who lived around the 2^nd World War. It will be directed by Wisit Sasanatieng, of Citizen Dog fame. I’m also considering doing another documentary about Burning Man. I did one 10 years ago, and I think it’s time to revisit this event, which continues to grow in popularity and socio-cultural influence.

Last words for our audience here in Singapore who are watching Valley of the Sun for the first time?

I’m grateful to Sinema for the opportunity to screen this film. There aren’t enough opportunities for indie films in Singapore.
If you like our film, tell everyone to go watch it. Support independent filmmaking!

The show will be hosted by prolific film producer Ashok Amritraj, and will shine a spotlight
on a number of United Nations global initiatives. Hyde Park-Image Nation will present the
series in collaboration with the United Nations and Variety.

The series will follow the producer’s search for four teams of filmmakers each with a
member from India, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), and Singapore. Each week,
Amritraj will present the filmmaking teams with various production tasks that they must
accomplish to finish their final documentaries. The topics and tone of the films will reflect
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established at the United Nations and will
include storylines that highlight issues that are central to the Every Woman, Every Child
effort.

The winning team’s documentary will be screened at the United Nations, and they will
receive a special recognition from Variety during the 2013 Festival de Cannes.

“Bringing together aspiring filmmakers from three different regions to create a unified
production epitomizes the ideal of the United Nations. Image Nation is honored to partner
with the U.N., Variety and Ashok in creating such a groundbreaking international project,”
said Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of Image Nation. “We look forward to the exciting work that these teams of documentarians will produce.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the United Nations to harness the power of
entertainment and shine a spotlight on some of the world’s most critical issues,” said
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications
and Public Information. “We hope this show will encourage many more people across the
region to think about these global challenges and to become part of the solution.”
—

Hyde Park-Image Nation is financing the project. In 2009, Amritraj’s Hyde Park
Entertainment and Image Nation, the Abu Dhabi production company, partnered on a $250
million financing deal to develop, produce and distribute feature films. They extended their
partnership to create a strategic alliance with Singapore’s Media Development Authority
(MDA). Under this deal, Hyde Park – Image Nation Singapore was launched in 2010 to fund
multiple films worth an estimated production value of $75 million.
—

If you are documentary filmmaker and is keen to participate, please email to the following contact with your profile:

hp.in.singaporeoffice[at]gmail.com

—

Produced by  Aaron Ng and JD Chua of Ground Glass Images, with support from Sindie, ‘Missing Sinema Old School’ is a short clip that looks into the history of Sinema Old School- the pioneer team comprising of only just five members, the fun times and the trials faced in the last 5 wonderful years.

Chua speaks to Nicholas Chee, Founder and Managing Director of Sinema Old School, and discovers more about their journey beyond the illustrious red sofas of the 136-seater theatre, and the infamous never-ending flight of stairs leading up to Old School that anybody who has ever (successfully) climbed will never forget.

“The spirit and charm in Old School cannot be reproduced”, says Chee. Anyone who has ever been to Old School cannot agree further.

Memories Are Abundant
Fellow tenants at Old School are warm and friendly, popping by Sinema to grab a coffee at times or to just say ‘Hi’. Occasional sightings of wedding photo shoots taking place. The friendly security guard waving hello every morning. Echoes of the live band cooing away at Timbre in the evening. The stray cats that call Old School home. Sightings of hot models (cough) going to Milk Photographie for castings. And not forgetting the occasional breath-taking sunset that somehow brings out the haunting nostalgia of the site.

Chua, who has been to Sinema Old School on numerous occasions, recalls his very first memory. “There has always been very interesting workshops for filmmakers by filmmakers. My very first experience was so long ago, I can’t quite remember what I was there for. However, like most of everyone else, the most unforgettable memory is the encounter with the stairs. I dubbed it ‘The Exorcist Stairs’, because it is so high that if you fall, you’ll probably kill the demon inside you too.”

‘Like A Kampong Spirit’
With fond memories that accumulated each time at Sinema Old School, such as an image of Chee running around getting things done despite limping around on clutches (that for some reason Chua can recall so vividly), the screening of White Days in which his close friends were involved in, and fellow patrons climbing up the dreadful stairs while encouraging each other with each step which he compares to, ‘like a kampong spirit’, Chua eventually grew attached to the place and felt that it would be a waste to not document a short video.

“I’m one of the people who love Sinema. When it was announced that it was going soon, I hear people saying that this (making of a short clip) should be done but none could commit due to their busy work schedules. So, my colleague, Aaron, and I, thought to ourselves, why not let’s do it? And so we did.”

This Is Not A Permanent Good Bye
While notable memories of the former location resonates, it is not the last of Sinema Old School. In a collaboration with Golden Village, Singapore’s leading cinema exhibitor, fans of indie films can now catch an array of feature films and shorts on every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at GV Grand (Great World City), starting this September 2012.

Check out Golden Village’s website (www.gv.com.sg) for more details.

Sinema Old School’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sinemaoldschool
Sinema TV: http://www.youtube.com/sinematvsg

ST Life! article on Sinema and Golden Village partnership!

We were at a loss whether to cease screenings altogether because we definitely cannot afford commercial rental rates.
GV approached us earlier this year and they were concerned about our future screenings.
So they’ve proposed a partnership and for us to be housed at GV Grand at Great World City.

We are grateful to GV for taking us in and that will ensure that we can continue on our alternative programme with an even stronger focus on exciting SG and Asian independent as well as Social films at GV Grand starting September 2012!

Together with Mr Popcorn, we hope to bring the unique stories closer to you and thank you all for the love and support since 2006.

Sinema would like to thank Old School’s management for their belief and support to make Sinema Old School a reality.
We are very sad to leave Old School but we can promise you that the shows will go on!

Elson Soh will be stopping by Sinema for Hachiko as part of Sinema’s last round of screenings!

THURSDAY (31 MAY 2012)

3pm: Snow Prince

6.30pm: The Ghosts Must be Crazy

8.45pm: Where Got Ghost

FRIDAY (1 JUNE 2012)

3pm: IP Man 2

6.30pm: Hachiko (with guest appearance by Elson Soh)

8.45pm: Aftershock

SATURDAY (2 JUNE 2012)

3pm: Peter Cottontail

6.30pm: Beast Stalker

8.45pm: Money No Enough 2

Get your tickets off deal.com here OR purchase straight at the door. Come leave your mark in our history by watching a movie on our red chairs before we move out!

Deal.com.sg and Sinema have organised a final week of movies at Sinema Old School.

As many of you know, Sinema will be moving out of our current premises next month. So take this opportunity to sit on our comfy red leather seats one last time!

We are showing popular local/Asian and movies for kids next week! Click the link below to check out shows + their relevant timings! It’s only $5 per person for a movie, a drink and tons of goodies!

http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/Movie-Ticket-to-Film-Festival-Mon-Thur-Fri-n-Sat-Various-Movies-to-Choose-From