Friday, October 3

Press Release: Our Friend Jon (Documentary)

Press Release by Maria Olsen and William Mortensen Vaughan


The week before Halloween will see the commencement of principal photography on Edward Payson’s next project, Our Friend John – The Documentary, which will chronicle the making of a very special short horror film, Rose Thorn.

Our Friend Jon will be An AntiHero Production, in collaboration with Maria Olsen’s MOnsterworks66, will document the story of how three of Jon's friends will produce, cast, shoot, and screen the short horror film, Rose Thorn, written by Jonathan Hernandez.  What makes this story special is that Jon passed away from complications due to Sickle Cell Anemia while writing the script, and what makes it particularly poignant is that Jon’s three friends, Nick Saporito, Brandon Joyal, and Garrett Payson, all lead extremely challenging lives...

What will make this film appeal to horror fans worldwide is that Rose Thorn is a horror film; it was Jon’s wish to become a horror filmmaker, and, by shooting his film and documenting the process, his family and friends will both celebrate his life, and make his last wish come true.

In Edward’s own words:

“This is a project that really means a lot to [me and] my family...  In August of 2013, our friend, Jonathan Hernandez passed away to complications from Sickle Cell Anemia.  Before he passed away, he was writing a script for a short film titled Rose Thorn. Upon his passing, his friends (all with disabilities of their own) decided to make his film, and keep his memory alive forever.  This is a documentary about three young men keeping their friend's dream alive.

We will be following Garrett Payson, Nick Saporito, and Brandon Joyal over the course of one summer, as they conceptualize and complete their fallen friend’s movie.  The film will be an underdog story about these three boys making their friend's film, and, in the process, [raising] awareness [of] Sickle Cell Anemia.”

Neither Payson nor Olsen are strangers to the horror genre, and, so far, their companies’ joint productions have included Edward Payson’s Sunday Night Slaughters, an anthology horror feature. Shooting recently wrapped on S.N.S.' Episode 3, "Fatally Yours," and they are presently in pre-production for Episode 4, "Cream Filling."  Payson also produced, wrote, and directed the notorious Cohasset Snuff Film, as well as the chilling Morbid: A Love Story. MO66’s horror co-productions have included Brandon Scullion’s Live-In Fear, which premiered at the Los Angeles United Film Festival earlier this month, Christopher Dye’s Something Sinister, presently in post-production, and Shawn Chou’s Reunion, which should premiere later this year.

Olsen has also been pinned to appear in Rose Thorn as Rose, a vicious serial killer who chooses to share the gory details of her kills with a most unexpected audience...  Olsen is well known in indie horror circles, and is currently appearing in film festival favorites Starry Eyes, Another and African Gothic.  She has also been cast in Thomas Della Bella’s The Remains alongside "True Blood"’s Todd Lowe, and Joston Theney’s Axeman at Cutter’s Creek follow-up, Axeman 2: Overkill.  She has recently wrapped Hansel v Gretel, Lou Simon’s Agoraphobia (starring Cassandra Scerbo and Tony Todd), Jim TownsState of Desolation, Frolic PicturesClub Lingerie and Gore Orphanage, helmed by Emily Lapisardi and Cody Knotts of Breeding Farm fame.

More information about Our Friend Jon – The Documentary can be found here:

Trailer:

youtu.be/csUTzjU8DR8

Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/ourfriendjondocumentary

IMDB page:

www.imdb.com/title/tt4023464


No comments:

Post a Comment