Cupidity at Filmfest Oldenburg
CUPIDITY was nominated
for the German Independence Award, and earned this accolade from the festival:
"John Gallagher is a well
known name among independent filmmakers. He is a director with a big heart,
a love for clever stories and affection for good character acting.
"His new movie CUPIDITY is a masterpiece of improvisation. Using
a simple video camera and working with 30 actors he has produced an impressive
piece of indie cinema."
"John Gallagher is a master of timing and subtle humour and he works
intensely with his actors. His love comedy carries the spirit of John
Cassavetes into the age of digital video."
"Director John Gallagher puts his cast in absurd
situations and really gets them going in funny and witty dialogues.“
Mox (weekly city magazine)
"This is a must-see for all Woody-Allen-fans,
as Gallagher improvises brilliantly on the everyday live of lovelorn Manhattan
thirtysomethings.”
Mox (weekly city magazine)
"The strongest pull of the festival is the independet
section. In 2004 it featured many premieres, among them John Gallagher’s
everyday live comedy Cupidity.”
Bremer Anzeiger (weekly newspaper, northern Germany)
"Apparently John Gallagher doesn’t miss
a single festival. How much he appreciates his fans in Oldenburg becomes
obvious when some of the dialogue in his improvised comedy Cupidity is
spoken in German.“
taz (daily newspaper, nationwide)
CUPIDITY played to great
success at the 11th annual Oldenburg Film Festival in Germany, which
ran from September 8 through September 12 in the quaint Lower Saxony town.
Welcomed by festival director Torsten Neuman, the movie had two showings,
preceded by John Gallagher's award-winning short film TIMELESS, at the
Kulturetage, the festival center. The Cannes Market News calls Filmfest
Oldenburg the "German Sundance," a gathering of international
independent filmmakers.
In an amazing show of support for their film, 14 members of the CUPIDITY
team were in attendance at the festival -- John Gallagher, James Gilmartin,
Michele Coniglio, Jared Miller, Natalie Howe, Shae Kennedy, Kevin Hersh,
Rita Rovazzi, Greg Segal, Jenah Pelley, Jullianna Segalla, Emily Turner,
Joanne Catanese and Adrienne Franciscus. Everyone had a blast, made great
contacts, and many even got cast in a new movie!
Dan Mirvish, co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival, was in Oldenburg
to screen his new musical OPEN HOUSE, and to film another feature musical
during the festival. James Gilmartin, Michele Coniglio, Jared Miller,
Natalie Howe, Kevin Hersh, Julianna Segalla and Emily Turner all filmed
segments in this BIG IN GERMANY in Oldenburg.
The CUPIDITY team hung out with an array of talented filmmakers throughout
the festival, including Cassavetes great Seymour Cassel (MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ),
retrospective honorees Tim Blake Nelson (director of "O" and
co-star of O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?) and legendary Polish director
Andrej Zulawski (POSSESSION).
There were independent filmmakers present from all over the world -- Matthew
Harrison, Christopher Coppola, Adele Yudo, Dan Mirvish, Robert Peters,
Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb, Kevin DiNovis and Stephen Israel from Los
Angeles, Raphael Nadjari from Paris, Dennis Iliades and his stars Katrina
Tsavalou and Danae Skiadi from Athens, R.P. Kahl, Andrea Struck, Peter
Lohmeyer, Mareike Fell and Bela B. from Deutschland, and Vladimir Vitkin
and Debbie Rochon from New York City. It was an eclectic and talented
lineup, presenting a great variety of quality work.