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The outstanding action adventure film “Contract Killers” produced by actor / producer G. Anthony Joseph, written, edited and directed by first time feature director Justin Rhodes, won the Best Feature Film Award at the Orlando Film Festival in Florida. This award is significant because “Contract Killers” was up against “The Great Buck Howard” starring Tom Hanks, John Malkovich and Colin Hanks. Producer G. Anthony Joseph observes: "It’s just fantastic to be in that kind of company!” Another producer on the show, Daniel E. Springen, who resides in Orlando, headed up the contingent representing the film at the Orlando festival.
“Contract Killers” was shot on location in Trinidad West Indies and Orlando, Florida. This award arrives on the heels of the film receiving the Best Picture Award in September at the Big Bang Film Festival in Philadelphia, four nominations in July at the Action on Film Festival in Los Angeles, and winning in two categories: "Best Action Sequence in a Feature Film" and "Best Break Out Female Star -- Frida Farrell -- In a Feature Film.” The Orlando Best Film Award, along with the Big Bang Best Picture Award, and two wins at the Action on Film Festival earlier this year, means that Contract Killers has now racked up four wins against six nominations.
“Contract Killers” is the high tension story of Jane Bradford (Frida Farrell) who is entangled in a sophisticated government conspiracy. Framed by the CIA as a murderer, hunted across oceans, her only hope is to uncover the secret she was unwittingly paid to erase.
Once an assassin, Jane is now a mark herself, stalked by the CIA's Special Activities Division aka US Government contract killers. But proving her innocence to contract killers isn't easy. The CIA's assassins don't ask questions. They don't even think. They just pull the trigger.
Starring “Under Siege” star Nick Mancuso and featuring powerful performances from an ensemble cast of international actors that include Frida Farrell (Sweden), Rhett Giles (Australia), Christian Willis (Australia), Wolf Muser (Germany), Steve Boergadine (USA), K. Lee Sherman (USA), G. Anthony Joseph (Trinidad) and Paul Cram (USA). Director of Photography Andre Lascaris hails from Greece and the music video for the movie Toro Toro is performed by Machel Montano (Trinidad) featuring Shaggy (Jamaica.)
Actor / Producer G. Anthony Joseph states "I never imagined that an action picture like ‘Contract Killers’ was a festival sort of film. It's growing success may be due to all the separate exotic spices I threw into the soup, and of course the strong vision of the smartest kid I discovered right out of AFI film school, writer / director Justin Rhodes. However, my hat goes off to co producer Steve Boergadine (who also does an amazing acting job in the film) for his encouragement in leading the way for the film to make the rounds of the festival circuit.”
Co-Producer Steve Boergadine states "After I saw the film I told G. Anthony he had a special feature on his hands and we should enter various film festivals. I basically told him if he had no time to do it I will and he had no time so I did it. I took the bull by the horns and executed the plan according to his guidelines, and look at where we are today"
Dave Cabral, President of the co production company Galt Alliance Films that handled the Trinidad leg of the shoot stated "Now that Trinidad has proven we can compete on the world stage with feature films due to G. Anthony's expertise, can we, in the Caribbean, finally get on now with the business of making movies like ‘Contract Killers’ one after the other, so we can really show the world that we are capable of producing films every several months instead of every several years?"
“Contract Kilers,” based on an original story by Ric Moxley, was produced by G. Anthony Joseph and his LA based company Tritan-Northstar Entertainment, co- produced by Dave Cabral and his Trinidad based production company Galt Alliance Films and Orlando based production company Dirty Martini Productions headed by producer Daniel E. Springen. Add-Venture Capital Fund a subsidiary of Clico Investment Bank, lent its support in the financing structure of the film.
Carla Foderingham and her staff at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Commission cleared the way with permits, locations etc. for G Anthony Joseph to shoot part of the film in Trinidad. The Film Commission also supported the film financially on its cinema release on the island, and recently awarded the production its cash back rebate, which was set up by the Trinidad and Tobago Film Commission and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Tritan-Northstar Entertainment, Galt Alliance Films and Dirty Martini Productions would like to extend a special thank you to all the press in Trinidad that supported the film with its great reviews and press releases. This lead to the film being one of the most successful box office pictures for a local producer on the island. Louanna Borde, President of Movie Towne, one of the most successful cinema chains in Trinidad & Tobago stated to G. Anthony on opening day of “Contract Killers” "Hi G. Congratulations! I just wanted to tell you that ‘Contract Killers’ was #1 on our box office for yesterday’s opening day. I think that’s fantastic!!" And on the closing of ‘Contract Killers’ Ms. Borde stated, "G. ‘Contract Killers’ broke our Movietowne record for a local film attracting the highest attendance and the highest box office as well".
One of the toughest critics in cinema today, B.C. Pires from the Trinidad Express, had this to say: " ‘Contract Killers’ may be the best surprise you’ll get at the cinema this year. Remarkably well-paced and just as solidly directed, packing in strong performances from everyone". Bobie-Lee Dixon of the Trinidad Guardian states: "The movie, produced by our very own Gerard Anthony Joseph, who also plays the role of a specialist contract killer in the film, is actually quite a piece of work. Expecting to see a low-budget film with poor editing, distasteful quality in production and perhaps even exaggerated acting here and there, those expectations were soon lost never to be found once the movie progressed".
"Who would have thought (with the limited budget I had to work with, a script written in about nine days, moving a cast and crew from LA to Orlando to the Caribbean for a twenty-four day shooting schedule covering over thirty-four separate locations -- picture cars that did not run and had to be pushed by other cars to look like they were moving fast for a high speed car chase scene, blinding pouring rain and being pulled over by the police service during a shoot out scene while at the same time making the actors spread eagle on the hot asphalt) that we were creating something so special. If you had told us at the time of filming we were making a film that would win a couple awards and receive glowing reviews, director Justin Rhodes and myself would surely have laughed" stated G. Anthony Joseph.
In closing, producers G. Anthony Joseph, Daniel E. Springen and Dave Cabral would like to give a special thank you to all our local sponsors including, Carib, Vigourade, Coca Cola, Dasani, Mangoes Restaurant, NP, Cascadia Hotel, Gayelle The Channel and KFC.
“Contract Killers” will be released across America in January 2009 through media powerhouse First Look Studios and is distributed worldwide by Birch Tree Entertainment.
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