Press Kit

SYNOPSIS
Deaf and mute since having his hearing knocked out at the
age of 12, Asher has been training for almost two decades to
avenge himself on Ivan, the man that killed his older brother
21 years ago.
And now that his nemesis is out of prison, he gets his chance.
But Asher’s target also happens to be his father.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Let me start by saying how blessed I was to have worked with such a fantastic cast and crew. I was blessed and grateful to have my wife and producing
partner Sanja Banic (who was five months pregnant with our daughter during production) with me the whole time. Sanja is a brave woman, not only for
tackling such an endeavor as MY FATHER DIE but for also putting up with my insanity. My restless nights and constant philosophical rants.
Now, what I set out to make was an art house experimental philosophical piece of fictional cinema… However, if I were to say that to an investor the door
would probably be shut before I was even half way through my sentence… So yes, it does have those elements, but essentially one could call it a revenge
film. But to me at least, it is much more. My inspirations for creating such a hyperbolic piece of unrelenting moving pictures were pulled from very old
and nefarious sources indeed.
The spine of MFD is that of Irish playwright John Millington Synge’s late 18th century play titled “Playboy Of The Western World.” I was sixteen when I
first read the play which was given to me by my English teacher Mr. Coleman. It was later in life that I thought about adapting the play into a screenplay.
Although, this has been done quite a few times already. Instead I used it more as an inspirational tool to draw from.
As I delved deeper into the play and its themes and undercurrents, it dawned on me how one could argue that the father killing the son and the son killing the father (none of which are new literary ideas) parallel Freud’s three phases of personality - Id, ego and super-ego (or society’s correction of the Id)
and the relationship of the primitive family. Freud held that it is only when a band of brothers come together as one do they realize they are stronger than
the father. Now of course this could also be a metaphor for religion, politics and socio-economic power struggles within America. After all, according to
Freud: killing your father is the ultimate rebuke of god.
My question is: who and what is your God? Government? Money? Fame? Power? Or perhaps just your father or your mother. But just remember though,
by killing your god, whoever or whatever that might be, you might just be killing yourself.
VISUAL STYLE
We shot on the Ari Alexa with old Russian anamorphic Lomo lenses: 35, 50, 75, 100 and 28mm. We also used rear anamorphic zooms. 40-120 and 50-500.
The 28mm we used sparsely and only when motivated.
I wanted to showcase the surrounding of the Louisiana bayou. Highlighting the solitude in which Asher and the other characters live. In order to do so I decided to shoot in a 2:66:1 aspect ratio to help give it that vastness, that solitude and despair. Also it gives it that slight western feel and allowed me to really
have some fun with some extreme long shots.
The world in which they live is a character within itself and as the protagonist’s story unfolds, I wanted the colour palette to shift from neutral earthy tones
into more solid primary colours.
Asher being reintroduced to Nana was one of the prime motivations for this, I always wanted to turn the screenplay into a graphic novel and I am in the process of doing so. So my cinematographer and I collaborated and found ways in which we could showcase the actors and the world in a surrealistic light.
Hyperbolic yet grounded.
I chose to keep the flashbacks in a contrasted black and white because that’s how children see the world. They see the world as it is and without judgment
or prejudice. It is only when the thoughts and ideas of others are inflicted upon an adolescent mind that their original views and perspectives become distorted.
The light in which one inhabits the world should be in declivity, but only in the most poetical way possible. For to shine is to die. I wouldn’t have been able
to capture my ideas without my amazing cinematographer Marc Shap.
I wanted the film to be dirty yet beautiful. Dark yet poetic. It’s a hard line to walk but I think we accomplished it and I am very proud.
THE
CAST
JOE ANDERSON
(Asher Rawlings) had a stellar start to his career by starring in a series of critically acclaimed independent films. His breakthrough
came with starring in Agnieszka Holland’s Beethoven biopic, “Copying Beethoven” (2006), opposite Diane Kruger and Ed Harris
as Beethoven’s nephew. He continued the trend with the Ian Curtis biopic, “Contro”, directed by Anton Corbijn, as the bassist,
Hooky, in Joy Division, which premiered at Cannes in 2008 and later became a festival darling. Later that year, “Across the Universe” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, continued his involvement in musical films. Directed by Julie
Taymor, Anderson portrays Max, a rebellious but privileged student at Princeton University who befriends Judge, played by Jim
Sturgess, and, on screen, is the brother of Evan Rachel Wood’s character, Lucy. The film landed on multiple “Best Of” lists at the
end of the year. Even after this level of success, Anderson continued on, putting himself in more challenging roles. In the span of
three years, he finished two horror films, “The Ruins” and, and “The Crazies,” while finally ending on “The Gray”. Liam Neeson’s
action thriller set in Alaska. Directed by Joe Carnahan, Anderson plays Flannery, one of the men alongside Neeson, as they are
stranded in cold weather, being hunted by a pack of wolves. The film was both a critical and financial success, opening No. 1 at
the box office.
GARY STRETCH
(Ivan Rawlings), during the early nineties, was the glamor-boy of British boxing. His good looks coupled with KO power in his fists
ensured he was big box-office. Despite winning the British light-middleweight championship his big moment undoubtedly came
in 1991 when he challenged Chris Eubank for the WBO world middleweight championship of London. Ultimately, the lure of Tinsel
town proved too much and he is currently dividing his time between LA and the UK. In 2004, his hard work finally paid off when
he was cast as psychotic gangster “Sonny” in Shane Meadow’s gritty cult thriller “Dead Man’s Shoes” (2004). For this role Gary
Stretch received a “British Independant Film Award” and earned him the recognition he deserved. He went on to co-star opposite
Colin Farrel, Angelina Jolie and Sir Anthony Hopkins in the Oliver Stone blockbuster Alexander (2004). Stretch also starred in the
UK film “Freebird” in 2008, directed by Jon Ivay. Appearing alongside Phil Daniels and Geoff Bell, the film followed three bikers
across a drug-fueled ride in the Welsh countryside.
CANDACE SMITH
((Nana) recently starred as Marie Abeanne, a social worker of African descent, in the 2013 independent film “Gimme Shelter”.
The film was directed by Ron Krauss and featured at the Heartland Film Festival. In this film Candace appearing alongside
Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens. She was also cast in David Ayer’s “End of Watch”, which debuting No. 1 on opening weekend, alongside co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. While currently featured in dramatic roles, her love for
comedy led her to appear in several Broken Lizard films, including her first film “Beerfest” as Naomi, and continued on with
“The Slammin Salmon” and “The Babymakers”.
In addition to film, Candace has a strong career in television, appearing on BRAVO’s “The Millionaire Matchmaker”, TBS’s
“Conan”, NBC’s “Heroes” & “Joey”, HBO’s “Entourage” and Fox’s “Method and Red”. She has also appeared in numerous national print and television campaigns. Currently, starring opposite Joe Anderson in the feature film “My Father, Die” directed
by Sean Brosnan, Candace makes her debut in a leading role. The film, produced by Sanja Banic, Orian Williams and Pierce
Brosnan, shows Candace playing Nana, the heroine of this gritty action thriller set in the South.
KEVIN GAGE
(Tank) Kevin Gage’s credits include playing opposite Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen in “G.I Jane”, Nicolas Cage in “Con Air”,
Johnny Depp in “Blow” and Tom Hanks in “The Burbs”. On Television Gage has been on a long list of series and specials, including “Sons of Anarchy”, “Banshee”, “The Nine”, “CSI: Miami”, ““Nash Bridges”, “Smallville”, “Firefly”, “L.A LAW”, “Highway to
Heaven”, “High Mountain Rangers”, and HBO’s “Billy Crystal Special”. Kevin has more than 40 feature film titles under his acting
career in addition to numerous Television shows.
ROSS BRITZ
(Lawny), known for: American Bully, Aftermath, American Horror Story, and several SyFy movies. Ross Britz grew up
treading the boards as a young stage actor living in New Orleans Louisiana. Ross has performed in over 50 full-length
staged plays/musicals in 35 of the 50 states from Los Angeles to New York, and in several countries. His 1st leading
role in a film came in 2009 with the award winning festival feature “American Bully”. He landed his 2nd leading role in
another indie-thriller-drama “Aftermath” (2011). Ross also pumped up his leading-man status by nabbing leading roles
in SyFy Original Movies: “Mask Maker” (2011), “Snakehead Swamp” (2014), “Zombie Shark” (2015), and most recently
“Ozark Shark” (2016). Ross can also be seen acting alongside Scott Bakula in “NCIS: New Orleans”, and Jessica Lang in
“American Horror Story”, as well as a few other features including God’s Not Dead, and the upcoming suspense-thriller
“My Father, Die” (2016). Ross received the 2014 Best Actor Award at the University Of New Orleans’s Film Festival. Ross
was also nominated for a Big Easy Theatre award for Best Actor in 2014.
THOMAS FRANCIS MURPHY
(Preacher Michael) most recently appeared in the 2015 film “Focus”, as a hustler. He also had a recurring appearance in the
WGN supernatural original series, “Salem”, as Reverend Lewis, the father of Mercy Lewis and the sole priest of the town of Salem. Prior to that, Murphy had an appearance on the HBO hit “True Detective”, playing opposite Woody Harrelson as his fatherinlaw, Jake Herbert. Murphy had a menacing appearance in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” as Patroller, a man who
catches Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character trying to escape. The film was a critical success, winning several awards, including the
Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress in 2014.
GABE WHITE
Gabe grew up in Houston, Texas, the middle of 5 children. Growing up in Texas, Gabe enjoyed many sports including golf, tennis,
basketball, and swimming competitively. He is an accomplished pianist and when he turned 9, he began taking classes at HITS
Theatre and enjoyed developing his skills in musical theatre. A few of the roles in which he was cast included Rooster in Annie,
Oz in Wizard of Oz, Trevor Graydon in Annie, Danny Zucko in Grease, and Prince Eric in Little Mermaid. He discovered his real
love for theatre and acting and attended the Alley Conservatory in Houston at the age of eleven.
It is at the Alley Conservatory that he wrote and performed his own monologue, in the production “Ghosts.” He has gone on
to play Teen Ebenezer and Peter Cratchit at the Alley Theatre in Houston for the last 3 years in “A Christmas Carol.” His film
credits include My Father Die, role of younger Asher, written and directed by Sean Brosnan, The Elving Project, written by Sally
Meyer and directed by Michael Buster, Framed: The Adventures of Zion Man, written and directed by Brenda Lee Lau, role of
Bruno, The Surface, role of younger Peter, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Parody, role of Bailey, Dust Theory, role of older
Milo, Snakebite, role of Tyler, Bastards, student and Doublecrossed, role of Caleb. He is also developing a passion for screenplay writing and hopes to one day write a screenplay.
THE FILMMAKERS
WRITER/DIRECTOR SEAN BROSNAN
Sean Brosnan is an actor, artist, poet and filmmaker.
Sean received his BA degree with Honors from The Central School of Speech and Drama in London England at the age of 21. Sean
studied Poetry underneath Rick Bursky at UCLA and has been deeply immersed in the arts since the death of his mother (Cassandra
Brosnan) at the tender age of eight. After drama school Sean landed the role of Romeo, with the British Shakespeare Company’s
production of Romeo and Juliet. It toured Europe for six months and Sean found himself garnering the attention of Hollywood casting
directors.
Soon after, Sean was cast as Cpl. Daniel Redman in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries “Generation Kill”, which was nominated
for eleven Emmys and won three. Sean then went off to star in a number of films: “My Horizon”, starring Nick Nolte, “Don Peyote”
with Anne Hathaway “What dreams will Travel” with Val Kilmer and “UFO” with Jean Claude Van damn. Having grown up in Hollywood
visiting and working on movie sets, Sean has maintained critical alliances in the industry and decided to set up a production company
with his wife (writer and producer) Sanja Banic.
Knightmarcher was established in 2012 when Sean made his writing and directorial debut with the featurette, “The Kid”, which had
its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in London. “The Kid” went on to win Festival Darling at the Louisville International
Festival of Film, won the Director Breakthrough Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival and best Original
Screenplay at the Malibu film festival. Sean’s insatiable appetite for filmmaking and his celerity for putting films together allowed him
to write and direct “63 Lbs”, starring Michael Madsen, “The Face of C” which deals with the ideas and taboos of death, and produced
alongside his wife and business partner Sanja Banic eight short films within a three year period. All of which were accepted and
awarded in prestigious film festivals from Cannes to Rotterdam.
Sean’s Feature film debut MY FATHER DIE, which Sean wrote, directed and produced, will be premiering at SXSW in 2016. Simultaneously, he will be announcing his comic book series “We were all Gods,” of which Sean is the writer and creator. Sean and Sanja, the
founders of KnightMarcher are set to start pre-production on their next film titled ABASHED AND AMUSED later this spring, which is
written by Sanja Banic and is based on true events.
When Sean is not on set he is either writing, painting or reading. Most recently he is spending as much time with his beautiful baby
daughter (Marley Cassandra Brosnan) as humanly possible.
MARC SHAP CINEMATOGRAPHER
Marc attended film school at Brooks Institute of Photography. At Brooks he had the unique experience of
being trained on film, while also becoming an early adopter of HD and Digital formats. Completing his cinematography studies in 2004 Marc would go on and improve his skills and technique working on a variety of
major productions.
Marc is well known for his thoughtful, composed, and innovative approach to cinematography. His versatile style, technical understanding, and passion for storytelling all contribute to his success. Having shot an
ever growing collection of music videos, commercials, shorts, and features he is undoubtedly emerging as a
leader in his generation of cinematographers.
His feature work has gained festival recognition and he has had the opportunity to shoot commercially for
top brands like H&M, UnderArmor, Universal, and Target. These experiences, among many others, have all
contributed to Marc’s wealth of knowledge and ability to master his craft.
Marc continues to work with the top names and is committed to moving forward in an ever changing industry.
He lives by the beach in Ventura California with his wife, 2 year old son and his 2 dogs; Wesley
THE PRODUCERS
SANJA BANIC PRODUCER
Writer and Producer, Sanja Banic originally studied through NYC’s Pace University Lubin School of Business. It was while studying at
Pace that she received a last minute audition, that landed her a role in the “Fantastic Four,” her first acting role. She graduated from Pace,
took her knowledge of business with her, and began to produce and write her own work.
She went on to co-produce and star in the award-winning dramatic short film, “Savanna,” with her playing the title role. Written by her as
well, the controversial project sparked interest with Coatwolf Productions, and together with the film, they premiered at the 2010 Beverly
Hills Film Festival and later, won the “Excellence in Film,” award at the Accolade Film Competition.
After producing multiple shorts, she decided to create her own production company with her husband, Sean Brosnan. In 2012, they cofounded Knightmarcher, which went on to produce Sean Brosnan’s featurette, “The Kid.”
She is currently touring the international festival circuit on her debut feature film, “My Father, Die,” which she produced under the Knightmarcher banner which her husband also wrote and directed.
Sanja’s feature debut in writing, “Abashed & Amused,” will start production in Summer 2016. Based on true events that tackle two different points of view, it continues the Knightmarcher trend of producing films that push the norm of typical Hollywood filmmaking.
Sanja is an active member of Women in film, and is very passionate about tackling social and global issues. Her main goals in writing and
producing: to educate, entertain, and inspire. All the films she has taken under her wing have that stamp.
ORIAN WILLIAMS PRODUCER
Born is Jackson, Mississippi, raised in Houston Texas from age of 3, Orian graduated from Baylor University and
came to fame as an award-winning film producer whose credits include, the Academy Award nominated film, “Shadow of the Vampire”, also produced by Nicolas Cage. Orian then set his sites on producing the BAFTA and CANNES
winning critically acclaimed film,”Control”, directed by Anton Corbijn detailing the life and times of JOY DIVISION
front man, Ian Curtis.
Along the way producing and releasing the comedy “Tennis Anyone..?”, with his friend Donal Logue and the documentary” One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur”. Orian then decided the documentary on Kerouac’s BIG
SUR should be made into a narrative feature film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. Currently
he is producing “Mystery White Boy” a biography of Jeff Buckley’s rise and fall during his New York and Memphis
years. Also in development is “Wonderland Avenue”, based on a book by Danny Superman and Producing with
David Fincher, Fawn Hall and to be directed by Fred Durst. Also “Kit” is slated for Fall 2016 shoot in London and is
based on the crazy story of Kit Lambert, famed manager of the band The Who, to be directed by Cary Elwes, the
film’s composer will be Pete Townsend, and currently shooting “Steven” directed by Mark Gill which deals with the
early young life of Steven Patrick Morrissey, before The Smiths formed...also Amongst his many accolades, the versatile producer was chosen by Variety Magazine as one of 2007’s Top Ten Producers.
Prior to his film career, he was a commercial producer and also dabbled in journalism, public relations, acting, and
the music business. He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
PIERCE BROSNAN PRODUCER
Pierce Brosnan is a legendary Irish-American actor, film producer, artist, philanthropist and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee known for his
rich and extensive career in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes as a producer. Brosnan, is currently filming “The Foreigner” (working title),
a Martin Campbell film co-starring Jackie Chan. Brosnan also starred in the upcoming thriller “I.T.”, due for release this year. This fall, Brosnan is
set to star in “Across the River and into the Trees “based on Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel. In 2015, Brosnan co-starred in the thriller “No Escape” alongside Owen Wilson and Lake Bell; “Survivor” with Milla Jovovich and Dylan McDermott for director James McTeigue; and “Some Kind of
Beautiful” with Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba and Malcolm McDowell (which Brosnan also produced). Brosnan produced and starred in the espionage
thriller “The November Man”, development has begun on the second installment.
Brosnan’s film credits includes “A Long Way Down”, “Love Punch”, “I Don’t Know How She Does It” (2011), “Salvation Boulevard” (2011), “Percy
Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (2010) based upon the best-selling novel by Richard Riordan, “The Ghost Writer” (2010), “Remember Me” (2010), “The Greatest “(2010), the worldwide blockbuster film adaptation of the Broadway hit “Mamma Mia!” (2008), “Seraphim Falls”
(2007, “The Matador” (2005) for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, John
LeCarre’s “The Tailor of Panama” (2001); Sir Richard Attenborough’s “Grey Owl” (1999), “Dante’s Peak” (1997); “Mars Attacks” (1996); “The Mirror
Has Two Faces” (1996) alongside Barbra Streisand; “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993) with Robin Williams, “The Lawnmower Man” (1992) and Mr. Johnson
(1990). In the 1990s, Brosnan reinvigorated the popularity of the Bond franchise in box-office blockbusters including Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow
Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). Brosnan’s first three Bond films earned over a billion dollars at the
international box-office and Die Another Day alone garnered nearly half-billion dollars worldwide.
In addition to his work in front of the camera, Brosnan has long had a passion for the art of filmmaking. The Thomas Crown Affair, was a critical and
box-office success and one of the best-loved romantic thrillers in years. In 2003, Brosnan was awarded an Order of the British Empire bestowed
by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Brosnan was born in County Meath, Ireland and moved to London at age 11. At 20, he enrolled in The Oval House and continued his studies at The
Drama Center in London. Brosnan relocated to Los Angeles in 1982 and immediately landed the role of private investigator Remington Steele on
the popular NBC television series of the same name.
A KnightMarcher Film
MY FATHER DIE
FOR PRESS & PUBLICITY CONTACT
Alma Bogdan Turner
Email: [email protected]
UberPRomo
Tel: (323)839.7339
Written & Directed by SEAN BROSNAN
Starring
Joe Anderson, Gary Stretch, Candace Smith,
& introducing Gabe White
RUNNING TIME: 94 MIN
FORMAT : 2:66:1
DOLBY - 5.1
FOR ENQUIRIES CONTACT
Sanja Banic
[email protected]
Knightmarcher
Tel: (917)750-1712
10440 Hebron Lane
Los Angeles, CA 90077
Tel: (917)750-1712
[email protected]
www.knightmarcher.com