This is our press release for that win...FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 19, 2009 – Portland, OR
“Not Dead Yet” beats out stiff competition to win a Best Feature prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival The Oregon-made film to next screen at the Baltimore Women’s Film Festival as its opening night selection “Not Dead Yet” – starring Susan Hess Logeais, Betty Moyer and Sherilyn Lawson, costarring Hollywood veterans David Ogden Stiers and Seymour Cassel, and directed by Sam Hull – has been awarded 1st prize for Best Feature by the Rhode Island International Film Festival in a tie with “Fifty Dead Men Walking,” a $14 million drama starring Ben Kingsley.
Calling “Not Dead Yet” “a sweet and sensitive movie, the very definition of a chick for women of a certain age,” Providence Journal-Bulletin film critic Michael Janusonis notes that the acting is “first rate.” RIIFF Executive director/CEO George T. Marshall describes it as “one of the most original and emotionally heartfelt films to be released this year. It’s strong storyline and exceptional ensemble cast, make for a poignant and wholly original experience. It’s about time that there was a film that deals with real people facing real life challenging concerns that are not ignored but addressed in such a positive and engaging way. This is a gem of a film that definitely will find an appreciative audience hungry for its message.”
Going against the advice of seasoned professionals, producer/writer Logeais chose to write a story about mature women— a market often ignored by the film industry, and use visionary talent who were willing to take risks. “I wanted a fresh perspective, something that women could connect to,” says Logeais. To that end she hired classically-trained stage director Sam Hull, who helmed an outstanding production team including producer Roland Sarrazen, cinematographer Brian Liepe, former Hollywood television writer Jackie Blain as associate producer; classically-trained multi-instrumentalist Gary Damron in charge of music and sound design, and Seattle-based vocal stylist Johanna Kunin. The film also features a strong supporting cast that includes Jill Andre, Patricia Ferguson, Alexander Blaise, Allen Nause, and Ryan Findley.
The Oregon-made film beat out such formidable competition as “La Masseria Dellee Allodole” from director Paolo Taviani, a critically acclaimed director and recipient of over 30 major awards, including the Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and Golden Palm. Among the other films in competition were a past Best Feature winner at the Los Angeles Film Festival, a Grand Prize winner at WorldFest Houston, and a contender at the 2009 Sundance Festival.
“Not Dead Yet” is a dramatic comedy about three midlife women who join forces to revive their acting careers, only to find themselves on a quest for something far more important. Frustrated by the lack of roles for womenover 40, they decide to create their own film, starring themselves. As the project spins out of control, the result of unwittingly hiring a kinky director, so do their lives. The film brings a dramatic new perspective to a range of women’s issues rarely embraced by American cinema.“Each character represents an aspect of what we face as women today,” says Logeais, 51, who spent a couple of years developing the story, which incorporates insights from her two co-stars, as well as others. “They say: ‘Write about what you know. Well, this is what we know. It’s what we’re going through right now, and what we felt was relevant.”
Indeed, “Not Dead Yet” was inspired by the real life frustrations of trying to make a comeback by the three Portlandactresses. Having starred in network television movies and mini-series, former international cover girl and San Francisco Ballet dancer Logeais left the entertainment industry in 1990 to marry and raise a family. When she tried to return in her late forties, she soon realized that like her character in the movie, she would have to create opportunities for herself if she wanted to work again. New to Portland, Logeais joined forces with Moyers and Lawson, both classically trained actresses whose choice to live in Portland and raise their families had limited their career opportunities. For all three, making “Not Dead Yet” was both a cathartic experience and a back-to-the-present awakening. “When we first began meeting, we asked ourselves, ‘What should this movie be about?’ And it was Betty who said, ‘I think it should allow us to do everything we’ve always wanted to do, but never got to.’ So I wrote it from that perspective – giving ourselves a second chance!” Logeais says with a triumphant grin.
For more information about the film, visit
www.NotDeadYetTheFilm.com.
* * * A downloadable media kit is available at:
http://www.notdeadyetthefilm.com/press.htmlHi-res images and film clips can be downloaded at:
http://www.notdeadyetthefilm.com/press_files/
