Corey is extremely good at Dungeon Force, but not so good with reality. And his mom has some serious reality in store for him.

Interview with Director Michael Lukk Litwak

Watch Napoleon In Exile here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I saw Daniel's short play at 59E59 and was already friends with Will Dagger and thought it would be a really great short film. I loved that it had moments of humor in it but wasn't afraid to engage with dark subject matter.

I wanted to make the film as almost an exercise in working with actors and blocking and thought the script would lend itself to a really interesting film interpretation. I also loved that the story dealt with an "issue" but approached it from a very human angle and didn't exploit the characters or the disability in a cheap way.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You will laugh, you will cry, you will be forever changed.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I don't have any direct relation to anyone that is developmentally disabled but I think that the story deals with a very relatable relationship between a mother and son, the push and pull of wanting to protect your kids but also needing them to be able to take care of themselves.

Corey's Mom Evelyn interrupts Corey's fantasy.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The original play took place all in a living room and did not have any fantasy elements. We decided to bring the game to life in order to make the piece more visual and changed a lot of the staging in order to really get a sense of the space in the house.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

It's been really great to hear from people that come from families that have a disabled member that the film has really spoken to them and it's been amazing to see it on a big screen at the festivals it's played at and see the differences of when/how people laugh as opposed to when they saw it as a play.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Exposure!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We'd love to play at as many festivals as possible and get this movie seen by as many people as possible.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

l would love for the film to be embraced by the Autistic community and the families that are a part of it in addition to being seen by people outside of that community and hopefully raise some awareness of the difficulties (and joys) of knowing someone on the spectrum.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

What is it like to live with someone who is on the spectrum?

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

l'm currently trying to get my feature THE INVASION OF GARY made sometime within the next year, Daniel is writing a feature as well and Andrew is working on several different exciting projects as a producer! You can see the rest of my work on my website: www.michaellitwak.com

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Napoleon In Exile

Length: 16 mins

Director: Michael Lukk Litwak

Producer: Andrew Kortschak

Writer: Daniel Reitz

MICHAEL LUKK LITWAK is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who was born and raised in Los Angeles. He likes to tell character-driven stories that embrace the absurd, often through a lens of classic genre-filmmaking

DANIEL REITZ is a playwright and screenwriter living in New York City, and has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2005.

ANDREW KORTSCHAK is a film producer and principal of End Cue, an independent production company located in Culver City, California.

In an attempt to get Corey to understand the severity of his situation, Evelyn has Corey pretend to call his father.

Key cast:

Will Dagger - Corey

Caroline Lagerfelt - Evelyn

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):

Film festival Directors, sales agentt, buyers, distributors.

Made in association with: SENIOR POST

Release date: TBD

Where can I watch it? https://www.psfilmfest.org/2016-shortfest/short-films/napoleon-in-exile