Our protagonist, Em (Kailena Mai) and our antagonist, Pete (Doug Mattingly), as they tangle themselves in a psychological battle during their blind date.

Logline: A mysterious woman and a violent Neo-Nazi leader meet for a blind date, but it may not be as blind as they thought.

Length: 17 mins

Director: Paul J. Meredith

Producer: Adam Finley, Roxanna Kaye

Writer: Paul J. Meredith

Paul J. Meredith is a writer/director and Southern California native. He works in Los Angeles as a freelance filmmaker and music composer, bringing a wide variety of stories and projects to life. Blind Hate will be followed by his upcoming films Death May Hide Me and AWOL. His work is available at www.PaulJMeredithFilms.com

Adam Finley and Roxanna Kaye are a producing team from Chicago and Ohio, respectively. Having experience acting, writing, and directing, they bring a wealth of knowledge to their producing. They discovered their love for filmmaking at a young age, and now reside in Los Angeles pursuing their passion.

Key cast: Kailena Mai, Doug Mattingly

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

For this film, we are essentially looking for an audience. Stories are meant to be heard. Film festival directors can help us find that audience, which is why we're so excited to be premiering at Dances With Films.

Funders: self-funded by the Los Angeles film collective Congress Films.

Production Company: the Los Angeles film collective Congress Films. Congress Films is a group of passionate filmmakers that came together a few years ago with a common goal--stop talking about making films and actually make some! We now have about 15 dedicated members, about 8 films under our belt, and we produce a new project consistently every few months. Our projects range widely from small character dramas to period thrillers. Producing films as a democracy, every story has to go through our creative ringer and win a vote in order for it to move forward with production. Blind Hate was our third project, voted for in July of 2014 and in production just a few months later. For more info and to check out our other work, go to www.CongressFilms.com

Release date: Tuesday, June 7th at the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles

Where can I watch it at the film festival or in the next month? Tuesday, June 7th at 5pm at the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles. Tickets available on Fandango!

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I'm not sure what else we would possibly do with our lives.

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

I believe that great films are great for many different reasons, but they often have one simple thing in common--they contain images you've never seen before. I tried to depict images and situations in this film that an audience hasn't seen before, so at the very least, it should be a novel experience (and hopefully a compelling story, as well.)

Actress Kailena Mai shaved her head for the role, showing some true dedication to the craft of filmmaking. This image represents the theme of being hidden, not really knowing who anyone truly is.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The main universal theme present in our film is the theme of power and fear, and how they work together. We wanted to ask the question, "how far would you go if someone took the one you love?"

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

The most significant way the project evolved was when we brought Doug and Kai together in rehearsals. They were able to truly find the voices of these characters and elevate the material to another level. They had great chemistry, the kind that every director prays for.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The best feedback we've received so far is regarding the bold performances, as well as the striking camera work of Christopher Herr and Connor Bodell. People have also been shocked by the ending, but I can't talk too much about that--you'll have to see the film!

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

It's definitely been an invaluable asset in recognizing our strengths and weaknesses. You can never get too much feedback as an artist of any kind, even if it sometimes feels like pulling teeth.

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

With all of the blood, sweat, and tears we put into this project, finding an audience means the world to us. That's what we most hope to achieve.

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

It would be great to get the support of film festivals. They're such an integral part of storytelling and matching audiences with stories they'll love. We can already see the impact a festival like Dances With Films can have in a community, it's a beautiful thing.

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

I'm not going to pretend this film is meant to change the hearts and minds of the world--It's a wild revenge story about power and fear. We hope people will be heartily entertained and glad they spent 17 mins watching it.

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

What would you do if someone took the one you love?

Neo-Nazi leader Pete (Doug Mattingly) tries to keep his followers in line as he tries to pray for a good woman before his blind date with Em (Kailena Mai).

Would you like to add anything else?

I'd like to thank Dances With Films and We Are Moving Stories for giving our film and many other independent films the chance they deserve.

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Paul J. Meredith is finishing up his next two films, the mysterious drama Death May Hide Me and the survival wartime thriller AWOL. Adam Finley and Roxanna Kaye recently finished their coming-of-age drama From Here and are just finishing up their family drama Outsider.
Go to www.CongressFilms.com/blindhate for more information about the film and our other projects.

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If you enjoyed reading about 'Blind Hate' please check out our platform: www.wearemovingstories.com We embrace new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you are a filmmaker - we'd love you to contribute. More info: Carmela (cbaranowska@protonmail.com)