Dances With Films 2019 – Bonded
In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage Sam and Jess enlist the help of a stranger from Craigslist to play the victim in kidnapping role play.
Interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Kristina Denton
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I knew I wanted to create a project in one location with three actors. I had no idea what it would be about, but I was looking for something to make with no budget that focused on the characters.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
There are times we make films that really capture something precious about humanity or tell a real story that helps bring us together as a people. This is not one of those films. Haha. This is a film that was made for pure entertainment. To take people away from their inner chatter and just enjoy a bunch of people trying to figure out what the heck is happening, even if only for 11 mins.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
If I were to try to make sense of the film, I would say it's about listening or lack thereof. How, when fixated on a strong agenda, we can miss out on what is actually happening because we weren't paying attention. How, even with the purest of intentions, things can go completely wrong, but teach us something we needed to learn about ourselves.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote Bonded about five years ago. It sat on my computer while I made other projects, but I always thought about how it was one of my favorite scripts and I just didn't know how to make it happen. Finally, I showed it to Jay Blair, a dear friend of mine for years and someone I wholeheartedly trust with comedy. He wanted to take it to his writing partner, Tim Martin Gleason, who I originally wanted to play the husband character. Tim was looking for his first film to direct and asked me if he could direct Bonded. I said, "Yes, please!". The three of us worked through a few script revisions together so they could add their own take to the film. The script became so much better with their polish and we reduced the length of it from 20 mins to 10 mins.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Before we took it to festivals, we wanted to make sure we had something worthwhile. We sent it to a number of industry professionals, writers, directors, producers. Each time, we received the same feedback "This is hilarious! Oh my god! This should be in festivals!" We were thrilled. We've been invited into five festivals so far. The premiere was so much fun. Hearing an entire theater laugh out loud at something you created is a dream come true for me.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We've definitely been surprised by how many people like it. When you make a film with no money, one location, very few setups and three actors, you're taking a huge risk. Audiences are so sophisticated these days and their expectations are hard to meet. I think what we've learned, more than anything, is that it always comes back to the script. If you have a solid script, you're likely going to make a good film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
More visibility for our work. Certainly, I'd like to showcase my work as an actor, but more importantly as a female who can write comedy that most people don't think would come from me. Crass, provocative comedy usually comes from male writers. I'd like to change that. Of course, this is Tim's first film, so I would love to have him get exposure as a director.
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 be in more festivals and, eventually, get this film online. So, festival directors first and then buyers.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As I said, it's a dream of mine to provide a mental and emotional escape for people who see my work. Even if only for 10 mins, they can forget their to-do list and just laugh.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What length are you willing to go to keep your love life/marriage alive?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for this! Very honored to be included!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I just finished writing a short form, digital, interactive series called Bride-to-Maybe about a bride getting cold feet moments before she walks down the aisle. The audience must help the maid-of-honor navigate this dilemma by making choices for her at the end of each episode. I'm currently looking for funding.
Interview: June 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Bonded
In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, Sam and Jess, enlist the help of a stranger from Craigslist to play the victim in kidnapping role play.
Length: 11:24
Director: Tim Martin Gleason
Producer: Kristina Denton
Writer: Kristina Denton - original screenplay
About the writer, director and producer:
Bonded marks TIM MARTIN's directorial debut. Tim has spent the last 20 years as a professional actor both in LA and in New York. Some of his credits include starring as “The Phantom” in the National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, which played the Pantages in October of 2010. He also starred in Phantom on Broadway and originated the role of “Raoul” for the Las Vegas Production. Here in LA, Tim was last seen in Paramount’s Bumblebee movie, the latest Transformers reboot. He can also be seen as the series regular “Tom Burke” on the comedy The Kicks, airing on Amazon Prime.
KRISTINA DENTON has written, produced and/or starred in more than 50 indie projects. Her notable acting credits include Fox's Rake with Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine), a Comedy Central pilot with Sam Levine (Freaks and Geeks) and Sony Pictures' The Unknown where she played the wife of Tony Goldwyn (ABC's Scandal). Her first feature as producer, A Big Love Story, screened at 15 festivals nationwide, won seven top awards, and was distributed through Amazon in 2013. Kristina recently collaborated with Canada’s top indie filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth to produce the first ever LIVE Periscope movie, Fifteen, a co-production with Blumhouse. She is fresh off the TV series, Seven Days, China's most popular series with more than 100 million views nightly. She also stars in the feature Heavenly Deposit in theaters, DVD, and digital platforms available June 2019.
Key cast: Jay Blair (The Guy), Matt Corboy (Sam), Kristina Denton (Jess)
Looking for: distributors, journalists, producers, buyers
Facebook: Kristina Denton
Instagram: @kristina7denton
Hashtags used: #comedy #darkcomedy #shortfilm #womeninfilm #womeninmedia #marriageishard #tildeathdouspart #anniversarygift #craigslist
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Dances With Films/TCL Chinese Theaters Hollywood, CA Wed June 19th 5pm