Cannes Short Film Corner 2016 - Towed
Liza’s life is in a downward spiral. A recent break-up leaves her temporarily stuck and living out of her car - with no money, no gas, and seemingly no way forward. Parked in a tow zone and stalked by a persistent tow truck driver, a cat-and-mouse game ensues until finally Liza has no choice but to leave her car to seek food, water and facilities. Upon her return she receives an unlikely surprise.
Interview with Writer/Producer Tonya Agurto
Why did you make your film?
After spending over 10 years working as an exec on the commercial side of the entertainment business, I felt it was time that I started developing my own creative voice. So, I rechanneled my hard-won management skills and leaped into the producing trenches. I launched Cool Red Star Films in 2015 and got to work on conceptualizing Towed, the company’s first production, along with my husband, co-writer and director, Grant Janes.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Most audience members quickly identify with the journey of our main character. Liza is forced to live out of her car for just 24 hours. But the catch is that she’s parked illegally, and is soon harassed by a persistent tow truck driver who’s determined to haul that car away! It was Liza’s own behavior which squarely led her into this predicament -- but she’s having a hard time recognizing this. So, she ends up STUCK, like so many of us often do.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
At the beginning of the film Liza is convinced that if only “someone” would just do her a favor -- all would be fine. It takes a total stranger to help her realize that she needs to offer herself that favor by taking responsibility for her actions. Often it’s the insight of a stranger that can allow us to discover something deeply personal within ourselves.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Yes, in the early stages of development Liza was a guy! But in a short film you don’t have the luxury of devoting a lot of time on character development -- and having a female lead allowed us to provoke more “immediate” empathy for her situation.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I was really surprised by the amount of people, both men and women, who said that they’ve actually been in Liza’s situation, meaning they literally had to live out of their cars for a period of time. Audiences also really tapped into the chemistry between Liza and Darryl, the tow truck driver – they want to learn and are asking about the sequel!
Plus, we’re getting a very strong response to the soundtrack. People from around the world have reached out to us encouraging us to release the single, “Hex”, on iTunes. The trouble is that we didn’t finish a full song! We wrote just enough for the montage sequence. We’re planning to go back into the studio to record the rest of the song some time in 2017.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes, my point of view is evolving every day! When you write/produce your first film you have no historical knowledge to draw from. You just have to do your absolute best and hope to achieve what you’ve set out to achieve. Every bit of feedback I’ve received on Towed has helped inform how I am approaching Glass, my next short film - which is a highly-nuanced genre project in the vein of Roman Polanksi’s “apartment series.”
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on /react-text www.wearemovingstories.com
I want to broaden my network of fellow filmmakers, and also make new contacts who may be interested in collaborating on future projects.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message? I’m happy to say we’ve secured distribution for Towed through MagnetFilm. So my efforts are now focused on assembling the cast and crew for my next short film, Glass, which will go into production in November 2016 – and also securing financing for Cool Red Star’s first feature film project, Companion.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
In the industry, I hope Towed showcases the creative and technical chops of Cool Red Star Films. To the public, I hope Towed inspires people to empower themselves to come up with their own answers instead of waiting for solutions to come from the outside.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How many of our struggles in life are of our own doing, and how much power do we have to move beyond them?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Cool Red Star currently has two projects in pre-production -- Glass, a 14-minute psychological horror short which goes into production in November 2016 and Companion, a full-length supernatural horror for which we will be soliciting financing in Spring 2017.
Interview: October 2016
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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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Towed
Liza’s life is in a downward spiral. A recent break-up leaves her temporarily stuck and living out of her car - with no money, no gas, and seemingly no way forward. Parked in a tow zone and stalked by a persistent tow truck driver, a cat-and-mouse game ensues until finally Liza has no choice but to leave her car to seek food, water and facilities. Upon her return she receives an unlikely surprise.
Length: 14 minutes
Director: Grant Janes
Producer: Tonya Agurto
Writer: Tonya Agurto and Grant Janes
About the writer, director and producer:
Tonya Agurto - After 10+ years as a senior licensing and commercialization executive at a leading entertainment company, Tonya Agurto, a Brooklyn-native, set out to channel her hard-won skills into the creative side of the business by leaping into the producing trenches. She launched Cool Red Star Films and got to work on conceptualizing the company’s first production, Towed, along with her husband, co-writer and director, Grant Janes. With Cool Red Star Films she hopes to artfully balance creative authenticity with commercial viability, and thus create a home where powerful storytellers from diverse perspectives can see their unique visions brought to life.
Grant Janes - As a commercial director, graphic artist and animator, Seattle-native Grant Janes has helmed numerous campaigns for agencies such as Ogilvy, JWT and McCann - and for brands including Adobe, IBM, Kodak and Hewlett Packard, among many others. A talented screenwriter as well, Grant has had various scripts in contention in Hollywood. With his inaugural narrative project, “Towed,” Grant has merged his love for storytelling with his distinct visual perspective to bring audiences a film he hopes will resonate on a variety of levels.
Key cast:
Celesta DeAstis (Liza) is honored to be part of Towed. A driven, energetic, and experienced young actress of Italian descent, Celesta’s resume boasts several commercials and documentaries for HBO, Nintendo, UE Boom, and Gazelle – among others. Her first movie, “Banana Leaves,” made its debut at the Pan African Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2009 – and went on to play in movie theaters throughout Africa. Celesta’s TV credits include Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” and “A.N.T. Farm,” and ABC Family’s “Melissa and Joey,” among others. Celesta has also done several modeling and print jobs including an appearance in the Sprite Christmas 2009 campaign. In addition to Towed, Celesta is also the lead in the newest Asylum production movie, “Hacked,” premiering later this year. Celesta has trained with some of the industry’s best, including The Second City in Chicago and L.A. acting coach, John D’Aquino.
Bobby Moreno (Darryl) hails from Austin, TX and Elmont, NY. He received his BFA in Acting from Texas State University, and has lived in New York City ever since. His film/tv credits include “How He Fell In Love,” “Kings,” “Law & Order,” “One Life To Live,” “The Good Wife,” and “Private Romeo.” Notable stage credits include “Year of the Rooster” (Drama Desk Nomination – Best Featured Actor – Ensemble Studio Theatre), “Hand to God” (EST), “Grand Concourse” (Playwrights Horizons), “Luther” (Clubbed Thumb), “Invasion!” (The Play Company), and “Al’s Business Cards” (At Play).Bobby is a lifetime member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre, a Freestyle Mondays Battle Champion and a member of the Indie Theatre Hall of Fame. Currently, he is the emcee for the hip-hop group BiFocal Triclops, and plays rhythm guitar in The US Open. His next appearance on stage will be at NYTW in the new musical “Lazarus,” by David Bowie and Enda Walsh.
Looking for: sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists, crew for upcoming projects
Release date: March 2016
Where can I watch it in the next month? Lone Star Film Festival in Forth Worth, Texas.
More info: