A movie about how everything in the world is connected ... whether you know it or not.

Writer/Director Mikhail Tot

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Honestly, the reason I made this movie is because after I got out of college I needed to do something before I got a real "big boy" job. But after finishing the film and seeing people's responses I fell in love with film making. And now I do it for a living.

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

This movie is not like any other movie. It's an adventure about how your smallest decisions can lead to some pretty horrific stuff. And it's very humorous.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Every character I created was based on real people that I met in my life. Some characters were based on me. I took people's worst and best parts and gave them life. Pretty much I put my personal experiences into the film.

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

Oh man, I had over 30 rewrites. I was obsessed with this project. All I could think was "How can I improve this film?!" Many characters changed a lot after I met the actors that play them. I honestly think actors who played them did an amazing job.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

A lot of people loved it. I though it came out OKAY. But I guess people didn't expect much and they loved it hah.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Yeah it definitely surprised me. When we had the premiere we sold out the whole venue. We had a line of people out the door ... Which almost gave me a heart attack.

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

I'd like to make more connections. I want to meet people who would be interested in working with me on more projects.

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

Honestly anyone! I love taking to people with same passion as me. If they want to collaborate I am very interested.

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

I love seeing people cringe. I think it's the funniest reaction of them all ... and oh boy, this movie will make you cringe.

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

"Who is the main character in this film?" "What kind of drugs do they take?"

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I just finished a full feature film "In Production" it's a satire about how we made "Cleveland Allegories" ... It's circulating film festivals as we speak.

Interview: December 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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Cleveland Allegories

A movie about how everything in the world is connected ... whether you know it or not.

Length:
39 Minutes

Director:
Mikhail Tot

Producer:
John Spalding

Writer:
Mikhail Tot

About the writer, director and producer:
Well to make it easier the writer and director are the same people, Mikhail Tot.
He was born in Russia and he came to USA when he was 14 years old. He went to college at BGSU in Ohio. After graduating he moved to Cleveland to start working on films and video.

John Spalding is a Cleveland native. Mikhail and John met each other in college. They share their passion of film making and this is their first project they ever worked on together.

Key cast:
Brandon Bell, Ashely Smith, Danny Was, Zach Hillyard, John Spalding and Mikhail Tot

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Festival Directors, distributors, journalists and pretty much anyone who is interested.

Made in association with:

G1NBC

Release date:

July 20th, 2016