Cinequest 2019 – Impossible Monsters
An ambitious professor becomes caught up in the murder of a participant in his sleep study, as the line between dreams and reality blurs.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Nathan Catucci
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I was always fascinated by dreams and nightmares, our perception of reality, and how they relate to specific moments in our lives. The moment we wake up, however brief, requires us to define what was real and what was a dream. Often these moments are merely disorienting, but sometimes, they’re terrifying.
In high school, there was a period of time where I suffered from sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis happens upon falling asleep and waking up while we are in REM sleep. Victims will sense a presence in the room, have trouble breathing, sometimes see and/or hear things. This can last moments or minutes, and when it’s over – there’s nothing there. What makes it terrifying, is because we are in REM sleep we’re conscious of what is happening, it’s as if the dream and nightmare worlds cross over into reality.
As a teenager, I had no idea what sleep paralysis was. It was terrifying and at the time, because I didn’t understand what was happening, I thought that there was something really wrong with me. It wasn’t until college that I discovered what sleep paralysis was, and began exploring the science of dreams through art, mainly Henry Fuseli’s painting “The Nightmare” and Francisco de Goya’s etching “The Sleep of Reason.”
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Everyone dreams, everyone has nightmares, and sleep affects everyone differently.
As with dreams and nightmares, the film in many ways poses more questions than answers. There are layers throughout this psychological thriller that are up to the audience to decide what is real and what is a dream. This is ultimately what makes it a fun, perplexing and sometimes intense experience for audience members.
From a craft perspective – the performances, cinematography, music, locations, production design, custom paintings (all of Otis’ oil on canvas paintings in the film are original and made for Impossible Monsters), costumes, sound – are all top notch. I feel incredibly fortunate to have such a talented cast and crew on my first feature.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We’re dealing with several themes in Impossible Monsters – fantasy, ambition, desires, control (or lack there of), to name a few. I think these can be the most personal thoughts and human motivations.
It’s not natural to share the most personal parts of ourselves, but those personal parts often manifest in our dreams (even if we don’t understand our dreams at the time). I think Impossible Monsters gives the audience the chance to explore these instincts through our characters’ dreams in a story with twist and turns.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
There’s the script I wrote, the project we shot, and the film that was edited.
With every project I do, I try not to think in absolutes. It’s a natural progression in filmmaking for the project to evolve. My script, research, storyboards, etc. are the foundation of the project, but because it’s such collaborative experience, cast and crew members are bringing new ideas and energy to the table – this where the details grow from the foundation. As a director, watching this come to life with everyone’s enthusiasm – that’s really exciting!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Since we finished the film, the feedback has been great. In some of my initial interviews, the conversation of Impossible Monsters takes off as viewers begin dissecting the layers of the film and discovering what it means to them. More than once, viewers told me they watched the film multiple times – that’s a huge compliment.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not necessarily surprised, but certainly challenged me to look at in a new light.
We had two test screenings towards the end of the edit. This was crucial. The challenge of Impossible Monsters was engaging the audience as we seamlessly went between dreams, nightmares and reality. The tests gave us the opportunity to present these worlds, read audience feedback, go back in the edit and present to a new audience. After the second test screening, we were able to really hone in on creating an experience that resonates with the audience.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We made a film for an audience and want as many people to see it as possible. With a little background about the project on wearemovingstories.com, I think readers will really enjoy their experience with Impossible Monsters!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
In building off my previous response, we’re looking for anyone who can help bring this to more audiences. We’d love to show the film at more festivals and ultimately distribute the film to as wide of an audience as possible.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
That audience members want to see the film a second time, discover more layers with each viewing, and in doing so – discover something about themselves.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Without giving away too much, the film questions dreams vs. reality and moral dilemmas throughout. Part of the fun with Impossible Monsters, is the conversation it sparks with audience members debating what is real, what is not and why.
Would you like to add anything else?
Readers can go to impossiblemonsters.com to learn more and watch the trailer. To see the film, go to our screening page and sign up for our email list. We will be updating followers as new screenings are announced. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook (see below).
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m in the middle of writing “The Bikeriders,” a western set in seventies, in the mid-west. It’s about an outlaw motorcycle gang who is hired by a corrupt land developer to run residents off of valuable property in their small town. After the gang accidentally kill a young woman, her estranged brother, his friend from the war and a broken down old biker set out to avenge her death. Now that I’m done with Impossible Monsters, I hope to have a draft of the “The Bikeriders” shortly.
Santino Fontana is starring in the highly anticipated Broadway production of “Tootise.” Previews begin at the end of March and we’re really looking forward to seeing that.
Producer Dorottya Mathe is currently producing the web-series “Should We Kid or Not?” and collaborating with “Nikolett Pankovits Sextet & The River Voices” premiering at Carnegie Hall of in May.
Producer Jonathan Burkhart is in post production on “Antarctica,” and casting for “Kent State” and “The Bullpen Gospels,” going into production this summer and fall.
Interview: March 2019
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Impossible Monsters
An ambitious professor becomes caught up in the murder of a participant in his sleep study, as the line between dreams and reality blurs.
Length: 1:23
Director: Nathan Catucci
Producer: Dorottya Mathe, Jonathan Burkhart, Nathan Catucci
Writer: Nathan Catucci
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer/Director/Producer NATHAN CATUCCI recently completed his debut feature film Impossible Monsters, a psychological thriller starring Tony Award nominee Santino Fontana (star of the highly anticipated Broadway production of Tootsie, Disney’s Frozen), Natalie Knepp, Devika Bhise, Donall O Healai, Geoffrey Owens (The Cosby Show), Dennis Boutsikaris (Better Call Saul), and Laila Robins (Homeland). Catucci was awarded the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant for the project. For previous work, he has premiered at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Cinematic Excellence from the Rochester International Film Festival, was selected for the New York State Emerging Filmmakers Series, and has served on a script-writing panel at the Rhode Island International Film Festival’s ScriptBiz. He’s currently in development on his next feature film The Bikeriders and holds a B.F.A. in film and TV from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated with honors.
DOROTTYA MATHE is a New York-based producer from Hungary. She produced Portraits in Dramatic Time, featuring Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, and Holly Hunter for the Lincoln Center Festival and Dries Von Noten Retrospective; Woman: The War Within, which premiered at the Baryshnikov Arts Center; and Sing for Hope: Pop-Up Pianos, about New York City‘s largest public art project. Her recent features include Flatbush Luck, a romantic comedy currently on the festival circuit; and The Independents, a musical with Richard Kind, George Wendt, James Naughton and Tony Award Winner Kelli O’Hara currently in postproduction.
JONATHAN BURKHART produced Higher Ground, directed by Vera Farmiga and starring Farmiga, John Hawkes, Josh Leonard and Norbert Leo Butz; Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding, directed by Bruce Beresford, and starring Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Elizabeth Olsen; The Last Keepers, directed by Maggie Greenwald, and starring Aiden Quinn, Virginia Madsen, and Olympia Dukakis. Television projects include Ivy Dreams, for AZN; Must Do Disney for Disney World Theme Parks; Away We Go by Jonathan Larson, and the Tomorrow is Tonight Show, starring Ben Stiller, for Comedy Central. Burkhart is the co-founder and president of the Nantucket Film Festival.
Key cast: Santino Fontana (Rich), Donall O Healai (Otis), Devika Bhise (Jo), Natalie Knepp (Leigh), Dennis Boutsikaris (Steven), Geoffrey Owens (Jacobs), Laila Robbins (Dean Gaslow)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, journalists, film festival directors, buyers
Facebook: Impossible Monsters
Twitter: @IMonstersMovie
Instagram: @impossiblemonstersmovie
Website: www.impossiblemonsters.com
Other: IMDB
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival / San Jose, California - Saturday, March 9, 2019