FilmKitchen.com’s new feature film “Hard Luck” will make its world premiere Saturday June 16th at 7:45pm at the Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 in Pasadena as part of the Third Annual The Method Fest Independent Film Festival. Known for celebrating breakout acting performances, the festival appears posed for a breakout year itself with an exciting lineup of premieres. Festival Director Don Franken says “We are proud to be premiering such strong maverick films as Hard Luck and Larry Clark’s Bully this year. Hard Luck is a film that looks straight out of the seventies and serves as a loud notice that Kirk Harris is an actor to watch. Director Jack Rubio has done a remarkable job of bringing a timeless road movie to the screen on such a meager budget”.
“Hard Luck” was lensed on the coast of Southern Oregon with Rubio making his feature directorial debut. The film was written by and stars Harris (My Sweet Killer, Loser) as Trevor “Lucky” O’Donnell, a young man who escapes a state mental hospital 88 days before his scheduled release to return home to his best friend who is dying of cancer and his former (now married) girlfriend. The stellar indie cast includes Sundance Jury Acting Award Winner Renee Humphrey (Fun, Devil in a Blue Dress, Mall Rats), Spirit Award Nominee Matthew Faber (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Ride With The Devil), star of the new dogma 95 film Like a Rock Gareth Williams (Palookaville, Texas Rangers), Joanne Baron (Perfume, Brooklyn Babylon), Ron Gilbert (Usual Suspects, Landsky) and Academy Award Nominee Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville).
The partnership of FilmKitchen.com was formed in a Los Angeles area boxing gym. A former State Golden Gloves Winner, Harris met Rubio as they were both competing as amateur boxers and studying acting. Actor-filmmaker Harris was recently signed for representation by Herb Nanas and Scott Hart of Moress Nanas Hart Entertainment. Nanas has managed the careers of a select few including Albert Brooks, Sylvester Stallone and Roseanne. He has also produced several films including Defending Your Life and First Blood.
Harris and Rubio’s first film loser was recently re-released to home video under an exclusive deal with the Hollywood Video Chain. The picture which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival on its way to a fifty city theatrical release starred writer/director Harris and Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita). Critic Kevin Thomas of the LA Times wrote called the film “An impressive no budget Rebel Without A Cause for the 90’s”
Their second feature “My Sweet Killer” premiered theatrically in Los Angeles and was released to home video and dvd in August. Harris was awarded the Best Breakthrough Performance Award at the Method Fest Film Festival for his portrayal of a schizophrenic young man. Critic Kevin Thomas of the LA Times wrote “Kirk Harris is again impressive”. The cast was rounded out by Clifton Collins Jr. (Traffic, Tigerland) and Rubio.
Harris says “Jack and I are both very excited to be returning to Method Fest. Festival Director Don Franken and Festival Programmer Elaine Wood have worked tirelessly to bring the festival to prominence in a short amount of time”.
Get more info from the official Hard Luck web site.
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