Showboy, a notable entry in the advertainment arena, has gained theatrical distribution via Regent. Sponsorship support from select Las Vegas hotels and casinos proved instrumental in the making of the feature film, which was produced by Squeak Pictures, now in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Showboy was co-directed by Christian Taylor and Lindy Heymann, who both also star in the film. Squeak’s Pam Tarr served as executive producer and Jason Buchtel was the producer. Taylor, Heymann and Buchtel wrote the film, which is set in Las Vegas. Showboy tells the self-discovery story of a fired screenwriter (played by Taylor) who unexpectedly finds himself consumed by the aspiration to become a male dancer. This leads him on a path through strip-mall dance schools, across casino floors and onto the elaborate stages of Vegas’ top shows. The movie is marked by a mischievous tongue-in-cheek bent.
Talent from different filmmaking disciplines teamed on Showboy. Heymann, for example, is well known as a music video helmer. Postproduction services were done at The Mill, London, a visual effects/post house that built its reputation in commercials. (The Mill has since added a New York facility.) And from the feature sector, editor Kant Pan, an Oscar nominee for The Crying Game, cut Showboy.
SHOOT first reported on Showboy a couple of years ago, shortly after its initial exposure at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Tarr views the film as a template for advertainment, whereby advertisers have a direct investment or provide access to their assets and resources in return for meaningful exposure via imbedded branding (SHOOT, 7/19/02, p. 1).
The film is currently in the midst of limited runs in several markets, including New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Dallas. At press time, the Los Angeles engagement was about to get underway with an April 22 debut/ after-party event.
While turnout during this limited run is key in determining whether Regent will go wider in its distribution of the film, there’s another reason for participating in the April 22 kickoff event. Proceeds are going to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization created to promote tolerance for gay and questioning teenagers, and to aid in suicide prevention among that group.
Fittingly, The Trevor Project itself grew out of a film: Trevor, an 18-minute comedy/drama about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends and peers because of his sexuality, makes an unsuccessful attempt to take his life. Trevor went on to win the 1994 Academy Award for best live-action short film.
Trevor producer Randy Stone, producer/director Peggy Rajski and writer James Lecesne first established The Trevor Helpline to coincide with the airing of Trevor on HBO in ’98. Thanks to startup funds provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation, the Trevor Helpline (866-4U-TREVOR) became the first national 24-hour toll-free suicide prevention hotline aimed at youths who are gay or questioning their sexuality. Calls are handled by highly trained counselors and are free and confidential. Funding is still needed to maintain the hotline on a permanent basis.
The hotline is a cornerstone of The Trevor Project, as is an educational package—with teaching guides and support materials—that promotes tolerance and that has been disseminated to hundreds of schools, colleges, community groups and professional organizations throughout the country.
For more info on The Trevor Project, log on to www. thetrevorproject.org. Tickets to the April 22 screening and party for Showboy are $25 apiece or two for $40. To purchase tickets, call (310) 271-8845.
Showboy then begins its Los Angeles run on April 23 at The Regent Showcase Theater on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. A trailer for the film is available for viewing on www.showboymovie. com.
