Helmer is co-creator of “Teachers” web series
Following the recent announcement that its original web series “Teachers” was ordered to pilot by TV Land, commercial production company Cap Gun Collective has signed the series’ co-creator and director Matt Miller for U.S. representation.
Miller developed the “Teachers” web series alongside the sketch group The Katydids and produced it through Cap Gun TV, Cap Gun’s hybrid production studio that develops, produces, and markets original content for multiple platforms. The series includes dozens of webisodes edited by Tim Warnamen of The Whitehouse, and was first distributed through The Onion’s digital platform. Along with being one of Chicago’s most accomplished young theatre directors, Miller spent five years as a casting director for Paskal Rudnicke Casting.
“I first met Matt Miller when I was a terrible actor auditioning for commercials and he was running casting sessions,” recalled Cap Gun exec producer Matt Abramson. “We stayed in touch over the years, and when he approached us for ‘Teachers,’ we instantly knew it was a great fit. Very early into production, we realized that he is an extremely talented film director, and as shown in those episodes, he really knows how to get the best from everyone.
For the past 15 years Miller has directed for theatres large and small throughout Chicagoland. His critically acclaimed 2013 production of “The Seafarer” for Seanachai Theatre received four stars from the Chicago Tribune and two extensions; other notable credits include work with Steppenwolf, Mary Arrchie, Lifeline Theatre and Profiles Theatre. Miller is currently an adjunct professor at DePaul University’s Theatre School and a member of the faculty at both the Second City Training Center and The Acting Studio Chicago. Miller is also a proud 15-year company member of Barrel of Monkeys, a group that provides creative writing workshops for Chicago Public Elementary Schools that lack arts funding.
“Matt Abramson and I had a great time collaborating on ‘Teachers,’ and I also know Cap Gun co-founder and director Alex Fendrich pretty well from the Second City scene, and have often had him in to visit my on-camera classes around town as a guest director. So for me there has been a tremendous amount of trust and comfort in working with Cap Gun from the very beginning.”
On the U.S. roster for Cap Gun Collective, Miller joins directors Fendrich, Abteen Bagheri, Docter Twins, Tom Haines, Tomas Mankovsky, Jeppe Rønde, Michael Sewandono and Spooner/Bonde.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More