Director David Orr’s short film <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh (www.refreshfilm.com. will make its Los Angeles premiere on July 25th as part of the 14th Annual LA Shorts Fest. The film stars Steven Culp (13 Days, Desperate Housewives, West Wing) and Scott Michael Campbell (Brokeback Mountain, 24, Push).
A mind-bending parable in the spirit of Amazing Stories and The Twilight Zone, <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh centers on a wealthy businessman, Roger Dean (Culp), who is seeking a cure from his chronic depression. Dean’s quest leads him to a mysterious medical clinic that promises a highly effectiveโbut irrevocableโsolution.
<a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh marks the short film debut for Orr, who is well known for his work as a commercial director, photographer and visual artist. His work has won ADDY, BDA, CTAM, PROMAX, New York Festival and TELLY awards, and been shown in Ad Age, Adweek, Communication Arts, Graphis, Millimeter, SHOOT, the Art Director’s Club, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Andrew Turman is the film’s cinematographer; Christopher Willoughby is the film’s editor.
“The tableau and mood of <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh was inspired by a visit to a sleep study clinicโa place where you spend the night monitored by video cameras and electronic sensors attached to your body,” observes Orr. “I think there’s a universal feeling that being in a medical facility and dealing with medical staffโwhen you’re at your most vulnerableโis stressful and depressing. I remember lying there in my pajamas, getting hooked up to a machine by an unfamiliar person, thinking: ‘Wow, this is just like a horror film!’ I began writing the next day.”
<a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh is one of the first narrative films to be shot with a digital still camera with HD video capabilities, Canon’s 5D mk II. Orr’s background as a commercial director and fine art photographer enabled him to see, early on, the possibilities of using a still camera with HD capabilities. As <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh was filmed in a practical location, the camera’s small size and ability to shoot in low light allowed the production to move quickly yet give the story the atmospheric and cinematic look it needed.
Orr screened portions of <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh and was a panelist at Digital Day, an annual symposium on emerging technology held by the Directors Guild of America, where the quality of the imagery drew rave reviews from the crowd of directors, cinematographers and producers. Orr also discussed the making of the film at HD/EXPO, The Newport Beach Film Festival, and at the Collision Conference.
The 14th Annual LA Shorts Festival (aka the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival) is one of the largest short film festivals in the world. This year’s festival will include screenings of nearly 300 films from more than 1200 entrants. In past years, 33 participating films have earned Academy Award nominations, with 11 filmmakers actually taking home the Oscar.
<a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh will screen on July 25th at 7:45 p.m. The screening will occur at the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theaters located at 8000 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, California 90046. Tickets and information are available at www.lashortsfest.com.
For more information about <a href="www.refreshfilm.com.>Refresh, visit www.refreshfilm.com.