Kevin Cooper’s film “The Painter” makes its NYC premiere at UrbanWorld Film Festival this month.
PRLog - Sep 05, 2013 - NEW YORK -- Amarok Productions is tackling the tough subject of how violence is robbing the innocence of our youth in its current short film entitled “The Painter.” Written and directed by Kevin Cooper, “The Painter’s” poignant anti-violence film can be seen at UrbanWorld Film Festivalon September 20th 5 p.m. and September 21st at Noon at AMC 34th Street 14. Cooper partnered with non-profit organizations (UCAN and Youth Guidance) to include children from high risk areas in the filmmaking process. "It was inspiring working with these children...a film about the violence with the help of victims," says Cooper. Ron Caldwell (“Flight”) stars in the film and will be in attendance at UrbanWorld.
Cooper produced the NYU short “Red,” written and directed by Gary Nadeau, which won many awards including the Gold Medal Student Academy Awards in 1994. After moving to Chicago, he was moved to action last summer when violent deaths in the city reached alarming levels. Cooper says, “I feel a responsibility to stand up and add my voice to the choir of people trying to help the most innocent of the victims by bringing awareness to what is essentially a warzone.” Amarok’s co-owner and producer DeAnna Cooper adds, “There are very few things as pressing as the violence that plagues Chicago. So many children in these areas are suffering and cannot escape…they need our help.”
Prior to moving to Chicago, Kevin was a studio executive at Fox, Bay Films and Digital Domain where he served as the Executive Producer on New Line Cinema’s “Secondhand Lions” starring Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. Most recently, he directed the feature “I Heart Shakey” starring NYC natives Steve Guttenberg, Steve Lemme, and Beverly D’Angelo. Amarok is committed to spreading the message of the film with screenings in Chicago, at Montreal’s World Film Festival and LA Shorts Festival, in addition to UrbanWorld, making this their third Oscar qualifying festival in their run to date. “The Painter” will head to Italy in November as part of the San Marino Film Festival.
In order to fulfill the mission of the film, Amarok worked with two highly-regarded organizations: UCAN and Youth Guidance, both with missions to help children in high-risk neighborhoods. Their filmmaking enterprise offered children from both groups the opportunity to shadow cast and crew during production and take part in the film’s making. A behind-the-scenes crew documented the entire process and is featured on the website thepaintermovie.com.
“Youth Guidance is honored to partner with Amarok Productions on “The Painter,” a short film that creatively and poignantly shines a spotlight on the devastating impact of youth violence,” said Youth Guidance CEO, Michelle Adler Morrison. “The opportunity to audition for roles in this important project provided [our youth] with a transforming, once-in-a-lifetime experience they aren’t soon to forget.”
UCAN’s continuing vision and mission – to build strong youth and families through compassionate healing, education and empowerment - made their partnership a perfect fit. “We love the passion of De and Kevin for their film and the desire to tell the story of those impacted by violence, and are thrilled that our youth had the opportunity to become involved,” said Claude Robinson, UCAN EVP External Affairs & Diversity.
Amarok has a slate of films in a various stages of development. “Finn,” a film about living life to its fullest, will reunite the Coopers and the star of “I Heart Shakey,” Rylie Behr. Amarok is producing the feature film “Precious Mettle” starring Paul Sorvino “Goodfellas”), which is in post-production and scheduled for a 2014 release.
“The Painter” Synopsis: A boy, barely 12-years-old, lives in a world where violence surrounds him. His sole means of survival is to escape the violence outside by creating art. He is alone - abandoned for as long as he can remember. He begins this day like every other: quietly sipping a cup of coffee in his run-down kitchen, walls covered with newspaper clippings that chronicle the epidemic death toll in the inner city. Amid wailing sirens and a squawking police scanner, he sits uncomfortably...cleaning a paintbrush. An interviewer's voice, unsure of what he is witnessing, asks the boy to explain his existence...his art. Though the police instruct the boy to "return to work", the interviewer holds them off until finally the boy agrees to show us his art. Step inside the line...his art - a world at war. Are you ready?
For more information about the film and to view the trailer, go to: thepaintermovie.com.
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NYU Alum’s Film Takes a Haunting Look at Inner City Violence
September 05, 2013 at 17:05 PM EDT
