Help for Our Summer Feature

Dear Friends,

We will be shooting the opening to our feature film, SHOPLIFTING FROM AMERICAN APPAREL from 2/9-2/13 in Akron and Solon, Ohio.

SHOPLIFTING FROM AMERICAN APPAREL is a feature film that explores Internet culture, consumerism, reality, fame, relationships, and cinema. The film is based on the novella by Tao Lin.

The idea is that creating a trailer will help us generate further donations through friends, family, and investors. (We will premiere the trailer on Kickstarter and other sites on March 1, 2011.)

At present, we need to raise $2,000 to make our trailer.

A Paypal Donation button is below. To make a donation just click the button and follow the directions on the screen. Any sized donation is welcome.

NOTE: If you do not have a Paypal account, you can make donations by clicking "Continue" in the middle of the page under the title heading "Don't Have a Paypal Account."

Please help our film come into being.

To see clips of our previous work please go here or here.

Best,

Pirooz Kalayeh
Director/Producer
http://www.sanghafilms.com
http://www.piroozkalayeh.com

Film Updates

THE HUMAN WAR

We are weeks away from a final cut of the film. We have submitted works in progress to several film festivals already, including Sundance, Slamdance, and Ashland Film Festival. We will be submitting to dozens of other festivals in the coming months.

A theatrical trailer and updated Sangha Films website with relevant content will be up by the end of December. We will have two premieres for the film in Ohio and NYC in March/April. We will have exact dates as the months come closer.

BRAD WARNER: THE ENLIGHTENIZER

Things went well for our shoots for our documentary on Zen Buddhist teacher Brad Warner. We will shoot later this month in NYC. Then we'll try and do an Akron shoot in January. (Anyone want to help in Akron for the shoot?)

LATEST - Brad and I are working on 4-6 faux commercials for "Enlightenizer!" that will appear periodically throughout the documentary. We will potentially film the brunt of this in LA, but film Brad's segments as the over-the-top spiritual teacher (Gumbo Roshi style) in NYC to save on costs. Of course, we are still probably two months away from shooting the commercials. Still, we may be able to finish shooting for the doc by February.

FUTURE SHOOTS for BW:

LA - shooting B-roll of Hollywood Blvd with Josh - Nov. 30th - 9am

NYC - walk & talk; interview with Moby - Dec 17-20, 2010.

Akron, OH - Zero Defex Show and walk & talk near childhood home - TBA???

Commercials - LA ???

SHOPLIFTING & WEBSITES

Shikow Productions and iLikeNirvana Films are slowly coming to life.

Once the websites are fully complete, I will begin taking investments for Shoplifting from everyone who wants to contribute. Right now I'm just dealing with friends and donations.

Investments raised thus far: $7,800.00

Goal: $30,000.00

My guesstimate is that we will be filming in Los Angeles from June 6 - June 20th. We will have a clearer picture of exact dates by March.

Chat more after Thanksgiving!

PK

Busy Days

The last few weeks have definitely been busy. I am now working four jobs. It's not that bad because all of them are part time, so they equal out to me working one full time job. At least that's the way Sogee puts it.

"You are working a 9 to 5 basically," she says.

I appreciate her putting things in perspective. I would rather be working the one job though. Of course, I know that's not possible. I have to work this way to create the right amount of freedom for making and finishing the films on the horizon.

As it stands now, THE HUMAN WAR will be completed within the month. We are literally weeks away from submitting the film to get color correction and sound mastering completed. Once we get those final elements, we will be able to concentrate more fully on what festivals we'll be submitting to in the next couple months, and how we can potentially create some premieres in Ohio, NYC, and Los Angeles.

The other day when I was watching a cut with Tom, I felt overwhelmed about bringing this film into being. I think I might have even cried a little if I let myself go there.

"Looks good," I said to Tom.

"What?" Tom asked.

"The movie is looking good."

"Yeah, it's getting there."

I kept talking after that and making myself a little more overwhelmed. Then my mind wandered to the next movies on the horizon. I will be shooting footage for a documentary about Brad Warner in November and January. This will be my first time making a documentary. I am fairly nervous and not really nervous at the same time. I guess it's the rush before going to film that I'm feeling. I never know how these things will turn out. Sometimes it goes nice and easy. At other times, it can be really hectic.

I am hoping for nice and easy. I am also hoping that the progression to see SHOPLIFTING FROM AMERICAN APPAREL the movie come into being is the same way. As it stands now, I've finished the screenplay and I'm now starting to form the LLC and get investments going. I am hoping to raise between 40-50k. That would see me through filming and post-production.

We'll see if I can raise the funds for a summer shoot. In all honesty, it may take longer to raise all the money. I've got a deadline though. March 20, 2011. If I don't raise at least 25k by then, then I'll postpone filming until the winter. I'm hoping to get it all squared away now though. I think it's possible. I have friends and family. I have a good script. I will also have a couple TV stars in this film. It just might all work out. Who knows? Time will tell.

On a completely different front, I'm going to be even busier in the next couple weeks making my PhD submissions to University of Denver and USC. I will only be applying to two schools this year. Sogee is still in grad school at CalState, so that limits my mobility. I also don't have an interest in too many other schools because they simply don't have a digital media studies program that leans on creation rather than scholarship exclusively.

It looks like Denver may be able to accommodate a joint venture between the English and Media Studies program. In contrast, USC already has a media studies program that is right in line with my goals.

Ahem...goals...

As most of you know, I have been interested in combining comics, film, animation, and text into panels that would be made available as interactive web-based content or in an e-book format. By doing either of these programs, I would be able to continue to pursue my interests in technology, media, and writing. It seems like the right move forward because I'm more interested in exploring the effects of media along with the actual knowledge and creation of artistic projects simultaneously. This mode forward also allows me to continue to make films, music, artwork, and write. We'll see if I am successful with my application. I have not had much like with PhD programs in the past, but maybe USC and Denver will open their doors.

Unicorn Years, Humar War Film Update, Imaginative Writing Workshop, and Sam Gay Tang Joint

I made another painting. It took me about two months. I had to paint in between doing other things. I probably would have finished in two weeks if I didn't have so much going on. Who knows? Maybe, paintings need to take two months to finish. In any case, it looks a lot better in person. I'll have to buy some good lights to take a picture of this one. The fluorescents keep reflecting off certain parts of it. 

Thomas and I have a deadline to finish the final draft of The Human War script. We are then set to finalizing a budget, showing it to Noah, and then casting actors. If you are interested in being part of the film, let me know. Our goal is to make this be as much a community project as it is a professional film set. Don't you love that? I do.  

I went into Loren's "Imaginative Writing" workshop this week. The class was so relaxed and fun. Loren said he wanted me to come all the time. He also told me that I say "sort of" too much. I told him it was because I was suffering from "language deterioration". 

"I've been in Asia too long," I said. "You ever feel like that?"

"My language has been deteriorating for years," Loren laughed.

I sincerely doubt him. Both he and his students are turning out some wonderful work into the world. I'll be curious what they're doing when I visit again towards the end of the semester. Who knows? Maybe, I could offer a class on social commentary in art without saying anything at all. I wonder if the students would like something like that. Who knows? I have no idea.  

I wonder how Jim Goar is doing. I haven't talked to him in a month. Last I heard, another issue of Past Simple came out. I would like to hear how his adventures in England are going. That would be nice.

I talked to my brother on google chat. He is ready for me to come to L.A.. He also says he'll help with the soundtrack of the film. That would be great.

So Gee's Mom and Aunt took me out to a Sam Ga Tang (chicken soup) joint on Sunday. It is supposed to be the best place in Seoul. It was pretty good. The chicken was soaked in a broth filled with scallions and ginseng roots, and you could amp up the spice with these pickled radishes drenched in red pepper paste.

"No," So Gee's mom said to me, and pointed at the radishes. "No!"

I like it when she treats me like a five year old. It makes me feel loved. It was even better when they all decided to visit my tiny apartment.

"Uh," I said. "I need to clean."

"Yes!" So Gee said, with a worried look. "It's too messy!"

I looked at my new Mother-In-Law and Aunt. They didn't know what So Gee just said. They were just looking at me like I was about to do something extraordinary. They couldn't possible be discouraged by a bit of messiness. Who knows? Having seven family members in a tiny 500 square foot studio might be fun. It would certainly be memorable.

"Okay," I declared. "Let's go hang out at my apartment!"

My mother-in-law and aunt were thrilled at the announcement. They sat on either side of me on the car ride. Each took one of my hands in theirs, stroked the hair on my hands, and made jokes about the possibility of bugs.

"How do you keep him clean?" my mother-in-law joked to So Gee. 

"He takes two showers a day," So Gee said in my defense.

"Maybe, there are still bugs," my aunt snickered in Korean, and examined my hand more closely.

I smiled.  It is fun to be loved by two doting mothers.

"Have you ever been with two women?" So Gee's mom joked in Korean.

"This is my first time," I said.

When we got to my place, I just played them slideshows of photos I had taken on our last family trip and a smattering of a film called "Air Guitar Nation". They dug the photos. They even asked for copies, so I made those for them. Then they asked me to perform on the guitar. I played a couple songs. They were disappointed. They wanted me to play "Yesterday" by the Beatles and "Imagine" by John Lennon. I didn't know them. I told them I would learn the songs and play them next time.

"Imagine," my aunt said with a pout. "John Lennon!"

"Okay," I said. "Next time."

I learned both songs today. I am much better at playing "Yesterday" so far. I'll have to practice "Imagine" a couple hundred more times. That'll be good. I like learning songs. They're so easy. I've barely ever done it. Might as well learn a bunch to please the In-Laws and other folks who aren't willing to hear original things. And I completely understand. People want to sing along. They want a radio station that is live. I can do that. I am not here to destroy all cover bands. That was a former identity. I am now here to support cover bands in their quest for world domination. I will even play in one when I get back to Los Angeles. I think I'd like it to be a Pirooz Kalayeh cover band. What would that sound like? Hmmm...

I already know what they'd be called: Best Cover Band Ever - For Realz! or BCBEFR! for short.

The Embryo Stage of a Film Production

I had a nice time visiting Noah in Youngstown, Ohio. We talked about relationships, gastritis, and making a movie. The latter was the main reason for our get together. As of today, it looks like we will be shooting a film of Noah's novel, The Human War, in early 2009. I am hoping to do pre-production and the entire film in five weeks. We'll see if that's possible. In the meantime, I am working on the script, getting a team together, and checking out locations.

Noah took me to Youngstown's local Denny's, a strip club, and in and around the downtown area. I got a solid taste for what made this such a unique backdrop for Noah's fiction. My ideas for what I would shoot also started forming. I could see the protagonist's room, the way characters would walk and where, and how certain storefronts and city streets could serve as a backdrop for a particular scene. There was definitely a feeling of hope and camaraderie between Noah, Youngstown, and myself. I even managed to take a few pics of this unique city, and take them off to the second leg of my journey - Manhattan!

I had to go right from Noah's to my friends' places in Brooklyn. They were the ones who were going to help make this film. Thankfully, Mark and Thomas are both interested in seeing this project come together. Mark was willing to help as a producer and casting director, and Thomas wants to co-direct the picture with me. I think both things are great.

At first, I thought that maybe one director would be better. I even considered my friend, Marlowe, as being the better choice, and to just have me as an executive producer in the wings, but after thinking about it, I think this works well. Thomas is a great producer and director, and I do want to bring my special flavor to the picture. I need to remember: If I sit too high on my perch, I may not ever see an egg.

Gibson Against the Hollywood Machine

My dad sent me this in the mail:

It's official. Pre-production of the long-awaited film, "Mona's Dream", began in May 2008. Hollywood filmmaker Mel Gibson (The Passion of Christ) and Canadian Baha'i singer/songwriter/producer Jack Lenz have been collaborating for several years to tell the heart-wrenching story of the 16-year-old Baha'i youth Mona Mahmudnizhad, one of 10 Baha'i women who were martyred in Shiraz in 1983. Filming of the long-awaited story is scheduled to begin in October or November 2008 for release in the Spring of 2009. You can listen to the music for the film, read about the process, and follow the progress of the production at http://www.monasdream.com/ 

 

One of the goals of the film is to start or support service projects in Mona's name. One such project is the Freedom to Believe Foundation with offices in Canada and the U.S. http://www.freedomtobelievefoundation.com/

I think this is an interesting choice for Mel Gibson. It looks like whatever captures his interest will be the next movie he makes. That is very un-Hollywood and commendable. At the same time, it's a bit peculiar as well. First, a film about Scotland's greatest hero, then Jesus, a man running for his life in the Amazon, and now a Baha'i girl who is tortured for her religious beliefs in the Islamic Republic. Is there a common thread in these stories? Is he reflecting people's fears in America? Man against the odds? Or is it Mel Gibson against the world? 

It seems to me that Gibson is trying to say something to the public with each of his films. They seem very reactionary based on how much he likes to try and put a middle finger to Hollywood. In fact, I would say this guy seems like one of those people, that no matter how much they create successes in their lives, will still be jaded and angry at the system which has given them such a wonderful opportunity.  

The other possibility is that the subject matter follows the spiritual propaganda that he believes will create a reaction from those with similar religious backgrounds. I have no idea. I just find it so peculiar and refreshing simultaneously. That's usually my reaction to things that intrigue me. If his films weren't so good, it would be easier to just rub the guy off as a freak, but it's difficult to do such a thing, when his films are of such a high quality. Who knows? The guy could be just a genius with spiritual leanings. Maybe, these leanings in a system that is ruled by the bottom dollar creates such a friction in what I expect from Hollywood's reality that I am unable to make heads or tails of his actions. I hope this is the case. That seems like a kinder reality, then the one that paints Gibson as meglomaniacal zealot. Of course, he could be all these things.

How much I enjoy to paint famous people in a better light than the shadows that surround them. I suppose that's natural. My mythical reality of what a star is like is usually what pervades in my day-to-day. I am surrounded by it in everything that I do. If I stopped watching television, it would still hit me over the head. It would be in everyone's speech, in their movements, like a record that spins without a needle. 

I guess it doesn't matter that much. I am just thinking about stars a lot lately. I think that's why I like that Tao is putting stars in his latest novels and giving them a dose of his reality. That is a healthy thing. Putting the world on its head is a good thing. It puts my head there too. I think that makes me feel sane. I would like to write a story about Mel Gibson. I think Mel Gibson would sue me. I would give him a dollar. 

Terrible, Interesting, or Just Loud?

I saw Indiana Jones. It was so-so.

I didn't like the CGI gophers and monkeys.

The director also refused to do any close-ups to reveal an aging star.

The film seemed like it was really far away the whole time.

After the movie, I spoke to my family in Iran on Skype for the first time in my life. That was fun. My cousins seemed very funny. They asked me if I liked Korean food. I told them it was horrible. Then thought this was very funny. I wasn't sure as to why at the time. I figured It must have been the way I said it - my honesty.

That's one thing I've noticed about both the Persian and Korean cultures - people don't really say what they mean, or if they do, it's with a certain amount of reserve that would favor propriety over the truth. That's probably why I finally understand what my parents meant when they constantly reminded me to "respect" them all through my childhood. They were really asking me to behave in a fashion that was appropriate for their cultural perspective.

If I look back at my behavioral reactions in childhood and young adulthood, I can sincerely say that my excessively, honest responses - or better yet, emphatic deliveries of natural integrity - were a result of individual sensitivity over any group ideal. Irreverence was not even a consideration in my innocent, gut-reactions. I loved and respected my parents deeply. I was simply incapable of offering manufactured gestures for the sake of social standing or what was deemed appropriate from a cultural standpoint which I didn't share or possess in the first place.

It is interesting how slight cultural shifts - Persian to American or Korean to American - could make a person naturally at odds with the expectations of those around them. I guess I was- and still am - a Harley Davidson next to a bunch of scooters. I would like to just put along and purr the way they do, but my tendency to shout "Terrible!" or "No!" when I was opposed to something, rather than swallowing my truth for an approval-seeking-hum like "Interesting" or "I'll think about it" are simply not the first emotional reactions available to me.

I wonder if people realize this perspective if they remain their entire lives in one place. If I had only lived in America, I doubt I would be able to understand how radically different I was from my first generation immigrant parents. The fact that their ideas of propriety were based on a system that I had no experience living, while their reciprocal understanding of an American sense of values was equally hampered by their slow assimilation, probably created a series of misunderstandings and ill communicados that produced much of the disharmony between us.

To this day, I still see my siblings operating under an American value system of expectation, and pinning my parents as scapegoats, when the true culprit in their altercations is perspective and a lifetime of multicultural understandings that would leave any person in a perpetual state of culture shock. Truth be told, neither party is to blame for the see-saw effects of moving from one viewfinder to another. In fact, if this conversation remained on cultural-shifting perspectives alone, we would seriously misalign ourselves with the obvious understanding that we are all individuals with distinct minds and frames of reference.

We all experience a series of "bad vibes" when we move from one social scenario and its respective, behavioral decorum to another. The artist in academia, the foreigner, the stranger, the unknown - all these parameters are unified in the face of difference or "other" when we seek to acknowledge the "otherness" which we feel in people or ourselves. In contrast, one could equally capitalize on the "sameness" of our species, but this would also fall short of being outside the borders of true integrity. Therefore, the only hopes one would have of inhabiting an honest or natural state would be to exclude society's expectations and judgments from our thinking.

Is this even possible? Why should one even seek to attain such a position? Couldn't we simply note that there are differences in each human being and try to remain open to the fact that we all think and see the world differently?

I will talk more about this later. Now I am thinking of living in Iran for a year.