Los Angeles, CA, Sept. 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shootist Films (http://shootistfilms.com) presents the World Premiere of the independent film "After the Triumph of Your Birth," the directorial debut of musician/record producer Jim Akin, featuring Maria McKee. The feature-length film is a surreal, dark-humored portrait of the outsider; a poetic and philosophical music-driven celebration of uncertainty. The World Premiere will take place on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m., at the Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Avenue) in Santa Monica, California, as part of the American Cinematheque's ongoing film series. McKee, Akin and cast members will perform in a live concert immediately following the screening.
The film will be available worldwide for download on Friday, September 14th, streaming on demand from ShootistFilms.com, MariaMcKee.org and the film's fan page ("After the Triumph of Your Birth") on Facebook.
On Tuesday, September 18th, the DVD and Blu-ray Disc will be available via Film Baby and Amazon.com. (Product can also be ordered via the Shootist Films and Maria McKee websites.)
The film's soundtrack is also available now via iTunes, CD Baby, and its affiliate distributors.
The main character, "Eli Willits," is played by Tom Dunne, who plays drums and percussion on the film's score. Dunne has played together with Akin in bands for several years. Versatile vocalist, songwriter and live performance artist Maria McKee (Lone Justice, "Pulp Fiction" Soundtrack) has recorded and toured together with Jim Akin, and together they have released several acclaimed albums. Multi-talented Tessa Ferrer ("Eva") can trace the roots of her powerful singing and acting style back to her grandparents who were the beloved Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer.
Writer/director and L.A. native Jim Akin made "After the Triumph of Your Birth" with a crew of zero, for a total of $550.00, running 3 cameras and capturing sound before doing all editing and post in his home studio. The film also marks the feature film debut of acclaimed singer/songwriter Maria McKee who plays the role of "Millicent," and also co-wrote the score with husband, Akin.
Akins says, "Every day, I simultaneously try to wake up and go to sleep. This film, I think, discusses the transition between those two states."
At age 40, and "half-way to the infinite dirt nap," Eli Willits embarks on a seven-day, 100-mile philosophical quest--from the barren emotional state of the high desert to the hypothetical promise of the ocean. Using a forgotten Los Angeles as a backdrop, four story lines converge in a tone poem that explores intent, expectation and the crossover between desperation and tenderness. Midway through the journey, a six-inch tall female asks the questions: "Who are we? What are we doing?" A five-inch tall female with wings provides an answer.
Akin adds, "I think this film is for the scratch and dent crowd. We tell ourselves that next year the pain will subside with a new discovery, conquest, love. Time passes, and maybe we'll just numb ourselves, chase an obsession, harden our heart, drink more. We are told that love is all we need. But where is it? What is it?"
Through a series of dream-like vignettes--and a variety of musical numbers--the film asks questions about the uncertainty of life: from faith, love and happiness to broken dreams and death. A reoccurring character, "The Answer Man" (Rob Zabrecky) appears with declarations, such as: "Love is a vortex of need, dancing behind a dazzling smokescreen of death."
Film critic Larry Thomas writes, "From the first frame (director Jim Akin) lures you into a unique world of rapturous and inventive widescreen imagery. It's not too far afoot to say that some of his images (he also shot and edited) rival Terrence Malick on a tighter budget, and there is a similar sense of stillness and wonder at the heart of this film…Lots of influences flood the mind while watching 'After the Triumph of Your Birth.' The films of Wim Wenders, David Lynch, Robert Altman, Paul Thomas Anderson and Jacques Demy; the L.A. skid-row poetics of Charles Bukowski, the dust of John Fante, the sun-baked noirs of Southern California and the photographs of the Southern pictorialist William Eggleston."
About Jim Akin
Jim Akin was born in Laguna Beach, California. Jim's father raced motorcycles for a living and his mother was a substitute teacher. In the summer of his junior year in high school, Jim was asked to join a neighborhood garage/surf band. That day he bought a bass guitar from a pawn shop in Santa Ana for $50, and rehearsed with the band the same evening. Dropping out of school, music and photography were all that mattered. To survive, Jim worked in a shipyard. Years passed and then money and music came together. Jim wrote, toured, recorded, produced, mixed and mastered albums until 2010, when a series of breakthroughs in technology allowed for a shift in creative expression. For the feature-length film, "After the Triumph of Your Birth," Jim was the director, cinematographer, sound recordist and production department. In post, he served as editor, mixing and mastering final sound/picture and co-created the soundtrack and score. Jim currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Maria McKee.
"After the Triumph of Your Birth" Trailer