three eleven or (a meditation on stillness inside chaos) // [free through july]

Starting today (7-11-20), "my latest single-channel film work, “three eleven or (a meditation on stillness inside chaos)” is available to stream for free on Youtube & Vimeo through the month of July. Links below.

You can continue to buy/support the work here:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/threeeleven

**note: headphones advised**

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the United States went into shutdown to keep citizens sheltered from the threat of a mysterious global pandemic sweeping the world. In this meditative days-in-the-life-of work, a small family experiences the fog of time from a mandatory stay at home order, as a strange, comforting togetherness forms in a very uncertain time.

--
directors statement:

"three eleven" is a meditation. It is a reflection of boredom, of togetherness, of uncertainty, and most of all, stillness. It intends to direct the viewer into the granularity of life in its most basic, mundane practicalities, and thus, direct focus into the beauty of routine, and of the nowness, all while under the umbrella of impending & uncertain chaos, a lingering scent of anxiety as the real outside world experiences shocks unlike any other in modern times.

It is intended as an experience, hypnosis, and a reflection. The stillness is the message. While stripping the “narrative” of the filmic medium into its most minimal building block, the frame clicks out of “narrative” time, and into clock time. It’s a universal acknowledgment of this very “moment in time”, and we intend for this to be a visual/audio documentation at its most basic level while conveying the beauty of togetherness and separation at its most minimal.

This work is indebted to Ozu & Kiarostami, who oddly enough (the latter), and without my prior knowledge shares his birthday with our release date.

----
credits:

Shot & Directed by Amir Motlagh
Produced by ANIMALS & Charles Borg
Story by Charles Borg & Amir Motlagh
Music by Amir Motlagh (three eleven zazen) - BMI
© ANIMALS 2020

----
release date: 06/22/20
trt: 33 min
original aspect: 1:85:1

three eleven or (a meditation on stillness inside chaos) - new film work

At midnight PST (06/22/20) is the official release (soft release) of my latest work, three eleven or (a meditation on stillness inside chaos). Below is information on the featurette including a rare director’s statement. As always, if you cannot afford to watch but desire to, let me know and we’ll hook you up. Stay well.

synopsis:

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the United States went into shutdown to keep citizens sheltered from the threat of a mysterious global pandemic sweeping the world. In this meditative days-in-the-life-of work, a small family experiences the fog of time from a mandatory stay at home order, as a strange, comforting togetherness forms in a very uncertain time.

--

directors statement:

"three eleven" is a meditation. It is a reflection of boredom, of togetherness, of uncertainty, and most of all, stillness. It intends to direct the viewer into the granularity of life in its most basic, mundane practicalities, and thus, direct focus into the beauty of routine, and of the nowness, all while under the umbrella of impending & uncertain chaos, a lingering scent of anxiety as the real outside world experiences shocks unlike any other in modern times.

It is intended as an experience, hypnosis, and a reflection. The stillness is the message. While stripping the “narrative” of the filmic medium into its most minimal building block, the frame clicks out of “narrative” time, and into clock time. It’s a universal acknowledgment of this very “moment in time”, and we intend for this to be a visual/audio documentation at its most basic level while conveying the beauty of togetherness and separation at its most minimal.

This work is indebted to Ozu & Kiarostami, who oddly enough (the latter), and without my prior knowledge shares his birthday with our release date.

credits:

Shot & Directed by Amir Motlagh
Produced by ANIMALS & Charles Borg
Story by Charles Borg & Amir Motlagh
Music by Amir Motlagh - “three eleven zazen” © 2020 ANIMALS Publishing Worldwide - BMI
© ANIMALS 2020

release date: 06/22/20
trt: 33 min
original aspect: 1:85:1

A spotlight on MAN - Kicking the Seat

A funny thing happened a few nights ago that succinctly describes the plight of independent filmmaking and the practice of sending screeners. Let me preface that with this; one of the most rewarding aspects of filmmaking in the true independent sense is the process of self-actualization, a partially controllable condition. Now, the uncontrollable condition (everything after the creation) is that the farther a vision strews from established norms, the harder it becomes to attract a certain level of attention. This is woven into the classic gatekeeper paradigm.

Ok, back to the first sentence. Nearly two years ago, Chicago Film Critics Association member Ian Simmons was handed a screener to the film MAN (screening at Chicago at the time) by a colleague, he watched the first ten minutes of it and shut the screener off prematurely, writing it off as not his thing. Fast forward to a couple of nights ago, as he confessed this earlier sin on his “Kicking the Seat Podcast”, and now proclaimed that the film had, “blown his mind” while dedicating an entire episode talking about the film. A massive change of opinion nearly two years in the making, done in a transparent, respectable & honest way.

This is the reality of artmaking and it is unavoidable when the access & context is not in place. One cannot demand that people pay attention to your work. But it is always the artist's responsibility to tell what needs to be told, in the only way that one can.

Time takes care of the rest, not in the sense that people will come around, but in the sense that ultimately, it never really mattered in the first place.

Here is the link to the Kicking The Seat Podcast in which MAN is given a positive, newly minted spotlight in the eyes of one critic.

And below, a link to watch on our preferred platform.

What is the movie "Three Worlds" about?

Every week since its release, I get an email (or several) asking a question similar to this, “hi, can you please explain “the XYZ” scene in your movie Three Worlds (sometimes they spell it “3 worlds”). Occasionally, I get the all encompassing, “what is the movie Three Worlds about?”

I try to reply back to all the sincere questions, but the answer is not a fully satisfied one, though the response to my answer seems to be enough.

I recently tried to think if I had ever thought about “meaning” in a film. And it occurred to me that I had not, at least not in a concrete way, but I assume this is irregular.

My answer is always the same; “I have my ideas about what the scene (film) is about, but yours are better than mine, even if you haven’t decided yet.”

Happy Thanksgiving Friends, enjoy time with your loved ones. And if are particularly feeling alone, reach out and say hello.

Screening dates and events coming up for THREE WORLDS & MAN!

Our producer Charles Borg hosts IFP CHICAGO’s “Filmmakers Friday” on Friday, November 9th at 4:30pm where we present both THREE WORLDS and MAN, followed by a Q/A and mixer.

On November 14th, at 5:15, MAN screens at Tribeca Flashpoint Chicago at the “Screening Room” followed by a discussion.

Both events are free to the public.

Additional Screening Dates set for MAN & THREE WORLDS

After a great THREE WORLDS screening and panel (moderated by Omar McClinton) at VAiFF, we picked up two additional dates in Chicago to see the films screened.

We will be doing a “Filmmakers Friday” at IFP CHICAGO on Friday, November 9th at 4:30pm where we present both THREE WORLDS and MAN, followed by a Q/A and mixer.

On November 14th, at 5:15, MAN screens at Flashpoint Chicago at the “Screening Room” followed by a discussion. Please contact with appropriate heading to be included in the guest list for this event.

THREE WORLDS Reviewed by Premier Arthouse Cinema Site PINNLAND EMPIRE

When you make art & you put it out into the world, it becomes a vulnerable time if you haven’t done the necessary work to detach. Essentially, equanimity is the only barrier between this raw period and the world. I seldom read or look at reviews, but this one was a bit different because I felt the reviewer got it (the essence), for lack of a better term, and that connection is wonderful.

So, when you got a moment, check out this THREE WORLDS review from the stellar arthouse cinema site, PINNLAND EMPIRE.

“Amir Motlagh dispels some of the superficial stigmas put on Los Angeles while at the same time embraces the very real superficialities associated with L.A. (outside of Los Angeles being the epicenter of the entertainment industry, it’s a very cool city unlike any other if you know the right people).

And putting all Mekas/Malick comparisons aside, this is very much Motlagh’s own film. The movie is filled with obvious autobiographical content that comes off as genuine & organic as opposed to pretentious. That’s not an easy task with a film like this (ambient, sprawling, artistic and sometimes chaotic). A young filmmaker could easily get self-absorbed & pretentious with a movie like Three Worlds but that’s not the case here.

This will definitely require a second (or third) viewing. And that’s a good thing. This isn’t something to fully digest in one sitting.”

— Marcus Pinn

Three Worlds Upcoming Screenings

“Three Worlds” screens Sept 23rd at the Mockingbird Cinema, Birmingham UK as part of the B’ham Sci-Fi Convention Fest. Then back to Chicago, as the “Spotlight Film” for VAiFF Fest Oct 7th (location info coming shortly).

THREE WORLDS is HERE!!

You can finally watch THREE WORLDS on Vimeo On Demand starting now!  This is the soft launch, with many platforms coming soon including Amazon Prime. Though, being an amazing first adapter, you don't like waiting.

I don't want to say too much about the film, but it is a unique experience. Like my other film MAN, it benefits from putting the phone and distractions away for 90 minutes. Though, while part of the same series of works, THREE WORLDS is nothing like MAN on a structural/formalistic level. (if you haven't watched MAN, click here).

Additional info:

Three Worlds is a psychological science fiction drama that explores the three lives, or 'worlds,' of a man who undergoes an experiment that triggers haunting memories and alternate life memories.

Written & Directed by Amir Motlagh
Produced by ANIMALS, Amir Motlagh, Charles Borg
Director of Photography: Amir Motlagh

Starring:
Amir Motlagh
Samantha Robinson
Rey Deegan
Keaton Shyler
Gregory Linington

Editing: Bryan Tuck, Amir Motlagh
Original Score by Julian DW Brink

Sound Designer & Re-Recording Mixer: Stephen Holliger

1/3 of the THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS trilogy.

Press Quotes:

"It's rare to mix rawness with beauty" - Marcus Pinn PINNLAND EMPIRE / ZEBRAS IN AMERICA

"It's always exciting whenever a distinct new voice makes itself heard on the indie landscape. Amir Motlagh is such a voice...."Honest and soulful" - Adam Schartoff FILMWAX RADIO

“There is without a doubt a definitive boldness to “Three Worlds”, both in its tone and aspirations, and it will certainly require viewers to lean in a little closer, which is never a bad thing…..a curious and
fascinating watch.” - David Fowlie KEEPING IT REEL

The experience of both films (MAN + Three Worlds) is one that any film connoisseur must have. To sit with an awareness of the film, and, an awareness of how you are watching it, is a surreal act that can only be described as “art.” Motlagh’s work is definitely a piece of art in the medium of film.” - Jonita Davis THE IRANIAN

Film Pipeline Interviews Amir Motlagh and Charles Borg about the feature film MAN

This is a recent article conducted on Film Pipeline (Script Pipeline) about my latest film release, MAN. Both Charles and myself answer great questions posed by Script Pipeline about the process of MAN. You can read the whole interview by clicking here: 

Here a small snippet:
"Options and possibilities have opened quite a bit. Filmmakers tend to idolize the big names because they like the toys and scale that comes with moviemaking. Most of the time, that’s just a hindrance because it gets in the way of truth."

MAN is available on Amazon Prime (US/UK) and Vimeo On Demand (worldwide) with a host of other platforms coming soon.

"Three Worlds" wins "Silver Award" for Best Editing at QPIFF

Following up on our "Best Feature" nod, we won a "Silver Award" at the Queens Palm International Film Festival, placing 2nd in the "Best Editor" Feature Film technical category. This award is shared between editor Bryan Tuck and me, though Bryan was the real workhorse in the post-production on this project. 

"Three Worlds" wins "Best Feature" at Queen Palm International Film Festival

"Three Worlds" wins a Gold Award for "Best Feature" in the Animation/Experimental category at the Queen Palm International Film Festival. Big congrats to the team. We also have a technical category win, a Silver Award for editing, so cheers to Bryan Tuck. 

"Three Worlds" Nominated at QPIFF

THREE WORLDS gets a Film Festival Nomination for "Best Editing" in the Feature Film category at the Queen Palm International Film Festival. Best of luck to Bryan Tuck, who put the most sweat equity.  

MAN receives an "Honorable Mention" at EF

While MAN is now available in the wild, it received an "Honorable Mention" a couple weeks ago at Experimental Forum.

Three Worlds is an Official "Crown" Selection at QPIFF

"Three Worlds" is an Official Crown Selection at the Queen Palm International Film Festival.