Three Worlds - Mother's Day Surprise!

Happy Mother's Day! This is a surprise clip from the upcoming feature film, THREE WORLDS. Sign up for the mailing list on the sidebar to be the first to know our next screening/release schedule. Look out for our trailer coming shortly.

Synopsis 

Three Worlds (2018) 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.

Cast / Crew

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

Cast:

Amir Motlagh                 Saam Heidari
Samantha Robinson     Ashley Evans
Rey Deegan                   Charles Adler
Keaton Shyler               Danica Mihajlović
Gregory Linington        Thomas Blaumberg

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

Sound Designer & Re-Recording Mixer: Stephen Holliger

Media Quotes

“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

““These unique experiences are made even more exceptional for their Iranian-American perspective.” 

...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

“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

Latest MIRS single, SATURDAY now available on all major platforms

Itunes:
Spotify:
Bandcamp:
Soundcloud:

Film Reviews...

Here is a quandary. I don't subscribe to reviews nor read them. The good or the bad weigh  equally in my book.

However, they provide value to those who are interested. And, in my personal case, anything good that comes down the pipeline is a tool to possibly get others interested. And for that reason alone, I share the good that comes down the pipeline.

Our Chicago screening went well. A film critic from THE IRANIAN (Jonita Davis) was sent to review the films, and she had a favorable impression.

You can read the whole post here: 

Some take away pull quotes:

“This was a film that turned the job of “watching” back onto the audience, forcing them to reflect on the things seen, heard, and felt….

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

MIRS SATURDAY to release 5/4/18

SATURDAY is the prelude single for the upcoming MIRS record, RAINBOW SEASON. The single will release on all major platforms on Friday, May 4th, 2018.  

This track is extra special as it includes some instrumentation from my old SHANKS AND THE DREAMERS bandmate, Art Toussi. 

Two interviews - Filmwax Radio and Keeping it Reel this week

This week, I interviewed with the might FILMWAX RADIO podcast hosted by Adam Schartoff and Chicago critic, David Fowlie's film discussion site, KEEPING IT REEL. 

Both discussions centered around my latest feature films (MAN + Three Worlds) that are preview screening in Chicago today (4/21) at Chicago Filmmakers. Both were gracious in having me on.

The FILMWAX podcast runs roughly an hour and includes Vera Farmiga and Tommy Avallone as guests before my segment. You can just my segment of the FILMWAX interview here. Though I think you should just subscribe to the FILMWAX podcast because it's excellent.

Will be a guest on FILMWAX radio later this month in support of the new projects

As part of the promotional run for the 4/21 double feature screening, I got invited to do the popular film podcast, FILMWAX Radio. The episode should air later this month. 

My producing partner Charles goes in to film an interview segment with CHICAGO FILM NEWS later this week.

All in all, things are moving along on getting these films out into the public space. We have gotten several distribution offers (for the only film we are showing to companies right now), and are weighing our options.

My real drive at the moment is showing these films together since they are all part of the same series along with CANYON. But, of course, I'm flexible on this since this is not all under my control.

In any case, if you're reading this, and program film slots, let's talk. It's a win, win.

MAN & THREE WORLDS AN AMIR MOTLAGH DOUBLE FEATURE PREVIEW SCREENING presented by Chicago Filmmakers

The THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS series of works gets a double feature screening of MAN & THREE WORLDS, presented by Chicago Filmmakers. The presentation starts at 6pm, Saturday, April 21st. 

The box office is open, so we would love to see you there. I am planning on attending (schedule permitting) but my producing partner & co-writer on MAN, Charles Borg will be present. If you are press, or know anyone who would be interested in writing about the event, or needs screeners, please reach out. 

This has been a long time coming, but we wish to come to other cities. If you are interested in booking the films, please reach out. Whether it be film festivals, one-off events, microcinemas, arthouse theaters or gallery spaces (etc), we are open and excited to hear from you. We want to bring this to you in a way that feels organic and connected.

I'll be updating as the date nears. Thank you all for the years of support. 💚

Upcoming Screening for MAN (w/ special surprise)

MAN screens at Chicago Filmmakers on April 21st. It's a special screening with a surprise. Will announce when its listed up on the site with a link to the box office.

Anza-Borrego and the desert soul (soil)

i enjoy desert hikes in the night. the landscape & fauna take on a completely different character. the quiet, the darkness, and the enormity of the space swallow you up. we humans often feel like aliens, as if we were put on this earth, a separate from, forced to survive the inhospitable. the desert represents that essence well. it is a faulty, modern feeling of course. we are as much part of the earth, as the earth is part of us. 30k years ago, a human walked on this very part of the earth, not feeling as distant to the soil (aridisols) as we do know. of course, this is a presumption, but, it's a bet i'd be willing to make.

below is the night study (anza-borrego 03.05.18 - 10:30pm)

Double Feature Screening....

Looks like both the new features will be screening together late April. While MAN is locked, still working on finishing THREE WORLDS. My big aim all along was to be able to screen these two works along with CANYON in a single show. Basically, the THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS series as one piece.

A long road indeed. Stay tuned. If all works well, I should be able to announce the location and date. One really big thing to note, it's not an LA show. We don't do arthouse well in LA :) 

The Beauty of The Desert

I went out to Joshua Tree several days ago. I've been there many times in the past few years but, surprisingly, while it was never too far away from where I have been mostly living in my adult life, it took me many years to actually make plans and follow through. From that point on, I try to make it out into the desert whenever feasible. Both an escape, and more importantly, a meditation. 

Joshua Tree is a famous place. U2 named an album that went multi-platinum after the tree that gives a name to the location (The Joshua Tree). I just learned that Brian Eno produced the album. Feels like something I "should of" known. "Should of" of course is one of the most insidious utterances in the English language so beware. It feels appropriate here though. 

I went with some old friends who I rarely see. We hiked under the full moon. It's probably not advisable to go hiking into the Southern US desert at night (especially when you don't know what the hell you're doing), but, the once ever so often Blue Moon lit up the landscape in a way that was, to say the least, surreal. 

I'm sure I saw a Desert Bobcat running swiftly across the landscape, but the rest of the party won't corroborate the story. Finding truth is similar. You see it, but you're not 100% because you're alone in finding it. A quality of faith reassembles the partial vision into totality. 

First teaser trailer goes live for our latest feature project MAN

Coming sometime in 2018 is my latest feature film, MAN. This is the first available teaser for the project. We are currently creating our release schedule though I have no estimates other than "sometime, 2018". If you'll make some noise about it, the sooner it will find its way. 

The film has yet to world premiere (working on securing dates/venue) although it has won its first award a little over a month ago at a private festival event (CICFF). 

This is 1/3 of the THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS trilogy, which features the already released 2016 project, CANYON, and the forthcoming feature film, THREE WORLDS (also a 2018 release).

alternatively, on vimeo if you prefer:

Find me as well on my newish Instagram.

This is my new public page on instagram. i_am_not_amir_motlagh .
Come say hello :) 

The End of The Year

Just a few more days, and with that, I will have (mostly, if not completely) wrapped up several projects that have been, works in progress for several years. What a beautiful relief.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years :) 

I'll leave you with a picture of my fathers bunnies, Mr Totoro and Marshmellow. 

what do you know of water’s worth while standing on the banks of the euphrates

(if inclined, please watch the work first...it runs 15min.)

Tomorrow marks the online premiere of my latest work (today for you) which I have conveniently embedded the link in this post. (if you prefer, on vimeo here)

This project functions as both a standalone film and also, a visual single for "Moonlighting MIssion Man", the latest release from my music project MIRS.

Two birds, one stone on the shallow end, a postmodernist twist on a Rene Magritte expression on the pretentious end. Both, equally as valid.

This is the working synopsis or thesis put through a press release blender:  "The film captures an intimate sliver into an Iranian American Sufi Muslim poet (Mahsa Hosseini) as she goes about finding meaning in her life. The visual narrative, shot in a classic cinéma vérité style, provides a strong counterpoint to the hidden, synth-driven, processed vocals in "Moonlighting Mission Man". The video eludes to a dual narrative between the film & the music, though kept hidden from plain sight."

Ultimately, this project started with this question, "Is this a short film or a music video?". And for me, ended with identity. (an ephemeral thing, with real-world consequences). 

But back to Magritte, and equally, Jean Baudrillard. Why is the opening question important to me? Media (and its contents) by in large is an open-ended question nowadays, and while I'm personally working through the details of this new paradigm, doing so with a dichotomous media might be my best way of processing it. What is a film? What is a tweet? How are they different? These are important questions in hyperreality when words have less direct meaning, and content rules all.