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Home , Amanda Plummer, Angela McCluskey, Charles Shyer, Cherry Jones, Murder in a Small Town, Sarah Paulson

Swimmers A Film by Doug Sadler

A Production by Damage Control Filmproduction & Horizen Global Productions In association with QuasiWorld Entertainment

PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION NOTES

Production Contacts:

Horizen Global Catherine Enriquez 9 East 19th Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10003 Tel: (212) 957-7070 Fax: (212) 957-7570 [email protected]

Sales Contacts:

Cinetic Media Liesl Copland 555 West 25th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10001 Tel: (212) 204-7979 Fax: (212) 204-7980 [email protected]

International Sales:

Shoreline Entertainment Brian Sweet 1875 Century Park East, Ste. 600 , CA 90067 Tel: (310) 551-2060 Fax: (702) 974-0707 [email protected] www.swimmersthemovie.com WORLDWIDE RIGHTS AVAILABLE PRINCIPAL CAST

Emma TARA DEVON GALLAGHER Julia Will ROBERT KNOTT Clyde SHAWN HATOSY Merrill Mike MICHAEL MOSLEY Shellie KATE GOEHRING

FILMMAKERS

Writer/ Director Co-producer Doug Sadler Daniel Bickel

Producers Casting Melanie Backer Ellen Parks, C.S.A. David W. Leitner Michael Yanko Production Designer Mark White Director of Photography Rodney Taylor Costume Design Ane Crabtree Executive Producers Ophira Dagan Editors Lisa Green Lilah Bankier Affonso Gonçalves Executive Producers Susan Korda Eran Conforty Eli Gonda Music Supervisor Chris Huddleston Susan Jacobs Belton Lee Michael Lin Original score Eli Navon Paul Cantelon David Darling Synopsis

Set in a small waterfront town tucked along the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, SWIMMERS follows the relationship between a lonely eleven year-old girl from a family of struggling watermen and an enigmatic young woman making an uneasy return to the home of her childhood. As the young woman provides an oasis from the stress and financial hardships that threaten to tear the girl’s family apart, she in turn finds herself growing ever-dependent on the unconditional friendship and unlikely support the child provides.

SWIMMERS stars Tara Devon Gallagher (as eleven year-old Emma) and Sarah Paulson (as her confidante Merrill) in performances that achieve bare bones honesty. When Emma suddenly requires a vital medical procedure and her father (Robert Knott) loses his fishing boat – and his livelihood – Emma’s family finds itself on the brink. Meanwhile, Merrill fights to reconcile the emotional turmoil of her past with her attraction to Emma’s brother Clyde (Shawn Hatosy). As Emma’s curiosity and interest lighten Merrill’s perspective on her own soul searching, Merrill’s influence provides the girl with a much needed sense of freedom and mischievousness. As Emma begins to unveil the story of Merrill’s past, however, their friendship takes a dark turn and her mother (Cherry Jones) intervenes. Soon relationships collide and secrets are revealed in the fractious household.

Told from Emma’s imaginative perspective, SWIMMERS is a fiercely intimate look at the strength and delicacy of family and an eloquent paean to the lifestyle of the Chesapeake waterman. Ultimately, the film illuminates the lives of people for whom survival and redemption often require heartbreaking negotiation with their daily hopes and fears. Director’s Statement

SWIMMERS is about people who have fallen out of balance with nature (both their own and the natural world), and whose lives depend upon regaining that balance. In order to illuminate these connections, I have chosen to observe this intense time in the Tyler family from the perspective of Emma, who, as the youngest, can still see and feel in a way that the adults around her cannot. Though Emma’s voice and worldview have some relation to magical realism, SWIMMERS is a realistic portrait of the inner life of a girl still connected to the possibility and personality of the natural world around her. Since her reality includes the world of imagination, it is my responsibility as a filmmaker to follow her there. That said, SWIMMERS is grounded in a realistic style of performance and setting.

The fishermen of the Chesapeake Bay (or watermen as they are known locally) have lived for centuries on the crabs and oysters they harvest. A proud, independent tradition emblematic of the American spirit, watermen are also uniquely threatened by growth, environmental and economic concerns. Thus, Will Tyler and his family are particularly vulnerable to the sort of financial crisis with which they are confronted. The impracticality of Will’s sons continuing this tradition also permeates their relationships with each other and themselves. This way of life, and Will’s struggle to continue it, exemplify one of the things being lost in our drive toward technological and financial excess and resulting disconnection with nature.

I cannot overstate the subtlety with which I hoped to address the political and cultural issues raised by SWIMMERS. Ultimately, this is a story about people facing specific crises and striving to give birth to new dreams. It concludes with hope firmly rooted where it always has been: in that which is to come. Doug Sadler A conversation with Writer/Director Doug Sadler

1. Some of today's best regional filmmakers (Joel and Ethan Coen, David Gordon Green and for example) emerged from the independent sector. SWIMMERS certainly follows that tradition. What appealed to you about Chesapeake Bay and its people?

Well, number one - the Chesapeake is a stunningly beautiful area visually. And I was introduced to it as a kid living on a sailboat, so I was seeing the area from the water from the beginning. I was about twelve at the time and very interested in anything nautical, so I was immediately curious about these elegant workboats and the people who made their living on them. At one point my family ended up weathering a storm at Smith Island, which is one of the more isolated, deeply entrenched ‘watermen communities’ in Maryland. My Dad and I went to a local oyster fry fundraiser and the sense of a unique, tightly entwined community was palpable. It reminded me a bit of the uniqueness and depth of the Cajun culture of Louisiana, which is where I lived prior to moving onto the sailboat.

That initial interest remained strong enough that as I became more involved in writing and filmmaking, I kept returning to, and researching, the watermen. Since the Chesapeake is one of the largest estuaries in the world which is impacted environmentally by five or more states, it’s also an interesting political and environmental case study – though I wanted to treat that issue in a very, very subtle manner by focusing on the impact on people’s lives.

The Chesapeake is one of the few places where people’s livelihoods are directly connected to the health and productivity of the natural world. The beauty and magic of the area and the threats that it faces, as well as the impact of change on real people – those were some of the things that drew me to the Chesapeake. That and the fact that I live there.

2. Joseph Beyer's entry in the Sundance Film Festival catalogue states that SWIMMERS is "a uniquely American story that combines an Arthur Miller sense of drama with emotive Edward Hopperesque photography." Beyond the setting and look of the film, what do you believe qualifies SWIMMERS as "uniquely American?" Well, the setting is pretty key to that actually. Historically, America is based on an agrarian society – that would be the farmer. And more or less these people are farmers of the water. We’ve moved away from that somewhat, and while I’m not suggesting we go backward, we have kind of lost sight of our immediate connection to the health of the natural world. So – I don’t know if that is uniquely American, but it is unique to the Chesapeake. And it is something that is being uniquely lost without particular concern from our country. Also, there is a common thread throughout the country for families who are going along or barely getting along and then the transmission goes out or somebody needs an operation or something and suddenly they are really up against it.

And that is certainly the dynamic that I was interested in exploring. I believe that is what Beyer has touching on with the reference to Arthur Miller – which is flattering to say the least. That issue of health insurance or lack of it in our country today for most families and the impact that has – and what that means as far as being able or not able to provide the daily basics for ones family. I mean, this film couldn’t be set in Sweden, could it?

3. How important is the economic level of the Tyler family to their ability to deal with the moral dilemma(s) you set up for them in SWIMMERS? As opposed to say, an upper class family living in the Hamptons?

Ultimately, a certain amount of this comes down to what I know and what I’m interested in. I have a certain regional bent to me, but I think you could go into any town in this country and find a unique kind of environment or subculture. You could find it in in the meatpacking district. Films tend to skip over that in favor of something that’s a little more elevated or glossy or sexy.

4. What is the significance of the title?

Each of the characters has a relationship with the water and each is struggling in their own way to keep from being drowned by their emotions/circumstances/lives etc. There is William Warner’s Pulitzer Prize winning classic about the Chesapeake, “Beautiful Swimmers” – the title of which is taken from the Latin name for the Maryland Blue Crab, which translates as ‘beautiful swimmer’. The crab’s life cycle requires it to shed its shell in order to grow (during which time they are called ‘peelers’). It’s a vulnerable and necessary time of transition and it’s that moment of delicate transition that I was interested in exploring in each of these characters. By the way, it’s also the period of transition that the Bay itself is in the midst of. 5. In your director's statement, you indicate that the film is about people who have fallen out of balance with nature. How does nature affect the Tyler family?

The Tyler family depends upon the health and productivity of the Bay for their livelihood. Emma as the youngest is the most in tune with both the emotional rhythms and the rhythms of nature and Merrill has had that balance shot out of whack through a traumatic event early in her life. And that “out of balance” theme also can be seen with Will and his desire to be the self-reliant king of the family, because the bay is not providing the way that it probably did when he was a boy. Therefore, he’s doing all of the things he knows how to do, that he was raised to do, yet it‘s not enough.

6. How do the aesthetics of SWIMMERS reflect Emma's interior life and character arc?

I wanted to see and experience the world from Emma’s perspective – so DP Rodney Taylor and I were conscious of texture and detail in framing shots and seeing the world from Emma’s perspective. We also wanted to find a look for the film that held a certain imaginative quality while maintaining a grounded style. So, both in shooting and color correction we were conscious of not allowing things to become too saturated in terms of color. In terms of specific shots and the progression of the look, we begin the film very close on Emma at the pool and find specific moments throughout to share her fascination with living things – shots of the ants, the delicacy of putting her hand in the water, her moment with the injured squirrel in the pool – these were some of the moments I chose to emphasize her connection with nature.

7. Why is Merrill a greater influence on Emma than her parents?

I think there’s a moment in childhood when you begin to look to adults outside your immediate family for answers – a sort of romantic attraction to ‘others’ who certainly must know more and have more wisdom and experience than your parents. Emma’s at that point.

Ultimately, Merrill is more interesting, mysterious and dangerous to Emma. She’s the sort of person Emma’s only seen in magazines. She’s exotic, she listens and she needs Emma. Their friendship becomes a sort of oasis from the tensions that are swirling in Emma’s life at home. 8. How did you find Tara Devon Gallagher? What does she bring to the role of Emma?

Casting director Ellen Parks scoured the talent pool of Los Angeles, New York and in addition we held a casting call on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In seeking to cast a role like ‘Emma’ which requires a certain depth and intensity – I was looking for a kid who was still very alive to her imagination. Tara blew me away in her initial audition when I asked her to use her own words in describing the boats and activity mentioned in one of the voiceovers. I interrupted her and asked her questions about what she was describing and it was clear she was seeing and experiencing those things in her mind’s eye.

Tara brought a lot of heart and imagination to the role and she clearly connected to Emma’s situation and shared the ability to see magic in nature and the everyday. She was alive to her own imagination as well as carrying the depth, maturity and complexity I needed in Emma to make her observations in the voiceovers feel organic and make her relationship with Merrill believable. She was also very disciplined and focused.

9. What do each of the primary actors (Cherry Jones, Robert Knott, Shawn Hatosy, Michael Mosley, Sarah Paulson) lend to their roles? Were there any moments were you were sincerely surprised by what they were able to deliver?

Cherry Jones is just completely solid and deep and subtle, but I think I came to appreciate her subtlety more once I was in the editing room. I knew she was delivering the goods when we were shooting, but the fact that there were other layers at work I didn’t quite know to that degree at that time. She brings an innate strength to that character which was not necessarily the easiest thing to do given the material.

Robert worked on an oil rig for a number of years in Kuwait during the 70s. He brought a ton of passion and sort of a “workman” credibility to the role besides being a great actor. You had this overwhelming sense of the appreciation he had, so to speak, for the people he was speaking for in this film. He brought a wonderful internal complexity and potential for danger to that role. Rounding out the family, Michael brought humor and humanity to his role. All of the actors – certainly Robert, Cherry and Michael, Shawn – really were inspired by the area and the people that we introduced them to. That was one of the more valuable things we did during pre-production – just let them kind of soak up the area and the people. Sarah blew me away at the audition. She brings this really deep wound (for my money) and a complexity to the role. Other actors generally gave me a read as “I’m angry and sexy” for that part and you’d give them notes and then you’d get “I’m messed up and I’m in pain” but the Merrill character constantly has this seduction and control game going on. What I found with Sarah is that she had an amazing ability to shift gears and do multiple things at the same time. She could shift on a dime and bring a lot of resonance and depth to the scenes.

Shawn Hatosy is just incredibly instinctual and responsive. He’s not one of those actors who gets tied up in knots over beats and objectives and that sort of thing. His performance was wonderful in that he brought an incredible instinct for Clyde’s vulnerability and innocence and lack of guile and never shied away from those things. I had a lot of different styles with this cast. And I did some things with them as far as rehearsing in the location, and putting them through kind of a guided meditation to imagine their history together, etc. basically to help give them the tools and create the kind of environment to work that I myself would like (as an actor).

10. How does your training as an actor aid you as a writer/director?

Acting is the root of it all for me. Writing, for me, is “acting” all of the parts. That moment to moment behavior, the subtlety, the believability of what people say and how they behave in a moment – I mean, it’s kind of how I do it, what I am. I wouldn’t know how to do it otherwise. That and pulling from my own life. The place that I came to Emma’s voice was from when I was ten and living on a farm in rural Louisiana where everything felt very alive. You know, that sort of imagination and dream kind of state that is much more present when you are a kid.

I was very surprised when I went to film school how few directors had any background or any real interest in acting. To me, it just seems like, “what the hell are you doing!” You know, there is a technical seduction that occurs for newer directors with the camera and suddenly everything becomes about that. But there is a balance to be struck there.

11. How did your experience at the Sundance Filmmakers Lab influence your work - SWIMMERS in particular?

The Sundance Labs gave me the opportunity to go over the script and the story with a fine- toothed comb in the presence of some very established and generous filmmakers. It also afforded an invaluable opportunity which I don’t believe exists anywhere else: the opportunity to rehearse, shoot and edit portions of your film with the knowledge that you’re going to throw it all away.

Since you’re shooting then editing right away, the moment when you say “why didn’t I shoot x y or z” is nearly immediate. So, the filmmaking lab brings the needs of the cutting room into sharp focus. Because of the costs of shooting a film, it’s the kind of freedom to explore and experiment and immediately see the results (and get criticized for them) that is unheard of. It was very rewarding and also not just a little confusing in that you get twenty (or more) perspectives on the story you’re trying to tell. Ultimately I had to consider everything everyone said then go back to my own root instinct and rely on that. About the Cast

SWIMMERS marks TARA DEVON GALLAGHER’s (Emma) motion picture debut. She also appears as a featured contestant in Marilyn Agrelo’s documentary about competition ballroom dancing in the New York City public school system, MAD HOT BALLROOM, the opening night selection of the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival. For television, Gallagher has taken part in two children’s specials – “Saagwa” for PBS and “My Favorite Book” for HBO as well as commercials for both Target and Chuck E. Cheese amongst others. Other credits include “The Children’s Hour,” directed by Austin Pendleton and the children’s opera, “Brundiba.” Gallagher lives in New York City.

CHERRY JONES (Julia) is currently appearing in the Theater Club production of ’s “Doubt” -- which moves to Broadway in March 2005. Other Broadway appearances include ’s “Imaginary Friends”; the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of “Major Barbara,” directed by Daniel Sullivan; Theatre’s production of “” for which she won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards; her Tony-nominated performance in “A Moon for the Misbegotten”; “Our Country’s Good” (Tony Award nomination); “”; “”; “Macbeth” and “Stepping Out.” Regional and off-Broadway credits include “Flesh & Blood,” “Pride’s Crossing” (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Awards); “The Baltimore Waltz” (); “The Good Person of Setzuan” (Joseph Jefferson Award); “A Moon for the Misbegotten”; “I Am a Camera”; “The Seagull”; “The Importance of Being Earnest” and Goodnight Desdemona/Good Morning Juliet.”

In addition to SWIMMERS, Jones can currently be seen in ’s OCEAN’S 12 and appeared earlier last year in M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VILLAGE. Her motion picture credits also include M. Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS, DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD, Tim Robbins’ , Wolfgang Peterson’s THE PERFECT STORM, ERIN BROCKOVICH with Julia Roberts and THE HORSE WHISPERER, directed by Robert Redford. Her work on television includes the Lifetime movie “What Makes a Family” as well as PBS’s Masterpiece Theater adaptation of Langston Hughes’ “Cora Unashamed” and two appearances opposite in the A&E mysteries “Murder in a Small Town” and “The Lady in Question.”

Jones trained at Carnegie Mellon University and is a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she has performed in over two dozen productions, including “As You Like It,” “Twelfth Night,” “The Three Sisters,” “The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” and the premieres of both Christopher Durang’s “Baby with the Bathwater” and Larry Gelbarts’ “Mastergate.” She also appeared at ART playing the title role in a new adaptation of Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata.” Jones is the proud recipient of GLAAD’s 2004 Vito Russo Award for her outstanding commitment to combating homophobia.

ROBERT KNOTT (Will) is a third generation actor. His grandparents and parents had a traveling theater tent show that followed the wheat harvest. When the show closed in the 1950s, his family made camp in Oklahoma where Robert was born and raised by actors, musicians and storytellers. He spent the early part of adulthood working on oil rigs, sticking with it for more than 10 years until the bust in the 80s when he fell back on the only other life he knew -- acting. Today, he lives and works as an actor/writer in Los Angeles.

Prior to SWIMMERS, Knott co-starred as Dobbit in Robert M. Young's BELOW THE BELT, a comedy based on Richard Dresser’s play that premiered at Sundance last year. Knott most recently completed work on THE GARAGE, directed by Carl Tiabolt.

Knott’s extensive list of motion picture credits include POLLOCK, directed by Ed Harris, Stephen Frears' HIGH LOW COUNTRY with Billy Crudup, STORM with Martin Sheen, BUFFALO SOLDIERS with Danny Glover and Walter Hill's WILD BILL with . SHAWN HATOSY (Clyde) starred in the Emmy- nominated “Soldier’s Girl” (Sundance 2003) for Showtime and the features THE COOLER (Sundance 2003) and DALLAS 362 (winner, 2003 CineVegas Critics Award). Most recently, he completed filming the independent LITTLE ATHENS. He can next be seen in the independent feature 11:14, an ensemble film which follows four different and seemingly unconnected stories set in a small town. 11:14 also stars , Rachael Leigh Cook, Patrick Swayze, Colin Hanks, and Henry Thomas. Other film credits include A GUY THING, BORSTAL BOY, JOHN Q, OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE, ANYWHERE BUT HERE, THE FACULTY, SIMPATICO, DOWN TO YOU, TANGLED, JOYRIDERS, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, NIAGARA NIAGARA, THE POSTMAN, INVENTING THE ABBOTTS and IN & OUT. Hatosy is currently in production on Nick Cassavete’s ALPHA DOG, with Emile Hirsch, and Bruce Willis.

For television, Hatosy starred in TNT¹s “Winning Season,” HBO's telefilm “Witness Protection” and the critically acclaimed HBO series “Six Feet Under.” He made his stage debut starring as Billy the Kid in the La Jolla Playhouse production of “The Collected Works” of Billy the Kid for directors Kate Whorisky and Des McAnuff. Last February, Hatosy starred in the play “Roulette” opposite Anna Paquin and Ana Gasteyer off-Broadway. Hatosy grew up in Frederick, Maryland and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Combining natural beauty and innate acting ability, SARAH PAULSON (Merrill) is a star on the rise. Paulson will next be seen as Laura Wingfield in the upcoming Broadway revival of ' “,” alongside .

Paulson most recently starred with Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and David Hyde Pierce in Paramount's . Her film credits also include opposite and and , directed by Gary Marshall starring and . A New York native, Paulson made her feature film debut in LEVITATION, an independent film released by Strong Pictures and directed by Scott Goldstein.

Paulson's television credits include HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Deadwood,” the leading role of Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Patterson in ABC's “The D.A.,” the lead role of Faith on the NBC sitcom “Leap of Faith,” “” opposite Alec Baldwin and Donald Sutherland, the WB series “Jack and Jill,” the Hallmark/CBS movie “The Long Way Home” opposite Jack Lemmon, the HBO pilot “Love and Madness,” ABC's two-parter “Cracker,” the CBS movie “Shaughnessy,” the CBS series “American Gothic” and a recurring role on NBC's “Law & Order.”

On stage, Paulson most recently received rave reviews for her performance in “Killer Joe,” an off-Broadway production featuring Scott Glenn and . She also appeared in the Broadway production of Wendy Wasserstein's Tony Award-winning, “The Sisters Rosensweig” at the Barrymore Theatre, the off-Broadway production of “Talking Pictures,” and the regional productions of “Stalin’s Daughter,” “Ashes, Ashes,” “Alert the Media,” “Does Anyone Hear Me?,” “The Penitent Madeline,” “Best Friends,” “An Evening of One Acts,” and “Amerlia Again.”

MICHAEL MOSLEY’s (Mike) film credits include EJECT, BROTHER TO BROTHER, BUILDING GIRL, and the forthcoming ROOM 314. For television, Mosely appeared on “Law and Order SVU,” “Third Watch,” “Hack” and “The Education of Max Bickford” (recurring). His stage credits include “Right as Ron” (Jane Street) “In Case You Forget” (Powerhouse Theatre, NYSAF), “Blue Eyes Black Hair”(Ohio Theatre), “Conference Time” (Cherry Lane) and “Uncle Bob” (SoHo Playhouse). KATE GOEHRING (Shellie) includes among her many theatre credits the role of Harper Pitt in the First National Tour of “Angels in America” (LA Pride and Miami Carbonel awards for best actress). She is also the recipient of a Chicago Emmy Award Nomination for her work in the PBS' production of “Moment of Rage.” Other television appearances include roles in “Law & Order,” “ER,” “Early Edition” and “The Untouchables.” Goehring has also been seen on the BBC in the telefilm, “March in Windy City.” She most recently appeared at the Arena Stage in Tennessee Williams' “Orpheus Descending.” A veteran of regional theatre, Goehring has appeared on stages across America including the Goodman Theatre and Court Theatre in Chicago, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the McCarter and Boston's Huntington Theatre. Goehring currently resides in New York City. About the Filmakers

DOUG SADLER (Writer-Director) was raised on a farm in Louisiana until his parents sold everything and moved the family onto a sailboat for two years. They eventually settled in Maryland and Sadler went on to graduate from Vanderbilt University and study acting at the American Conservatory Theatre. He received his MFA from the American Film Institute. In 2001, Filmmaker Magazine named him one of the “25 New Faces” and the following year his debut film -- RIDERS -- premiered on the Sundance Channel. He was also honored to participate in the Sundance Institute’s Writing and Directing Labs with SWIMMERS.

In 1993, Sadler founded the Oregon Lab, a multi-disciplinary creative retreat committed to experimental work. He currently lives in Maryland and New York with his wife Linda and son Emery.

MELANIE BACKER (Producer) started out in independent film in New York City working for New Line Cinema as their East Coast Story. She then worked for Glenn Gordon Caron as his V.P of Development in Los Angeles. As an independent producer, Backer produced the features THE AMATI GIRLS and PUMPKIN (Sundance 2002). She also produced the short films WOMEN WITHOUT IMPLANTS ( Lifetime/Cable ACE nomination), and THE CLEARING. Currently, Backer is working on film projects with Academy Award-winning producers, Jeremy Thomas and Fred Roos. She also works as a producer representative, selling completed films to domestic distributors. Backer is delighted to be working with Doug Sadler on SWIMMERS after representing his first film, RIDERS.

D. W. LEITNER (Producer) has over forty credits as director, DP, or producer in feature documentary and dramatic films produced here and abroad, including five films that screened in competition at Sundance: SPARK AMONGST THE ASHES (1987), FOR ALL MANKIND (1989, Jury and Audience Award Best Documentary), VIENNA IS DIFFERENT (1990), TREMBLING BEFORE G-D (2001), and THE TECHNICAL WRITER (2003). Leitner’s first drama as director, MY SISTER’S WEDDING (2000), marked the film debuts of Patrick Wilson (Mike Nichols’ ANGELS IN AMERICA, ALAMO) and Blanchard Ryan (OPEN WATER). In April 2002, he co- founded Manhattan-based independent production company Damage Control Filmproduction, which specializes in bringing innovative technologies to low-budget feature filmmaking. MICHAEL YANKO (Producer) entered the independent movie arena three years ago. He has already produced two successful full-length features and built the HoriZen Global Productions team. Between 1999 and 2000, Yanko helped finance and co-produce two off-Broadway shows. His love and dedication to independent film production set him on a journey that created a system which supports the artist but never undermines the investor.

OPHIRA DAGAN (Executive Producer) has been producing, developing content, and serving as a television executive producer for more than a decade. Credited as a producer on more than 50 documentary films, TV shows and mini-series, Dagan’s experience includes project development, acquisition, financing and production as well as the branding, marketing and development of TV channels for major networks in both Israel and Europe. In 2002, Dagan founded FrameWork Pictures, an independent film production company in New York City. She co-executive produced THE TECHNICAL WRITER, an official 2003 Sundance Film Festival dramatic competition selection. In 2004, Dagan joined HoriZen Global Productions as Executive Vice President of Development and Production.

LISA GREEN (Executive Producer) began her acting career in her native Australia. A noteworthy actress in theater, television and film, her credits include principal roles in two of Australia’s most popular prime-time television series, “A Country Practice” and “Neighbours.” Green then followed her dream to study with in New York. Since her arrival, she has appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions including “ The Misanthrope” and “The Grand Guignol.” Her passion for the creative arts and her extensive experience in acting prove invaluable in her foray into -production. Green has been an executive producer in off- Broadway shows, and shortly thereafter, she began producing films. She was the executive producer for the film THE TECHNICAL WRITER, an official 2003 Sundance Film Festival dramatic competition selection.

ERAN CONFORTY (Executive Producer) ) Eran Conforty’s creative background spans a multitude of disciplines.

To begin, he was Senior Art Director for leading advertising agencies in Israel were he took part in designing campaigns for numerous clients including Bank Leumi ( Israel’s second largest bank), El- Al ( Israel’s national airline) and The Israeli Postal Service. His creative work includes but is not limited to; writing, producing and directing the National Aids Awareness Campaign for the Israeli Ministry of Health, for which he was awarded the 1993 gold medal for best television service broadcast. Mr. Conforty also wrote, directed and produced a Holocaust documentary for the Israeli Army. The documentary is displayed in Yad Va Shem (The central memorial for the Holocaust in Jerusalem). He took part in writing, producing and directing a video clip for one of Israel’s leading singers; the clip opened the 1992 Jerusalem Film Festival.

ELI GONDA (Executive Producer)has extensive experience in stage and screen having been, for the past two years, assistant director for the Broadway productions of “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring ; the Tony Award winning revivals of “Henry IV,” starring Kevin Kline; “Nine,” starring Antonio Banderas; Nora Ephron’s “Imaginary Friends,” and “Major Barbara,” starring Cherry Jones. He also served as assistant director at the National Theatre of Great Britain on John Guare’s adaptation of “His Girl Friday.” Gonda’s film credits include assisting director Trevor Nunn in the BBC’s productions of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE; assistant director on THE QUEEN’S NOSE and the independent film WISH YOU WERE DEAD. Gonda is currently teamed with David Leveaux as associate director on the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” starring Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson.

CHRIS HUDDLESTON (Executive Producer) has gained broad experience through a variety of studio and independent films. He worked closely with Charles Shyer on THE AFFAIR OF THE NECKLACE; Steve Bickel on LOVE COMES TO THE EXECUTIONER; and and Bruce Block on SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE. Currently, Huddleston is prepping Alexis Jolly’s screenwriting debut LEAVING GREENVILLE for QuasiWorld Entertainment.

BELTON LEE (Executive Producer) has over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. In the early 90s, he managed and supervised a $50 million portfolio with assets including commercial buildings, hotel, and a bakery franchise with 19 retail stores nationwide. In the late 90s, Lee was involved with real estate finance, investment and risk management with a finance company with over $350 million in assets. As an investment banker, Lee most recently obtained financing in excess of $100 million dollars for various projects in real estate, entertainment, communication, and apparel industries in the U.S. and Asia. He has successfully completed business ventures in movies, men & women's clothing, and real estate. Qualifications: BBA, Accounting, Baruch College, City College of New York MBA, Marketing/Finance, Pace University, New York As President of Grand Pacific USA, MICHAEL LIN (Executive Producer) oversees the entire operation of a $350 million financial services institution, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and . Apart from normal executive responsibilities, Lin works closely with his team of financial professionals in strategic planning, product development, and investment analysis and asset acquisition. In addition, he is responsible for the supervision of activities of the group's real estate holding entities and supports business and investment ventures by Grand Pacific's affiliate enterprises in the U.S. Grand Pacific Finance Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Koos Group, a premier Taiwan- based business conglomerate with over 20,000 employees worldwide and $30 billion in assets. It caters to the needs of businesses and individuals nationwide in equipment leasing, commercial mortgages, real estate development and acquisition and merchant banking.

ELI NAVON (Executive Producer) is a businessman whose involvement extends throughout the film and shipping industries. Three years ago, he entered the film industry with the launch of FrameWork Pictures, an independent film production company, which he co-founded. Since then, he has co-executive produced THE TECHNICAL WRITER and SWIMMERS. Navon’s contribution to film spans from American to Israeli film markets.

DANIEL BICKEL (Co-producer) started his early production work on the Academy Award- winning KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Over the next several years, Bickel worked as production coordinator and art director on numerous feature films and television movies, including IRONWEED, A RAGE IN HARLEM, DEEP COVER and several Disney movie telefilms.

With a brief break to work as President Jimmy Carter's Director at Habitat for Humanity, Bickel's passion for filmmaking continues today. He recently developed and produced several projects including the award-winning film TALENT, Sundance channel favorite RIDERS and the just completed horror pic, DARK RIDE for Lions Gate Films. Next, Bickel will produce the thriller DANIKA slated for production this spring.

RODNEY TAYLOR (Director of Photography) was born and raised on the coast of North Carolina, and studied film at the University of North Carolina. He began his career shooting live sports for ESPN, ABC, TBS, and others, and in 1988, he moved to Los Angeles and began working as an assistant on IMAX films and features. Taylor has gone on to be a successful cinematographer for numerous features, IMAX films, and documentaries and has been shooting for over 20 years. He first collaborated with Doug Sadler on RIDERS in 2001. Other feature credits include SPARKLER and MORNING. In 1999, Taylor received the International Cinematographers Guild Film Showcase Award for his work on the 35mm short film GRIND. In 2003, he received the Kodak Vision Award for his Excellence in the IMAX format.

ELLEN PARKS, C.S.A (Casting) has a 20 year casting background in film and television, ranging from low budget projects to studio fare. She has done casting work for Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Joel and Ethan Coen, George Romero and David Letterman, among others, including numerous talented first time filmmakers. Parks’ work is distinguished by high-profile ensemble casts (FLIRTING WITH DISASTER), as well as by the introduction of new and re-emerging talent (, SECRETARY, SPANKING THE MONKEY, MANNY & LO, SONGCATCHER). She gave actors such as Macaulay Culkin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, , Emmy Rossum and Maggie Gyllenhall their first important roles. Actors from her casts have garnered twenty acting awards and nominations. Parks won a 2004 Artios Casting Award for SECRETARY and an Artios nomination in 1996 for the casting of FLIRTING WITH DISASTER.

MARK WHITE (Production Designer) began his career as a toy designer, and soon embarked on a career as a theatre designer in New Haven, Connecticut. He served as set designer for Bruno Dumont’s TWENTYNINE PALMS, and as art director for Ben Younger’s BOILER ROOM. As production designer, White created designs for such films as WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, DOWN TO THE BONE, TULLY, THE BAXTER and TRANSAMERICA. He holds a BFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art and currently resides in New York.

Prior to her film experience, ANE CRABTREE (Costume Designer) was a fashion stylist in New York, working with New York designers and Elle. She has been a costume designer since 1991. Among her credits are: IF LUCY FELL, THE EDGE OF 17, THE SOPRANOS, Michael Mann's ROBBERY HOMICIDE DIVISION, and Milcho Manchevski's DUST. Most recently, she has completed the television series, “LAX,” with the Brothers Russo at the helm. Crabtree is also a painter and a photographer.

LILAH BANKIER’s (Editor) feature credits includes CONTROL ROOM (Jury Award 2004 Full Frame Documentary Festival, 2004 Sundance Film Festival) and UNSCREWED (First Film Special Distinction, 2003 Montreal Film Festival, Special Jury Award, 2004 Santa Barbara Film Festival). She was an additional editor on EAT THIS NEW YORK and TADPOLE (Best Directing Award, 2003 Sundance Film Festival), and the assistant editor on Gus Van Sant’s GERRY. Her television credits include “The Blues,” executive produced by Martin Scorsese for PBS, as well as programs for Oxygen and A&E.

In addition to SWIMMERS, AFFONSO GONÇALVES (Editor) also cut another 2005 Sundance Film Festival selection – FORTY SHADES OF BLUE. He has worked with producer/director as editor on THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR, THE ADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN COLE and THE BIG BEND. His other feature editing credits include Julian Goldberger's TRANS, Hillary Birmingham's TULLY, Doug Sadler's RIDERS, and Michael Burke's THE MUDGE BOY. He also edited the short subject UPHEAVAL, for Itamar Kubovy, and THE GREEN MONSTER, David Finn's documentary about racing legend and one-time world land- speed record-holder Art Arfons.

SUSAN KORDA’s (Editor) first feature length film credit as editor was writer/director Al Reinert's 35mm documentary about the Apollo moon missions, FOR ALL MANKIND, which won both Jury and Audience Awards at Sundance in 1989 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1990. Korda has since enjoyed a successful career editing documentaries here and abroad, most recently Sandi DuBowski's TREMBLING BEFORE G-D (Documentary Competition, Sundance 2001) about homosexual Chasidim and ultra-orthodox Jews. Korda is also a filmmaker in her own right, having made several award-winning experimental films, including ONE OF US (1999 Berlin Film Festival). In between film projects, she teaches writing, film production, and editing in New York at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Cooper Union, and in Cologne, Germany at the International Film School.

SUSAN JACOBS (Music Supervisor) has extensive credits and experience. She has managed such talents as Hal Willner, Gavin Friday and Evan Lurie and produced such albums as “The Carl Stalling Project” (WB), “The Lion for Real” (Island Records) and “Stay Awake” (A&M Records). Jacobs has served as music supervisor in both television and film. Some television credits include “Happily Ever After” (HBO), “Live from the House of Blues” (Turner Networks), and “Encyclopedia” (HBO/CTW). Film credits include GOING UP RIVER: THE LONG WAR OF JOHN KERRY (2003/04), THE VILLAGE (2003/04), MONSOON WEDDING (2002/03), UNBREAKABLE (2001/02), BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (2001/02), GIRLFIGHT (2001/02), HAPPINESS (1999/98) and BASQUIAT (1997). Born in Los Angeles, , PAUL CANTELON (Original Score) started his musical career as a violinist, making his debut at the age of 13 at Royce Hall. Soon after hearing reclusive pianist Donalee Reubenet, he began his intensive studies. At 15, Cantelon started his studies with legendary pianist Vlado Perelemuter, at the Paris conservatory and began his concert career as a pianist. After a very serious bicycle accident at 17, which left him in a coma for a month only to emerge with significant amnesia, Cantelon began what would prove to be a most unusual evolution as a composer. He signed a recording contract with Capitol Records and released a solo piano record of Celtic hymns titled “In the Morning Early.” After studying under Jakob Latiener at the Juilliard School and Dame Mary Berry at Trinity College, Cambridge, Cantelon began extensive touring in the Far East in support of his second solo piano of all original compositions titled “Paul Cantelon Solo Piano” for the Nippon Columbia label.

In the early 90s, he formed the eclectic band with singer Angela McCluskey, recording two albums for and performing with such artists as Joe Cocker, The Kinks, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, George Clinton, Rickie Lee Jones, King Crimson & Ry Cooder. The Wild Colonials recorded two albums for Geffen selling in excess of 500,000 units. In 1995, after composing a special centenary score for the Eisenstein classic silent film BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, Cantelon finished a new collection of works for solo piano and piano trio, opening the Montreux Jazz Festival. These works were met with critical acclaim from artists as diverse as Pete Townsend, Chick Corea and Phillip Glass.

Cantelon is presently working on a new collection of works, which will be recorded this spring under the guidance of acclaimed classical engineer/producer Tom Lazarus.

DAVID DARLING (Original Score) began piano lessons at the age of five and the study of classical cello at age 10. In high school, he was principal cellist in the orchestra, played tuba in the concert band, sang with the madrigal singers and acapella choir, and played baritone sax in the pep band. He also led his own jazz ensemble in which he played double bass and alto saxophone. Darling attended Indiana State University earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education. He was a scholarship student with the Pierre Monteux conducting school and studied jazz performance at Berklee School of Music in Boston. Early awards include first place in the Indianapolis Indiana Music Matinee Solo Artist Competition, and a scholarship to the American Federation of Musicians Strings Seminar. In the summer of 1970, Darling joined the Grammy Award-winning Paul Winter Consort making his home in Nashville, TN. Darling’s music has long been recognized and sought after by producers and directors in the film industry which includes ongoing collaboration with European filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Wim Wenders. Films with Godard include: NOUVELLE VAGUE (1996), FOREVER MOZART (2000), MOSTLY MARTHA (2003) and E’LOGE DE L’AMOUR (2003) presented at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. His films with Wenders include: UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (1991) featuring Darling as solo improviser and FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! (1993). Recently, Wenders and Darling collaborated on the production of a major television commercial celebrating the 50th anniversary of Italy’s Barilla Co.

US major motion picture credits include HEAT directed by Michael Mann, starring and Robert DeNiro (1997),187 (1997), GOING UNDER (2003), INSIDER (1987) and EQUINOX (1970). His short film and documentary credits include but are not limited to MIRROR ON THE MOON, CANYONLANDS and LIVING THEIR ART.

Darling’s self produced CD, “Cello Blue,” issued by Hearts of Space and Valley Entertainment in 2001, earned rave reviews, a 2002 Grammy Nomination and also the AFIM Indie Award from the Association for Independent Music.

In 1995, he received the Artist of the Year Award by the Board of Directors of Young Audiences Inc. In 2001, Darling garnered the Arts Advocate of the Year Award presented by the Connecticut Music Educators Association.

Darling resides in Goshen, CT creating music from Camp David Recording Studios. About the Production Companies

DAMAGE CONTROL FILMPRODUCTION is a Manhattan-based independent production company founded in 2002 by Michael Yanko and David W. Leitner to produce low-budget features that place innovative technologies in the hands of experienced directors. In 2002, Damage Control produced THE TECHNICAL WRITER (Tatum O’Neal, William Forsythe, Michael Harris, Pamela Gordon), directed by Scott Saunders, which premiered in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

HORIZEN GLOBAL PRODUCTIONS Horizen Global Productions, a New York-based production company, seeks to engage talented artists with projects that provoke thought about the very essence of humanity. Its mission is to touch, move and inspire people to be aware and conscious of themselves and the world around them.

With funding from the secure collateral of hard assets, specifically real estate, Horizen Global Productions plans to produce two to three projects per year with critically acclaimed and experienced directors, featuring a high-caliber cast. Horizen believes that the success of films not only rests on a captivating and powerful story, but also on the drive, determination and dedication of the people behind it.

QUASIWORLD ENTERTAINMENT is an independent production company founded in 2004 by filmmakers and life-long friends Eli Gonda and Chris Huddleston, to provide imaginative and talented storytellers with the resources necessary to bring to life original ideas for the screen, stage, and living room.

QuasiWorld is presently developing the motion picture LEAVING GREENVILLE and the theatrical production “Women with a History of Anything.”

Through a strategic relationship with Lexington Entertainment Group, QuasiWorld has preferred access to foreign distribution (Aura Entertainment), digital cinema/postproduction services (Post Logic) and digital effects/computer graphics interface house (Creo).

Jan. 31, 2005

Swimmers

By James Greenberg PARK CITY -- Before Miramax brought independent film to the multiplex and Sundance made it a national sport, American independent cinema was about regional filmmaking. Small, well-told stories rooted in a specific time and place. A rocky coming-of-age tale set along the Maryland coast, "Swimmers" is that kind of film. Mature audiences looking for a deeply-felt, human-scale story should be given the chance to enjoy this one in theaters.

More than anything, "Swimmers" is a realistic and loving portrait of a twelve- year-old girl's inner life. Emma Tyler (Tara Devon Gallagher) is, in her father's words, a peeler--a young crab that is shedding its shell before moving on to the next stage of growth. Unfortunately, Emma's serene if not particularly joyful life hits a snag when she develops an ear problem that calls for a costly operation.

Living off the water in the Chesapeake Bay is at best a precarious business. Emma's father Will (Robert Knott) fishes for crabs and oysters but changing economics and environmental conditions make it a losing proposition. A strong, silent type, he is predictably driven to drink by his shortcomings, which leaves the work of keeping the family together and finding money to the matriarch Julia (Cherry Jones).

Perhaps because it's a region that has not been seen a lot on film, it is easy to feel the beauty as well as the hardship of life here. As her family situation worsens, Emma makes friends with Merrill (Sarah Paulson), a highly strung young woman with a troubled past who has just returned to town. The two form a bond based on old suffering and new respect. Sarah is the kind of strange presence we meet in movies who comes into someone's life and leaves. Dark and given to manic bouts of depression, Sarah is an intriguing character who could have used a bit more backstory.

The complications of the plot are not surprising and almost besides the point. Emma's brother Clyde (Sean Hatosy) falls for Sarah; that doesn't work out. There's bad blood between Clyde and Emma's other brother Mike (Michael Mosley) and the two come to blows. And Julia and Will's marriage is threatened. Emma's one sanctuary had always been her love of swimming, but now with her ear problem, she can't even do that. In one way or another, everyone's life here is dependent on the water.

What really makes "Swimmers" special are the small touches rather than the big dramatic flourishes. Writer/director Doug Sadler somehow gets inside the head of a twelve-year-old girl and manages to communicate her dreams and fears. And it's the wonderful performances that make these people come alive. Gallagher, in her film debut, is soulful without being sappy, and Jones as her mother turns in her usual nuanced work. She can show more with a crease of the brow than most actors can with a page of dialogue. Veteran character actor Knott captures the darkness and light and quicksilver personality of a man at his wit's end. Beautiful work all around.

These are not just characters who were plopped down in an unusual location because someone thought it would be an interesting place to shoot a movie. They belong here and their lives are part of the environment. Rodney Taylor's sensitive photography captures the uniqueness of the place but also the harshness as seen through a young girl's eyes. Although the story is familiar, the specifics make you feel like you've been taken someplace new.

SWIMMERS Damage Control Filmproduction, Horizon Global Productions, Quasiworld Entertainment Credits: Director: Doug Sadler Writer: Sadler Producers: Melanie Backer, David W. Leitner, Michael Yanko Executive producer: Ophira Dagan, Lisa Green Director of photography: Rodney Taylor Production designer: Mark White Music: Paul Cantelon, David Darling Co-producer: Daniel Bickel Costume designer: Ane Crabtree Editors: Lilah Bankier, Affonso Goncalves, Susan Korda. Cast: Emma: Tara Devon Gallagher Julia: Cherry Jones Will: Robert Knott Clyde: Shawn Hatosy Merrill: Sarah Paulson Mike: Michael Mosley Shellie: Kate Goehring No MPAA rating Running time -- 90 minutes

SWIMMERS by Daniel Wible (2005-01-29) 2004, Un-rated, 90 Minutes,

In a quiet working-class town on Maryland’s coast, a young girl’s innocence may forever be shattered as she confronts the realities of adult weakness and pain. The young girl is the focal point of “Swimmers,” a raw and riveting family drama from writer/director Doug Sadler. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: yet another family drama from the independent film circuit, oh what joy! But trust me on this one, if you’re a lover of the finest in film acting and potent drama, “Swimmers” is one of those “smaller” films you won’t want to miss. (And you won’t find it on the Lifetime Channel, I checked.)

In a breakthrough performance, Tara Devon Gallagher is Emma Tyler, a fiercely intelligent and observant 11-year old suffering from some unspecified illness requiring expensive surgery. Grounded, literally, from her favorite pastime, swimming, Emma is forced to look for alternative ways to pass those lazy summer days and soon meets Merrill (Sarah Paulson), a seriously damaged young woman newly returned home. In keeping with countless other Sundance ’05 screenings I’ve caught, the two strike up, yes, a touching Unlikely Friendship. Though, to be fair, this friendship makes total sense and is therefore probably not all that unlikely. The sweetly innocent Emma allows the world-weary Merrill to in some ways reconnect with her own lost innocence, while Merrill, for her part, provides an oasis for Emma, who feels invisible at home in the eyes of her struggling parents. Will and Julia Tyler (superbly portrayed by Robert Knott and Cherry Jones, respectively) love their daughter immensely, but suffer the financial woes of a poor fishing season, the sudden loss of Will’s boat (for which he may be responsible, having a reputation for liking the bottle, as they say), Will’s fierce pride in not having to ask for handouts, and possibly even an extramarital affair. Added to this volatile mix of domestic strife and crisis is a love story desperately trying to emerge between Merrill and one of Emma’s older brothers Clyde (Shawn Hatosy). As the two attempt to meet cute, Merrill’s ugly past and pathologic need to be used threatens to resurface and destroy her newfound sense of purity.

Idyllically filmed in a small waterfront town along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, “Swimmers” has a wonderfully evocative sense of place. Sadler and cinematographer Rodney Taylor draw exquisite visual parallels between the gentle rise and fall of the tide and the banal rhythms of daily seaside life. Their use of water as a timeless surrogate for life, hope, and even death, is particularly interesting, if not entirely original. Not to be outdone by the silent, but omnipresent character that is the setting, the film’s cast is uniformly authentic and mesmerizing. Their noteworthy performances, along with Sadler’s smartly observed script, elevate the film well above the Lifetime Channel schmaltz you probably fear. Fresh from her recent stints in Shyamalan’s “Signs” and “The Village”, Cherry Jones pilfers nearly every scene she graces. Give this woman an Oscar already! As beaten goods, Sarah Paulson is equal parts desirable and nutty, but always in command of her role. But “Swimmers” is ultimately young Tara Devon Gallagher’s film. The rookie actress improbably delivers a profoundly mature performance that belies her experience. Discovering all this emerging talent makes one remember why they come to Sundance in the first place.