anthem a Sepia Films production

feature drama // runtime: 99:43 // format: dcp

Film Sales: Public Relations:

Creative Artists Agency Slash PR Christine Hsu Erica Gianchetti 1 424 288 2382 917.621.7588 [email protected] [email protected]

cast and crew

Cameron Monaghan Luke Hunter Peyton List Faith Taylor Juliette Lewis Mary Hunter Grayson Gabriel Fang Delaney Alex MacNicoll Stan Miller Spencer List Dwight Danny Woodburn Little Bob

Director Robin Hays Writers Elisha Matic Josh Close Producers Tina Pehme Kim Roberts Cinematographer Todd Duym Costume Designer Liene Dobraja Casting Paul Weber Catharine Falcon Bim Narine Editor Austin Andrews Composer Andrew Harris

1 tagline

Yes, we all die. But first we get to live. And that's big. That's beautiful. That's not to be missed.

logline When 17 year old Luke Hunter predicts his friend’s death with freakish accuracy, his life gets complicated - FAST.

synopsis

Based on the award-winning novel by Joanne Proulx, Anthem is a coming-of-age story that nails contemporary youth culture. Hormonal and funny, exhilarating and wise, Anthem slyly explores the powerful brew of fear, truth, music and noise that plays inside us all.

LUKE HUNTER is a small-town teenager torn between two worlds -- his stoner friends, including his childhood best friend FANG, and his new best friend STAN, the popular guy who loves life and has everything... including FAITH, the hottest girl in Stokum.

Luke's two worlds collide one night when Stan gets high with Luke and his other friends. In a fog of weed and confusion, Luke has a disturbing premonition -- that Stan will be struck by a car and killed. Everyone laughs it off... until the next morning, when Stan dies exactly as Luke predicted. Luke is dubbed "The Prophet of Death" by a local reporter and everyone in town suddenly looks at him like a freak.

Luke isolates himself, drowning out the world with hip-hop, keeping everyone at arm's length – his parents, Fang, even Faith -- telling no one that the premonitions keep coming. Luke tries to intervene, but it seems there's nothing he can do.

As the media moves on to an exposé of gay men cruising in a local park, Luke and Faith grow closer, while Fang pulls further away. Fang accuses Luke of moving in on his dead friend's girl, which Luke angrily denies. But the truth is, Luke and Faith are falling in love -- until Faith accidentally calls him "Stan" at the school dance, confirming his worst fears and sending him into a tailspin of self- doubt. As things go from bad to worse, Luke foresees yet another death... this time, it's Fang.

Desperate to intervene, Luke enlists Faith's help and drags Fang out to Gandy's

2 Rock, a massive stone cliff on the outskirts of town that for a young Fang represented the ultimate conquest. Faith nervously watches as Fang and Luke tentatively, then triumphantly scale the enormous rock face. As they drive home, Fang reveals the secret that caused him to retreat: he is gay – in fact, he is one of the men caught cruising in the park and is about to be publicly outed. With his friendship with Luke restored, Fang is able to face his worst fear – that life will end when the story breaks. Luke realizes that his visions are not the curse he believed them to be, but a life-affirming gift he can use to bring out the good in the world.

director's statement

Producer Tina Pehme and Director Robin Hays, on set.

When [producers] Kim and Tina shared the script with me over three years ago, I was dealing with loss.

I was drawn to the project because it dealt with life and death in a way I could relate to. Even though death is something that is going to happen to all of us, it’s a subject we tend to ignore. ANTHEM deals with death in a very direct, human way. As Luke says in the novel, yes, we all die - but first we get to live. And that’s big, that’s beautiful, that’s not to be missed.

I needed that reminder and I knew that this was a story that needed to be told. My vision for Anthem was to bring it to life in a very authentic and visceral fashion. To me Luke’s premonitions are plausible and I wanted to keep everything firmly rooted in reality rather than veer into the supernatural world.

3 Another appeal of this project was the opportunity to have music play a major role in the story. I grew up in the 90s and the music that the defines these characters’ lives – from hip-hop, to grunge to R&B – is the very same music that dominated and defined my adolescence. In our teenage years, music guides the pain and catharsis and joy of our emotional lives. Showing the role of music in the teenage experience made this film all the more personal to me.

I am very proud of how the actors rose to this challenge. Cameron [Monaghan] fully committed himself and brought Luke to life in the most beautiful, authentic way. Peyton [List] did not shy away from allowing herself to dive into this world and feel Faith’s heartbreak while being a beam of light and hope. Finding the right actor to play Fang was so crucial to this film and Grayson [Gabriel] truly transformed and immersed himself in the role. Having Juliette Lewis play Mary was beyond my expectations. The way she and Cameron brought Luke and Mary's relationship to life onscreen is truly beautiful.

It’s been an incredible journey making this film with so many talented people on board to bring this story to life. The whole crew worked tirelessly to bring this film to life. We didn’t have a lot of time or money so we knew we wanted to be as prepared as possible. Todd Duym (DP) spent weeks in prep with me. I am very appreciative of the time and dedication Todd put into this film -- it shows.

I have learned a lot through this process and I'm proud of what we all accomplished together. Finally, I am thankful to Kim and Tina for all their support creativity and tireless work ethic. I am grateful to them for bringing me onto this project, as a first-time feature director. There is so much heart and soul in this film and I can't wait to share it with the world.

4 producer's statement

We loved Anthem from the moment we first read the novel. We were taken with its voice, characters and story and that it didn’t shy away from exploring themes of death and loss. But what also drew us in was that Luke ultimately discovers that where there is dark, there is also light. We just have to choose how we see -- and it’s in those moments of choice that there is hope. Hope is an important part of the message for us.

We also appreciated that Anthem takes teenagers seriously, it’s not dumbed down. It explores the core questions without sugar-coating them -- Does life have a purpose? Where do I fit in? Will I belong if I dare to show the world who I really am?

Anthem captures the energy of the teenage experience: first loves, first losses, rivalries, rebellion, experimentation, pain, forgiveness and daring to be who we truly are, all conveyed with real emotion. It is centered around a troubled protagonist and explores dark subject matter, yet is balanced with lightness and humor, even in the film's most emotional moments, much like in life.

Music was also a big part of the attraction to the piece. Joanne’s novel used music both as a metaphor and to define character and place and it was exciting to be able to fully bring this aspect to life in the film; how the music we listen to is the soundtrack to our lives, allowing us to escape, tune out or to tune into the way we are feeling. Luke’s music is that of 90’s hip-hop and grunge and forms an intricate part of the tapestry that is Anthem.

And our director – our experience of Robin was that she was a new voice with the vision and heart to bring Anthem to life in all the ways we envisioned. Because of its intricate character dynamics and delicate balance of tones, we knew this story needed a unique voice with a strong visual sensibility, a facility for dramatic storytelling and a strong connection to the era and the music. We are thrilled to be bringing this film out with her.

Juliette Lewis, on set.

5 production notes

Cameron Monaghan and director Robin Hays on location.

Robin Hays (director): "Making this film was an incredible journey and something that I was apprehensive about. I think as a first time filmmaker you're always a little bit nervous about how the project is going to turn out. I feel fortunate to have been surrounded by so many amazing people and an incredible cast who everyday showed up and delivered more than I anticipated and were so giving and so thoughtful. It really was an incredible experience."

Cameron Monaghan (Luke): "So much of this movie ended up being found in the moments. It was about making sure it was grounded -- moments were well rounded and realized.”

Grayson Gabriel (Fang): "I've never been involved in a project that is this good. Everyone here is working on something that is so special."

CM: "Working with this cast has been incredible -- we have a lot of amazing talents on this movie -- people who really show love and appreciation for this project... and most of all passion."

Peyton List (Faith): "Everyone brought something special.... we just had the best time. Especially because we're doing such heavy scenes."

6 origins

RH: "Tina and Kim brought me the script several years ago, and I was immediately drawn to it because I could see myself in the characters. They were so relatable and authentic. But what I loved most about the story itself is that it dealt with death in a really beautiful way."

PL: "Tina sent me the script for Anthem two years ago and I was like, I have to be a part of this, it's so good. I was so happy to make this film. The cast is so amazing and being here on set, everyone's so passionate about it."

RH: "After reading this script, Kim and I traveled in the middle of the winter to meet with the book’s author -- it was freezing on the way there but then I met Joanne and she I just immediately clicked. I loved her book so much. She wrote the novel while caring for her sister’s teenage sons after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. When she told me what inspired [the novel] it was so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. I think that’s why the themes of life and death, light, darkness, friendship and love come across in such an authentic way. They were based on real emotions and a real exploration."

Cameron Monaghan and Robin Hays in rehearsal.

robin hays

Juliette Lewis (Mary): "You start with a really compelling script and then you meet with a director who has a vision and I just wanted to go on this journey with her. I think Robin is a really exciting director with a clear and compelling vision. I believe in this movie."

RH: "I'm a very visual person. As soon as I read the script, I could visualize it and I knew that I wanted to keep the film firmly rooted in reality -- I didn't want Luke's premonitions to feel supernatural. I want audiences to believe they're plausible."

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CM: "Working with Robin has been incredible. When I first read the script, I Skyped with Robin... and we instantly had a rapport, we connected on what we wanted this thing to be and she had such a strong vision -- she was very clear in her visual style, how she wanted to approach these scenes and it was something that was immediately exciting and I wanted to be a part of it.”

RH: "I wanted the visual style to be very authentic and relatable and have a bit of grit and dirt to it. I didn't want anything to be glossy or contrived or feel staged at all. With the color palette, I wanted to maintain a more neutral look and feel. I stayed away from any bright colors. There's no red in the film, except for blood."

PL: "Robin is so talented and so amazing. It's really been so cool working with her. She's always taking care of everyone on set. She feels like our mom, pulling out snacks and taking care of us, also while directing this movie and coming up with these amazing shots and locations and planning and barely getting any sleep. So really makes everyone feel so good about the work."

CM: "She created an ecosystem on set that allowed creativity to flourish and allowed other people's passion and input to be put into the movie.

8 cameron monaghan

RH: "As [Cameron and I] started discussing how to bring it to life, we both shared the same vision."

CM: "Luke is a good kid, but he's struggling -- he's going through what every teen goes through -- having a shifting identity and sense of self and issues with self- worth and self-discovery. Most teens are going to able to relate to Luke in some way, in the sense that they don't necessarily know who they are yet. Part of what makes him a compelling character is he doesn't have the awareness of himself yet to fully express it and be confident."

RH: “Cameron is an incredible artist -- I knew that going into it, but having the opportunity to work with him on this project has been so collaborative and such a joy."

CM: "For seven to eight months before shooting the film, I started skating. I never had any experience with it before, but I wanted to get comfortable on the board. It's part of who he is. I also spent a lot of time at skate parks just talking to kids and understanding their personalities and where they're coming from -- I found a lot of who Luke is through talking to these kids."

RH: "[Even within] our ambitious independent film schedule, he was able to give emotional performances and transform himself into the character of Luke in such a short time. The layers and commitment Cameron brought to his performance blew me away everyday.”

JL: "I was so excited at the prospect of working with Cameron. He's such a unique voice today in cinema and acting. Watching him play and become Luke has been really interesting. He's giving a really nuanced spectacular performance."

GG: "Working with Cameron has changed me as a person. As a human being."

CM: "I took a lot of punches and just a lot of damage in general from this movie. It became a running joke while shooting this thing -- every scene I would get one new nick in one new place or a bruise here, a bruise there. It was ultimately a very physical film."

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Cameron Monaghan and Peyton list, on set.

peyton list

PL: "Faith is an all-around cool person. She looks deeper than most people do. She’s curious. She asks the questions we all think about but don’t ask. She always makes the choice to see the best in every situation. Even after Stan's death, she chooses to think that Stan brings her and Luke together. She always chooses to see the light. I aspire to be like Faith. "

RH: "Peyton did such a fantastic job on this film and seeing her blossom as an artist and really dig deep within herself was amazing – she wasn’t afraid to really let go and dive into those darker moments."

PL: "Luke and Faith learn that awful things can fuel you to do better things with your life."

CM: "Working with Peyton has been a complete joy. She's funny and sarcastic and incredibly talented. It was fun getting to spar with her."

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Cameron Monaghan and Grayson Gabriel on set.

grayson gabriel

RH: "Fang is such an important character in the film and we were looking for him for a very long time. When I first saw Grayson, about a year ago, I knew there was something -- I thought who is that -- that's Fang."

GG: "Everyone is Fang. We've all been where Fang is in this film. Lost and alone."

RH: "Grayson’s spirit is so beautiful and he really embodied the character of Fang and did a phenomenal job growing as an actor in this film. Watching that transformation has been inspiring."

GG: "Fang is that neighbor or friend you had as a kid, who didn't really make it out. Didn't really have a great upbringing or didn't have that support, except for Luke, which is why he is so afraid of losing him if he knows the truth that he pushes him away. That's who Fang is. Struggling, looking for love, afraid of being unlovable. It's easy to look at Fang and connect with him because he just needs love so bad. Like everyone.

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Cameron Monaghan and Juliette Lewis.

juliette lewis

JL: "My character Mary is very real and authentic and a loving mother."

RH: "Juliette Lewis is one of my all-time favorite actresses, so to have her as such an integral part of my first feature film is incredible. She was who we had wanted for Mary and when we met we just immediately connected over her character and the vision for the film. The relationship between Mary and Luke is the foundation on which Luke’s world is built and she played it so beautifully.”

JL: "The relationship [Mary] has with Luke is so beautiful. It’s rooted in love and a really strong foundation."

music

Anthem’s soundtrack is an intricately woven tapestry of 90s and 90s-inspired music from hip-hop, grunge, acid jazz to smooth R&B. These songs set the tone, showing us the many moods of protagonist Luke Hunter and placing us firmly in the world of 90s America.

As his world falls apart, Luke escapes into urban rhythms a world apart from Stokum, a small rust-belt town where out-of-date top 40 reigns supreme, as seen in a crucial moment during the school dance, when Luke and Faith dance. Music is also a way of bonding for these characters, as we see when Luke and Fang

12 hitchhike to the city for a Dinosaur Jr. concert. These different musical references act as a shorthand for the worldview of the characters and take us through Luke’s emotional journey as he bounces from optimism to despair and back.

Listening to music from the 90s was also a big part of the preparation process. From the writers and director Robin Hays channeling the spirit of the times, through to the cast familiarizing themselves with the songs that would’ve been so important to their characters’ lives, Anthem is built on the sounds of 90s rock, pop and hip-hop.

RH: "I was a teenager in the 90s and it was very nostalgic recreating my youth for this film. I think inside all of us a teenager still exists -- those are some of the best and worst years of your life. The teenage experience is a rollercoaster of emotions: you feel in love, you feel hatred, you feel down. You're trying to navigate that and decide what you want to be. There's just so much going on in that time."

CM: "I love to use music to prepare -- it's vital to my process. So I was able to create playlists for Luke's relationship to each character in the story. And I was able to go through so much awesome music from the 90s. It really helped me define Luke’s character."

RH: "Music was and is a huge inspiration for me and it was such an important part of the vision for this film. It plays a huge role."

Peyton List

13 themes

JL: "This script really stood out in the themes it touches on. It's just a really powerful story. I hadn't seen it before... that's what was special."

RH: "What I loved most about the story itself is that it dealt with death in a really beautiful way. Death is something we don't talk about a lot.

PL: "It shows the awkwardness and the vulnerability of being a teenager which is very real -- unlike all of these TV shows I see where all these teenagers are so confident and amazing."

RH: "There's a darkness that comes along with death and sometimes you need to be reminded of the light, that the beauty of life exists when you're going through those dark periods. As a filmmaker, I was so drawn to the opportunity to create a film that dealt with these a heavy subject, but also illustrated the light and the beauty in small moments that exist at the same time."'

JL: "It speaks to this reluctance in all of us and this magic that we all possess. And we might not know of our own capabilities and possibilities because that's scary and daunting. It's about supporting and loving the people around you. And that everyone has their own pain going on."

CM: "The core of this movie is beautiful and tragic and funny and romantic and dramatic and everything that life ultimately is."

JL: "People have their own pain and stories going on within them and we can all reach out a hand to each other. I think that's ultimately the message."

GG: "It's hard, finding yourself in this life. And that's what Anthem is really. Anthem is about finding your true authentic self."

14 cast

Cameron Monaghan (Luke) is best known for his work on and , two of the highest-rated shows on television, but he has also built a reputation as one of the most versatile, dynamic young actors in the indie film world, gaining acclaim for roles in Mall, Vampire Academy, Jamie Marks is Dead, which debuted at Sundance, and , in which he starred alongside and . With well over 2 million followers of social media, Monaghan is one of the most talked about and charismatic young actors working today.

Peyton List (Faith) is a passionate and diverse young actress who has developed an enormous, dedicated fan base of young adults who have grown up with her through her roles in Disney’s top- rated series Jessie and Bunk'd, and hit features such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and 27 Dresses. She has proven herself as a talent to be reckoned with in both the television & feature worlds. In the role of Faith, List shines, delivering a truly moving performance; relatable, raw and real and full of subtlety and depth. The multi-talented List is also musician and is contributing an original song to Anthem. She is also a star of social media, where she has a combined 17 million followers.

Juliette Lewis (Mary) is an Oscar nominated icon of both Hollywood and independent film, best known for her performances in Natural Born Killers, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, August: Osage County, The Basketball Diaries, and Cape Fear, among many other roles in film and on television. Lewis is also an acclaimed musician, having released numerous albums on her own and as the leader of Juliette and the Licks. Several of the band’s songs will be used in Anthem, both to bring a raw rock and roll energy to the film’s soundtrack and as a subtle nod to her fans. Juliette also actively engages with over a million subscribers across social media.

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Grayson Gabriel (Fang) Anthem is Grayson’s first feature film. He has appeared in a diverse array of television shows including iZombie, Ties That Bind, Wayward Pines and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Fang is a role Grayson was born to play, winning the role after a yearlong search of open auditions. With Anthem, Grayson establishes himself an up-and-coming actor to watch. He is also a budding musician.

Alex MacNicoll (Stan) is best known for playing Colton on the ground-breaking Amazon series Transparent. MacNicoll's further credits include The Fifth Wave, McFarland, USA and television shows including , Bones, Rizzoli & Isles and Modern Family. Alex perfectly embodies Stan – he’s a passionate and generous soul, who is always looking for ways to make people smile and help those around him.

Spencer List is an actor who began his career at an early age in various films, television series and commercials. As a young adult, his focus has been in indie film, as in his opinion that’s where the best stories are told. List has appeared in such films as The Bachelors, with J.K. Simmons and Josh Wiggins, Hard Sell, alongside , Bringing Up Bobby, with Milla Jovovich and Bill Pullman, and James Franco’s Black Dog, Red Dog, among others. He has also guest starred on such hit series as Bunk’d, CSI: Miami, and iCarly. List also has a solid fan base, with close to 700,000 subscribers on social media.

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Danny Woodburn (Little Bob) is a versatile performer on stage, film, television, and the comedy club circuit. He is a veteran of over 120 television appearances with recurring roles on Murder She Wrote, Becker, Charmed, and Baywatch. Other guest appearances include: Party Down, Monk, Bones, CSI, and One Tree Hill. Most notably, Danny is known for playing Mickey Abbott on Seinfeld. Woodburn is a longtime disability rights advocate and a supporter of Little People's Research Fund.

director

Robin Hays is an award-winning short form director, winning multiple awards for her short films and commercials. She is known for bringing projects to life with verve, humanity and a cinematic sensibility. Hays has directed commercials for prestigious international clients including Adidas, Visa, Pfizer and Walmart, in collaboration with McCann-Erickson, Sid-Lee, BBDO, and other firms. Robin’s work has taken her all over the world, from South Africa to Europe and across North America, and allowed her to work with children, professional athletes seasoned actors and amateurs alike. Her work has been selected and showcased at international festivals from Cannes to New York. Prior to directing, Robin produced director Neill Blomkamp’s Alive in Joburg, Tempbot and Adicolor Yellow. She recently wrote, directed and produced the award-winning animated short film Post No Bills, which debuted at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and is currently on the festival circuit having garnered 12 awards to date. Anthem is her first feature.

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producers

Kim Roberts and Tina Pehme have been making films together since 2003. Focusing on telling great stories across a variety of genres they have produced a diverse slate of feature films, including The Games Maker, a co-production with Argentina and Italy that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival 2015; In Their Skin which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2012, The multi award winning A Shine of Rainbows, a co-production with Ireland which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival 2010, Partition a love story shot in India which premiered at the London Film Festival 2007, and Civic Duty which premiered at Tribeca 2007 amongst others. Roberts and Pehme have also produced numerous theatrical documentaries that explore relevant social issues including The Boy From Geita (2015), which premiered at Hot Docs and was screened as a special presentation at the UN, Hue: A Matter of Color (2013) and Keepers of the Magic (2016) amongst others. Roberts also exec produced the cult classic It’s All Gone Pete Tong, which also premiered at TIFF.

In 2012, Pehme and Roberts created Sepia Films' television division. Under that banner, they have developed and produced a dozen acclaimed movies for television including Perfect High (2015), Straight A’s (2016), and Drink, Slay Love (2017) as part of the Lifetime Network’s Broad Focus Initiative featuring stories written, directed and produced by women dealing with socially relevant and empowering themes.

Through their passion for feature films Pehme and Roberts have built relationships around the world and screened their films at dozens of international festivals. They are passionate about mentoring emerging voices and choose to tell stories with resonant themes, regardless of genre. With an exciting set of new projects on the horizon, Pehme and Roberts continue to explore new ways of bringing powerful, thought-provoking stories to screens big and small.

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writers

Elisha Matic is a multi-talented writer and graphic artist from Vancouver who has collaborated with Sepia Films in several roles over the past decade. Anthem is her first produced screenplay. She is currently developing several exciting new projects in the science fiction and fantasy genres, in collaboration with her husband, Andy.

Josh Close is an actor and writer, who began his career in the Kathryn Bigelow film K:19: The Widowmaker opposite Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. He has since worked alongside Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams. He wrote and starred in the film In Their Skin, which co-starred Selma Blair and James D’Arcy and established Josh’s relationship with Sepia Films. The film made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it sold to IFC. He also wrote and directed Short on Love which screened at film festivals around the world. Josh recently appeared opposite Martin Freeman in FX’s Fargo, in the film Solace, with Anthony Hopkins, and on the JJ Abrams show Person of Interest as the main villain for the show’s final season. He has also joined The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, a series for MGM, to be directed by Jean Jacques Annaud.

19 editor

Austin Andrews’ editing portfolio includes theatrical feature films, TV spots for major clients, and over thirty hours of series television. And films including In Their Skin and the upcoming Summer of ’84. His work on the Joseph Fiennes- led 3D extravaganza. The Games Maker, scored him a nomination for Best Film Editing from Argentina’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts in 2015, while his television work includes episodes of A&E’s Emmy Award-winning Biography, numerous Lifetime original movies, and international spots for clients including Samsung and Nescafé. Austin is also an accomplished director, having co-directed the feature film Lord Jones is Dead, along with several successful short films.

cinematographer

Todd Duym (CSC) is a cinematographer with a bold, unique style and experience working in a variety of production settings. Whether he's photographing arctic sunsets, dark forests at night, or brightly lit rooms, Duym consistently creates images that draw the eye and pop off the screen. Having worked on features and commercials, Duym is building a resume of impressive work, including Modern Classic and Rue, as well as commercial spots for clients including Lexus, Samsung McDonald's, and Microsoft.

20 composer

Andrew Harris is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer from Vancouver, Canada. Since 2004, he has attached his sound-art approach to films, television, and commercials all over the world. Andrew's aesthetic explores the intersection between ultramodern synthesis, location recording, and experimental sound design; encouraging an approach to song writing which is both technical and cinematic. Along with composition for motion picture, Andrew has presented his work all over North America, including performances in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver, Detroit and Toronto.

author

Joanne Proulx is an award-winning Canadian author. Her debut novel Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet, published internationally, was the recipient of Canada’s Sunburst Award for Fantastic Fiction and was named a best debut of 2007 by The Globe and Mail. It was selected by Border’s in 2008 for their prestigious Best New Voices series. Joanne has had short stories published in several literary journals including Exile and Maisonneuve and recently completed her second novel, We Love All the Beautiful Girls to rave reviews.

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