How He Fell in Love WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MARC MEYERS 2015 / 108 min / United States / English / Drama www.howhefellinlove.com/presskit US Distributor: Publicity: Marina Bailey Film Publicity Marina Bailey and Sara Tehrani 6569 De Longpre Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028 173 Richardson Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 Office: (323) 962-7511 Cell: (323) 650-3627 PICTURESTM Office: (718) 312-8210 Fax: (718) 362-4865 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.monumentreleasing.com www.marinabailey.com LOGLINE A casual affair between a young musician and a married woman turns into an intimate and profound connection that threatens to derail their lives. SHORT SYNOPSIS Travis, a struggling young musician, crosses paths with Ellen, an older, married yoga instructor who is in the process of adopting a child. Travis and Ellen begin an affair that slowly deepens into something more intimate and profound. As their encounters continue, Travis must face the consequences of infidelity while Ellen is confronted with her crumbling marriage. TECH SPECS Run Time: 108 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Shooting Format: ARRI Alexa Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Country: United States Language: English DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT After finishing my feature Harvest, I revisited a previous draft of How He Fell in Love. I had been happily married for several years and knew the time was ripe for me to return to this story and explore a kind of intimacy that I hadn’t yet put on screen. Yes, How He Fell in Love is essentially about an extramarital affair. But, first and foremost, I wanted to explore how two people can become genuinely and intensely connected to one another, even when timing and boundaries don’t work in their favor. With that, I didn’t want to place judgment that their love is forbidden. I believe these two characters, Travis and Ellen, could potentially help make the other a better person. It was also through this lens that I could look at marriage under pressure, revealing both the gems and heartaches in Ellen and Henry’s own relationship. Together, these circumstances reveal different facets of love at different stages of life, all in one story. While there are moments and scenes that are quite serious, I’m not interested in presenting everything so seriously. I strive to bring a mix of lightness and drama to my storytelling. I aim to create a world where the performances are naturalistic. The camera is present, yet doesn’t control our view, so an audience feels like it’s witnessing real people deal with undecorated, nuanced emotions. Love is a complicated thing, and that dynamic will forever be worth exploring in film. Hopefully, audiences feel I share this in an open, sexy, honest, brutal, and beautiful way. - Marc Meyers, Writer and Director CRITICAL PRAISE “Full-bodied and passionate. The type of mature drama that’s rarely seen in American movies.” LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS “Absorbing and complex.” THE HUFFINGTON POST “Powerful and convincing, a remarkable story that goes in unexpected directions and finds new depths.” THE LA BEAT “Wonderful acting and a solid script. Meyers has so grounded the narrative that it feels like a fresh take.” AWARDS CIRCUIT CAST Matt McGorry - Travis Showcasing his talent, charm, wit and passion, Matt McGorry has solidified his spot in Hollywood as one of the industry’s hottest actors. He was recently chosen by Forbes Magazine as one of Hollywood’s “Forbes 30 Under 30 2016.” Currently starring on ABC’s hit series How to Get Away with Murder, McGorry portrays “know-it-all” law student Asher Millstone. The show has a strong cult following as it holds a coveted spot among Shonda Rhimes’ TGIT lineup. The Emmy Award-winning show is currently in its second season, garnering critical acclaim and holding steady in ratings. McGorry is also known for his fan favorite portrayal of post-military corrections officer John Bennett in the Emmy Award-winning Netflix original series, Orange is the New Black. This year, Matt also appeared on TNT’s newest original drama series Public Morals, produced by Steven Spielberg, as well as the Emmy Award-nominated crime drama Elementary. Other television credits include USA’s Royal Pains, CBS’ Emmy nominated crime drama Person of Interest, and Comedy Central’s Onion SportsDome. Up next, McGorry can be seen opposite veteran actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler in the Lovell Holder comedy Loserville, in which he plays “Coach Casey Harris.” Matt starred in the film How He Fell In Love, written and directed by Marc Meyers, which was nominated for Best Dramatic Feature and Best Film at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival. Additionally, McGorry starred alongside Ashley Benson in the independent thriller Ratter, which debuted in early 2015. A self-described feminist, McGorry has often been praised for his cultural and political advocacies. Penning an op-ed for Cosmopolitan magazine, McGorry described the process in which he discovered how becoming a feminist was like falling in love. He often attributes his cultural ‘eye- opening’ to Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In. McGorry has also joined the fight for gender equality. This past October, he united with Amber Rose in her first annual “SlutWalk LA” as a featured speaker. “SlutWalk LA” is a protest calling for an end to rape culture. McGorry took the stage and addressed the thousands of participants in attendance to protest against excusing the act rape by referring to any aspect of a woman’s appearance. McGorry also joined Amber Rose in her Funny Or Die short, Walk of No Shame – highlighting a woman’s right to celebrate her own sexual freedom. This past fall McGorry lent his name to the “It’s On Us” PSA that took the nation by storm. The foundation urges adults, of all ages, to recognize the difference between consensual sex and sexual assault. McGorry joined the ranks of Jon Hamm, Zoe Saldana, Kerri Washington and many more. The new “It’s On Us” campaign launched in the fall of 2015 – timed to ‘back to school’ festivities. McGorry has also been a vocal advocate of the “Black Lives Matter” movement by regularly posting impactful messages on his social media accounts. With nearly 2.5 million followers across his main platforms, McGorry’s thought provoking and socially conscious posts have proven instrumental when bringing matters of a sensitive nature to the forefront. Amy Hargreaves - Ellen Amy Hargreaves plays Maggie on the Emmy Award-winning Showtime series Homeland. Her film credits include, among others: Blue Ruin, Shame and Michael Clayton. She’s currently filming Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck. Notable TV roles include the HBO original film Flashback (CableAce nomination for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series or Special), as well as recurring roles on Law & Order: SVU and Third Watch. She has also appeared on Blindspot and Elementary. Britne Oldford - Monica Britne Oldford burst onto the scene with her role as Cadie in the MTV series Skins. After a diverse body of television work ranging from ABC Family’s Ravenswood to the Emmy-winning American Horror Story, Britne is starring in the new SyFy series Hunters. She recently appeared in Adam Rapp’s acclaimed film Loitering with Intent, as well as the CW’s hit television series The Flash. Mark Blum - Henry Mark co-stars in the Golden Globe-winning Amazon series Mozart In The Jungle as Union Bob. His extensive film work includes Shattered Glass, Desperately Seeking Susan, and Crocodile Dundee. A highly-regarded character actor, Mark has appeared in guest roles on television shows including Roseanne, St. Elsewhere, Miami Vice, Frasier, NYPD Blue, and Judging Amy. His extensive stage credits include roles in Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning play “The Assembled Parties,” and the Broadway revival of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man.” FILMMAKERS Marc Meyers Director / Writer, Producer Marc’s narrative feature, How He Fell In Love, premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival and will be theatrically released in July 2016 via Monument Releasing. His wife and producing partner Jody Girgenti was pregnant while filming; their daughter was born during the editing of the film. My Friend Dahmer is set to be his fourth narrative feature film. His screenplay, which is based on the award-winning graphic novel of the same name, landed on the prestigious 2014 Black List. His previous film, Harvest, is a New York Times Critics’ Pick. It stars Oscar nominees Robert Loggia and Barbara Barrie, Jack Carpenter, Arye Gross, and Tony Winner Victoria Clark, with original music by Grammy & Tony Winner Duncan Sheik and David Poe. Harvest was released theatrically in 2011, aired on Showtime and is currently available on home video and major digital platforms. Marc’s debut feature, Approaching Union Square, was broadcast on Sundance Channel. He also was part of the filmmaking team behind the 9/11-themed documentary Witnessing, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on MSNBC. Marc started honing his storytelling skills as a playwright. He is an alumnus of various theater collectives in New York including the Ensemble Studio Theatre and Cherry Lane Theatre. He formerly handled sales & sponsorship at Variety, Inc. Marc began his career as a development consultant for the IFP Market & Gotham Awards. He’s a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College. Marc lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY. He is represented by United Talent Agency (UTA) and Aperture Entertainment in Los Angeles. Jody Girgenti, p.g.a. Producer Jody is an executive and creative producer with a diverse array of experience in entertainment and media. Her most recent feature, How He Fell In Love, premiered at Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival.