Cloudburst (2011 film)

Cloudburst

Poster
Directed by Thom Fitzgerald
Produced by Thom Fitzgerald
Doug Pettigrew
Screenplay by Thom Fitzgerald
Based on Cloudburst 
by Thom Fitzgerald
Starring Olympia Dukakis
Brenda Fricker
Ryan Doucette
Music by Jason Michael MacIsaac
Warren Robert
Cinematography Tom Harting
Edited by Angela Baker
Production
company
Emotion Pictures
Distributed by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Release dates
  • September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16) (Atlantic)
  • September 23, 2011 (2011-09-23) (Edmonton)
  • February 20, 2012 (2012-02-20) (Glasgow)
Running time
 93 minutes
Country United States
Canada
Language English

Cloudburst is a 2011 Canadian-American adventure comedy-drama film by American-Canadian writer and director Thom Fitzgerald, starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker, which premiered at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 16, 2011.[1] The film is an adaptation of Fitzgerald's 2010 play of the same name. The film's cast also includes Kristin Booth, Ryan Doucette, John Dunsworth, and Jeremy Akerman.

Plot

Stella (Dukakis) and Dotty (Fricker) are a lesbian couple from Maine who embark on a Thelma and Louise-style road trip to Nova Scotia to get married after Dotty is moved into a nursing home by her granddaughter.[1] Along the way they pick up Prentice (Doucette), a hitchhiker travelling home to Nova Scotia to visit his dying mother, and the three bond deeply as they travel.[2]

Stage play

Cloudburst debuted as a stage play on April 8, 2010 at Plutonium Playhouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[3] The play starred Carroll Godsman, Deborah Allen, Ryan Doucette, Marlane O'Brien, Michael McPhee and Amy Reitsma. The successful engagement ran for five weeks and closed on May 8, 2010. The production was nominated for several Merritt Awards, Nova Scotia's professional theatre awards, including nominations for Outstanding Production, Outstanding New Play (Fitzgerald) Outstanding Lead Actress (Allen), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Doucette), and Outstanding Set Design (Fitzgerald).[4] Fitzgerald won the Merritt Award for Outstanding New Play.[5]

Film

Fitzgerald adapted his own stage play for the screen. The film version was produced by Doug Pettigrew and Fitzgerald, and executive produced by Sidney Kimmel, Vicki McCarty, William Jarblum, Trudy Pettigrew, Dana Warren and Shandi Mitchell.[6] Fitzgerald had originally planned for the role of Dotty to be played by Joan Orenstein, but as she died while he was writing it, he cast Fricker instead.[1] In press for the film, Fricker praised the screenplay, "“I was so moved by it. The love story was so beautiful I couldn’t say no to it.”[7] Three members of the original stage cast reprised their roles: Ryan Doucette, Marlane O'Brien, and Michael McPhee.

Reception

The film debuted to an enthusiastic standing ovation on September 16, 2011 at the Atlantic Film Festival, where it won an Atlantic Canada Award for Best Screenplay and the People's Choice Audience Award for Best Film of the Festival. Its second festival appearance was October 20, 2011 at Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, where it also won the Audience Choice Award for Best Film, and on October 23, 2011 the film was the opening night selection of the Edmonton International Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Canadian Film. Cloudburst was very well received at film festivals from coast to coast in Canada, winning awards at festivals in Halifax, Montreal, Kingston, Edmonton, Victoria, among others.

Cloudburst made its U.S. debut at the Palm Springs International Film Festival where it was named a Best of the Fest. The film made its Australian debut at the Breath of Fresh Air Tasmania Film Festival. It made its European debut as Opening Night Gala of the Dublin International Film Festival. It was also selected as Opening Night Gala of the British Film Institute London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and as the closing-night film of Frameline 36.

Awards and honors

References

  1. 1 2 3 "A queer Thelma and Louise story". Xtra!, September 13, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Cloudburst stars hit Halifax". The Chronicle Herald, December 6, 2012.
  3. ↑ Watson, Kate. "Cloudburst Review". The Coast Weekly Magazine. The Coast Publishing. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  4. ↑ "2011 Robert Merritt Awards Recognizing Excellence in Nova Scotian Theatre". The Merritt Awards. Theatre Nova Scotia. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Merritt Awards". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabasca University. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Cloudburst (2011)". imdb.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hall, Jamie. "Edmonton Film Festival opens with a Cloudburst". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Eldridge, Richard. "Ron Gant's Good Day Atlanta debut, Cee Lo spotted!, Out on Film winners". Atlanta Magazine. Out on Film. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  9. ↑ Knegt, Peter. "Thom Fitzgerald’s "Cloudburst" Wins Awards Across Canadian Festival Circuit". Indiewire. Indiewire. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Tattler". The Chronicle-Herald. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Official Website". Festival Internacional de Cinema Gai i Lesbic de Barcelona. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  12. ↑ Ellwood, Pip. "'Cloudburst' To Open 26th BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Cinefest Sudbury Announces 2011 Award Winners". Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  14. ↑ Griwkowsky, Fish (July 23, 2011). "Cloudburst to Open Edmonton International Film Festival". Edmonton journal. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Dublin Film Festival Fare Unveiled". Irish Times. February 2, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  16. ↑ Knegt, Peter. "Thom Fitzgerald’s "Cloudburst" Wins Awards Across Canadian Festival Circuit". Indiewire. Indiewire. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  17. ↑ Hawryth, Michael. "Cloudburst and acclaimed docs snag prizes at image+nation". 2B Mag online. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  18. ↑ Soares, Andre. "Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival Awards: Elderly Lesbian Lovers on the Run, Interracial Gay Romantic Comedy". Alt Film Guide. Alt Film Guide. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2012". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Cloudburst wins Best Feature at Out Takes". New Zealand Daily News. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Ken. ""Zenne Dancer," "Cloudburst" top list of FilmOut San Diego award winners". San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. Hale Media, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Records Set at 30th Anniversary VIFF". Vancouver International Film Festival Official Website. Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  23. ↑ Reid, Michael D. (February 13, 2012). "Belgian crime thriller takes top honors at Victoria Film Festival". The Times Colonist. Retrieved February 15, 2012.

External links

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