Get a peek behind the scenes and meet the stars of 'Judas Kiss' in the 'making of' documentary by award-winning filmmaker Matt Bucy.

LOS ANGELES – Get a look behind the scenes at the genre-busting, time-bending 2011 film festival favorite, “Judas Kiss,” the best-selling movie critics cite as taking gay cinema in a bold direction.

Award-winning documentarian Matt Bucy spent weeks on the set shooting footage for “Judas Kiss: Behind the Scenes,” which chronicles the production of the acclaimed film, the first feature by director J.T. Tepnapa and writer-producer Carlos Pedraza via their production company, Blue Seraph Productions.

All four episodes of the series are available now on the Judas Kiss channel on YouTube. The film itself, distributed by Wolfe Video, is at the top of the sales charts in its category on Amazon in the United States and in Europe. Here’s the first episode:

WATCH THE ENTIRE ‘BEHIND THE SCENES’ SERIES

The first episode of the Web series introduces the film’s stars Charlie David (star of Logo TV’s “Bump,” the TV series “Dante’s Cove,” and the feature, “Mulligans”), Richard Harmon (of AMC’s “The Killing”), Sean Paul Lockhart (aka adult star Brent Corrigan) and Belgian TV and pop star Timo Descamps, as well as director Tepnapa and writer Pedraza.

Critics have lauded the film’s high production values, strong ensemble cast, and its ambitious effort to meld drama, science fiction and magical realism; the film has won multiple awards at film festivals for its screenplay and acting. “Judas Kiss” tells the story of a washed-up filmmaker (David) who returns to his alma mater, where he gets the chance to reshape his destiny.

The four episodes:

• Introduce the principal cast and crew, especially the hot young stars getting so much recent press around the United States.

• Document the creative tension at the heart of the partnership between director Tepnapa and writer-producer Pedraza.

• Explore actor Sean Paul Lockhart’s past as controversial adult film star Brent Corrigan, and what it means for his new career as a mainstream actor.

• Offer a sneak peek at the Bollywood-style end musical number, “If I Fall,” performed by the Judas Kiss cast and crew, joined by the song’s composer, American Idol alumnus Brian Lam.

SELECTED REVIEWS AND AWARDS

• “Brilliant production. Excellent cast.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• “Incredibly original and extraordinarily well-made. Transcends all genres, and features solid performances from really charismatic actors.” (Examiner.com)
• “A deep, insightful film that explores the shadows we run from as gay men and the toxic and self-destructive decisions that can change our lives.” (Edge Network)
• “A metaphysical rumination on lost opportunities, Judas Kiss uses magical realism to convey its message. To that end, the film is pure joy.” (Men of Color blog)
• Best Debut Feature (Q Cinema, Fort Worth, Texas)
• Best Screenplay (Q Films, Long Beach, Calif.)
• First Place, Alternative Spirit (Rhode Island International Film Festival)
• Best Screenwriting (FilmOut San Diego)
• Honorable Mention, Youth Jury for Best Picture (Rhode Island Film Festival)
• Rising Star Award, Sean Lockhart (Q Fest, Philadelphia)
• Official Selection, Frameline 35 (San Francisco)
• Official Selection, NewFest (New York City)
• Official Selection at dozens of other film festivals worldwide

WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION “Judas Kiss” is distributed in North America by Wolfe Video, in the United Kingdom by TLA Releasing, in German-speaking Europe by Pro-Fun Media, and in French-speaking Europe by BQHL.

Blue Seraph Productions is a Los Angeles company headed by Tepnapa and Seattle-based Pedraza. Their previous work on the Web’s longest-running series, Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek: Hidden Frontier has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, Variety, Rolling Stone, the Today Show, MSNBC, and other international news outlets.

Tepnapa’s short films include the multiple award-winning parody of 1950s teen health films, “Masturbation: Putting the Fun Into Self-Loving,” the comedy “Drag Queen Heist” and the drama about homeless youth, “Begging for Change.”

BEHIND THE SCENES on the set of Judas Kiss with stars Richard Harmon (left) and Charlie David. Director of Photography David Berry sets a light in the background.

Watch this video featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the Judas Kiss shoot this past summer. The video introduces the film’s principal cast and shows off talents of the mostly Seattle-based crew.

The video was shot by the film’s videographer, Matt Bucy, who also edited it together in record time for its premiere at the fundraiser held at the end of August at The Lobby Bar in Seattle.

OTHER NEWS The film wrapped production on September 4, and is well into post-production. Judas Kiss is currently being edited, and preparations are well underway for sound design, visual effects, color correction, soundtrack, the score and other aspects of its completion.

The post-production timeline is scheduled for about six months, which means the film should be ready for exhibition at film festivals around the world starting in Spring 2011.

First concept poster for Judas Kiss following principal photography.

After 20 days, 12 hours long each, from August 13 to September 4, principal photography for Judas Kiss is complete. Nearly 80 cast and crew in Seattle worked tirelessly to get the job done. Out of 20 days, only one day ran over schedule, and at that only by 30 minutes — unheard of on a film set.

A lot of real-time reactions, comments and photos posted by cast and crew are available on the Judas Kiss: The Movie Fan Page on Facebook (join by pressing the Like button at the top of the page!). We’ll be posting photo galleries and other art here on the official website pretty soon, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video. Subscribe to our RSS feed or join our Facebook page to learn when this content will be posted.

NEXT STEP Judas Kiss now enters post-production, scheduled from now until early 2011, with film festival screenings beginning in 2011. As festival appearances are scheduled, they’ll be posted here and on Facebook, so you can learn when the film will be coming to you.

THE AQUA VI premium clothing line will be featured by the cast of Judas Kiss.

Just as important as casting the right actor for the part, locking down the perfect location and picking great music to carry a film, we have to search for the best clothing lines to dress our stars in Judas Kiss.

Thanks to the work of Judas Kiss’ product placement coordinator, Richard Hagerty, we can announce the first of our clothing sponsors: Aqua VI.

Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Aqua VI offers a fashionable, innovative and contemporary clothing line we’re proud to feature in our film. Here’s what BlackBook Magazine says about the line:

Art is truly not just for the walls anymore. Here to prove just that is Aqua VI, a clothing line making a name for itself very quickly. Not only is it offered at Nordstroms, Scoops in NYC, and the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, but stars all over Hollywood such as Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Mya, and even Emmitt Smith have been spotted sporting these new threads. The company logo is Uncharted Waters. In the fashion industry, this line is just that.

Thank you, Aqua VI, for helping our stars look like superstars.

Link

• Aqua VI Premium Clothing – Official Online Store

Eighteen-year-old Richard Harmon has been cast in the lead role of Danny Reyes in 'Judas Kiss.'

SEATTLE — Fresh from his pivotal three-episode guest-starring role in the Syfy network hit, “Caprica,” hot young actor Richard Harmon has been cast in the time-bending campus drama, “Judas Kiss,” the film’s producers announced today.

The 18-year-old actor from Vancouver, B.C., has landed roles in a broad swath of hit television series and feature films, including “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” “Smallville,” “Fringe” and the Cartoon Network’s new live-action series, “Tower Prep.”

In “Judas Kiss,” Harmon will play Danny Reyes, a gay film student at a university at the crossroads of parallel timelines, where he is caught in a tug of war between a tortured past and a troubled future.

Harmon won the role with a videotaped audition over more than 1,000 Los Angeles actors, wowing “Judas Kiss” director J.T. Tepnapa and writer-producer Carlos Pedraza.

“Richard nailed every beat in his audition,” Tepnapa said. “Carlos and I watched the tape and instantly agreed we’d found our Danny.”

For Harmon, “Judas Kiss” represents a leap from a strong résumé of supporting parts in Web series, TV roles and features to a lead in a feature that suits his edgy take on youthful roles, Pedraza said.

“Danny struck me right away as a very relatable character,” Harmon said. “Once I read the whole script, I knew this movie was something that I would be so blessed to be a part of. I know people will be able to really connect to what he feels throughout the movie, and I’m going to have lots of fun with it.”

CARLOS AND J.T.’S SECRET MISSION TO CANADA Tepnapa and Pedraza were so impressed by Harmon’s audition they immediately flew from Los Angeles to Vancouver to sign him for the role.

“Richard really is perfect for Danny,” Tepnapa said. “His talent ups the ante for this film, and his performance is going to catch a lot of people’s attention.”

“Judas Kiss” is Tepnapa’s first feature film. He has won many international awards for his short films, including the multiple award-winning parody of 1950s teen health films, “Masturbation: Putting the Fun Into Self-Loving,” the comedy “Drag Queen Heist” and the homeless youth drama, “Begging for Change.”

Harmon has been a working actor since age 10, appearing in such series and films as “School of Life” with Ryan Reynolds, “Jeremiah” with Luke Perry, “Aliens in America,” the 2007 “Flash Gordon” TV series and the hit Web series “Riese.”

He recently appeared in three pivotal episodes of Syfy’s hit series, “Caprica” — the prequel spin-off of the network’s seminal “Battlestar Galactica” — as a virtual game hacker who befriends Joseph Adama (Esai Morales).

Harmon’s father is director Allan Harmon (“Afghan Knights,” “Passion’s Web”) and his older sister is actress Jessica Harmon (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Black Christmas”). Harmon is represented by Melanie Turner of Pacific Artists Management of Vancouver, B.C.

“Judas Kiss” is being produced by Blue Seraph Productions, a Los Angeles company headed by Tepnapa and Pedraza. Their previous work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, Variety, Frontiers, Fab magazine, the Today Show, MSNBC, and other international news outlets.

The film, scheduled to shoot this summer in Seattle, has already attracted attention for casting “Dante’s Cove” star Charlie David (host of Logo’s travel show, “Bump,” and writer-star of last year’s feature film, “Mulligans”). Also cast is controversial adult film star Brent Corrigan, who appeared in last year’s Oscar-winning “Milk” and the comedy, “Another Gay Sequel,” and rising European TV and pop star Timo Descamps.

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Links

• Caprica Times interview with Richard Harmon
• Additional photos of Richard Harmon
• Star Richard Harmon’s IMDb profile
• Blue Seraph Productions Web site
• Director J.T. Tepnapa’s IMDb profile
• Writer Carlos Pedraza’s IMDb profile

DIGITAL AUDITIONS via IMDb, Facebook and Skype facilitated cross-Atlantic casting of Belgian TV star Timo Descamps.

LOS ANGELES — Rising European actor, television host and pop singer Timo Descamps has been cast in the time-bending campus drama, “Judas Kiss,” the film’s producers announced today.

The 23-year-old Belgian was recognized last year by the preeminent Dutch and Belgian musical awards. Nominated in both nations, he won the Belgian award for Rising Talent. Descamps recently began a stint as a host on the Belgian VT4 channel.

In “Judas Kiss,” Descamps will play Shane Lyons, an amoral college senior who will do whatever it takes to win the love of film student Danny Reyes.

“Judas Kiss” is the story of a disillusioned filmmaker’s visit to his peculiar alma mater, where he is trapped in a tug of war between his tortured past and a troubling future.

Descamps’ cross-Atlantic casting for the film was made possible by a combination of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Facebook and Skype, said “Judas Kiss” writer-producer Carlos Pedraza.

“I always play good characters,” Descamps said. “I’m happy for the challenge playing someone different in an inspirational project like ‘Judas Kiss.’”

Descamps made headlines in his home country last year when he came out as gay.

WHAT IT TAKES “Timo wanted to be on this project the instant he learned about ‘Judas Kiss’ on IMDb,” Pedraza said. “We communicated via Facebook and Skype and had him shoot a screentest in the Netherlands with two scenes from the screenplay.”

The digital audition impressed “Judas Kiss” director J.T. Tepnapa, who saw an opportunity to showcase Descamps’ musical talent in the role of singer Shane Lyons.

“Timo showed us he has what it takes to play an unsavory character who has an entire campus twisted around his little finger,” Tepnapa said. “You can’t take your eyes off him.”

“Judas Kiss” is Tepnapa’s first feature film. He has won many international awards for his short films, including the multiple award-winning parody of 1950s teen health films, “Masturbation: Putting the Fun Into Self-Loving,” the comedy “Drag Queen Heist” and a drama about homeless youth, “Begging for Change.”

CHARLIE DAVID (left) and Brent Corrigan also star in Judas Kiss.

Descamps started acting in television at 17, starring in the Belgian soap opera “Family.” At 19, he landed a leading role in the children’s show, “Spring.” A year later, he won third place in the Belgian celebrity singing contest, “Soapstar Superstar.” On the heels of his musical success, he wrote and released his first single, “Phone Call.”

He has dubbed voices in several European versions of Hollywood blockbusters, including “Happy Feet” (Mumble), “Surf’s Up” (Cody), “The Chronicles of Narnia,” (Peter Pevensie), and has hosted a show on Europe’s Nickelodeon network called “Superstar: The Battle!”

Descamps currently stars as Dolf in the Dutch musical “Crusade in Jeans,” and plays a South African student in the Dutch TV drama, “SpangaS.” He just began hosting a kids’ show on the Belgian network VT4.

“Judas Kiss” is being produced by Blue Seraph Productions, a Los Angeles company headed by Tepnapa and Pedraza. Their previous work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, Variety, Frontiers, Fab magazine, the Today Show, MSNBC, and other international news outlets.

The film, scheduled to shoot this summer in Seattle, has already attracted attention for casting former “Dante’s Cove” star Charlie David (host of Logo’s travel show, “Bump,” and writer-star of the film, “Mulligans). Also cast is controversial adult film star Brent Corrigan, who appeared in last year’s Oscar-winning “Milk” and the comedy, “Another Gay Sequel.”

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LINKS

• Additional hi-res photos of Timo Descamps
• Co-star Timo Descamps’ IMDb profile
• Judas Kiss movie site
• Star Charlie David’s IMDb profile
• Co-star Brent Corrigan’s IMDb profile
• Director J.T. Tepnapa’s IMDb profile
• Writer Carlos Pedraza’s IMDb profile

CASTING BRENT Corrigan (pictured) and Charlie David in Judas Kiss is getting people's attention.

One movie blog looking forward to the 2010 film year mentioned Judas Kiss in its recent post, “Gay Movie Preview 2010.” Thatgaymovie.com noted:

Will gay porn superstar Brent Corrigan be able to – ahem – pull off the move into ‘proper’ gay movies? He co-stars with Dante’s Cover, Charlie David, in a sexy, time-traveling drama. With this pair starring, Judas Kiss is already guaranteed to look good…

The full list of films includes one from our friends who produced Make the Yuletide Gay, in which J.T. worked on the crew, and our Star Trek: Hidden Frontier colleague, actor Matt Montgomery. The drama, Sticke Figures, is about a gay artist whose return to his hometown has some life-changing implications.

Read the rest of the 2010 list here >>

]]> http://blueseraph.com/2010/01/16/that-gay-movie/feed/ 0 http://blueseraph.com/2009/12/07/judas-kiss-investment-prospectus-released/ http://blueseraph.com/2009/12/07/judas-kiss-investment-prospectus-released/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:06:08 +0000 Carlos Pedraza http://blueseraph.com/?p=1026

COVER OF the Judas Kiss investment prospectus, available now.

Potential investors can read the full investment prospectus for Judas Kiss, which describes the story, cast, crew, target market, budget and business plan for the film project in one neat package.

Designed by Minneapolis-based graphic artist Andria Peters, the prospectus reflects the film’s fictional Keystone University setting by mimicking a campus recruiting booklet.

You can download an excerpted version of the prospectus. If you are interested as a potential investor, please email us for a copy of the full document.

INSIDE PAGE spread of the Judas Kiss prospectus

CHARLIE DAVID will star as Zachary Wells in Judas Kiss.

LOS ANGELES — Charlie David, star of the popular series “Dante’s Cove” and the recent feature “Mulligans,” is slated to star in the independent film Judas Kiss, the movie’s producers announced today.

David will play the role of Zachary Wells, a washed-up filmmaker who returns to his peculiar alma mater, where he meets his younger self and gets the chance to change his troubled past so he can avoid a disturbing future.

“Judas Kiss” is the first feature film from director J.T. Tepnapa, who has won many international awards for his short films, including the multiple award-winning parody of 1950s teen health films, “Masturbation: Putting the Fun Into Self-Loving,” the comedy “Drag Queen Heist” and the drama about homeless youth, “Begging for Change.”

“I’m excited to work with such a multi-talented entertainer,” Tepnapa said. “Charlie’s experience in front of and behind the camera will add so much to “Judas Kiss’” production values.” For his part, David was attracted to the screenplay’s time-bending drama.

“I was engaged by ‘Judas Kiss” concept of altering the past and future through the choices we make right now,” he said. “Who hasn’t wondered what lies down the paths not taken in career, adventure and love?”

PLAYING ZACHARY WELLS David was also intrigued by the character of Zach. “It’s exciting and scary for me because he has such a troubled past and a present devoid of feeling and passion,” he said. “The script has emotional triggers for me – some that immediately resonated and others that honestly terrified me. Zach is going to allow me to get a little messy as an actor and it’s about time I did that.”

David also joins “Judas Kiss” as an executive producer with his production company, Border2Border Entertainment, which will also act as “Judas Kiss’” sales and distribution representative. “I am very excited to be joining this project as an actor and producer,” he said. “I love the art of telling a good story and Judas Kiss is a really good story. I’m confident our connections at Border2Border Entertainment with international distributors, broadcasters and new media ventures will help Judas Kiss find a large and lasting audience.”

“Judas Kiss” is being produced by Blue Seraph Productions, a Los Angeles company founded by Tepnapa in 2000 to create his short films. “Judas Kiss” was written by Blue Seraph partner Carlos Pedraza from Tepnapa’s story. The film is scheduled to shoot in 2010 in Seattle.Tepnapa’s and Pedraza’s work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, Variety, Frontiers, Fab magazine, the Today Show, MSNBC, and other international news outlets.

The film has already attracted attention for casting talented and controversial adult film star Brent Corrigan, who recently appeared in this year’s Oscar-winning “Milk” and the comedy “Another Gay Movie.”

BOX OFFICE PHENOM David is also a gay box office phenomenon. His steamy supernatural soap opera, “Dante’s Cove,” is the No. 1 show for the here! television network in the United States, and the series’ DVD sales continue to be a genre leader worldwide. He also stars in the travel series Bump!, now in its fourth season, airing in more than 12 countries, with more than 50 million households in the United States alone on MTV’s sister station, Logo.

David has had three features released in the past two years: “A Four Letter Word,” “Kiss the Bride,” and “Mulligans.” David also wrote and produced the award-winning Mulligans, which has played at more than 65 international film festivals and garnered worldwide distribution.

David’s first two novels, the film novelization “Mulligans,” and “Boy Midflight,” were published in 2009. Among his many awards are the Out 100 Award (2005); Rising Star Award, Philadelphia Film Society (2007); and Best Male Actor, Festival del Sol Gran Canaria, Spain (2008).

David’s show business career began with the pop band, 4Now, and includes hosting stints on television shows on E!, NBC, Fine Living, and other networks. David’s move from his native Canada to Hollywood generated even more opportunities, including roles in Showtime’s outrageous musical, “Reefer Madness,” ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and the Sundance Channel’s award-winning series, “Terminal City.”

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Links

• Judas Kiss movie site
• Blue Seraph Productions
• Border2Border Entertainment
• Star Charlie David’s IMDB profile
• Co-star Brent Corrigan’s IMDB profile
• Director J.T. Tepnapa’s IMDB profile
• Writer Carlos Pedraza’s IMDB profile
• Additional photos of Charlie David

We’ve moved into preproduction for Judas Kiss, and we’ve got a lot of big news we’ll be announcing in the coming weeks. Judas Kiss continues to attract attention in the industry, and we want to share the news about some important new partnerships that will bring our film closer to reality. This news is so exciting that we thought we should showcase it by offering our fans a new Web site.

THE NEW Judas Kiss Web site offers previews and easy access to the news, blog, podcasts and other media on the site.

This new design allows you to quickly scan and link to all our new content in a more visual fashion.

Virtually all the content from our previous site has been moved from the old site to the new, though a few bits are still under construction, so pardon our dust for the next week or so as we complete the transition.

Keep your eye on the new site for upcoming exciting Judas Kiss news. Trust me, it’s gonna be big. You can be alerted automatically by subscribing to the Judas Kiss RSS feed. J.T. and I both have Twitter feeds, too, so you can subscribe to those, as well. J.T.’s Twitter. Carlos’ Twitter. You can also subscribe to our upcoming newsletter.