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Welcome to Morcan Books & Films, the blog devoted to providing a unique perspective and intelligent commentary on books and films. It includes commentary on our own books and films – i.e. novels and screenplays co-written by the Morcans, and feature films produced by, or in development with, Morcan Motion Pictures.
Lance & James
Australian actor Greg Poppleton plays a husband and brother grappling with tragic family issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdowns in the mystery-drama movie Anno 2020, which celebrates its world premiere in Sydney on April 7.
Actor Greg Poppleton.
Sydney-based Poppleton, whose credits include the upcoming Last Days of the Space Age (2024), Backtrack (2015) and Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), plays a highly-strung, disillusioned character, estranged from his American-based, onscreen brother Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and separated from his onscreen wife Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D).
Anno 2020’s New Zealand-born director James Morcan describes Poppleton as an actor who prepares for roles meticulously.
“I can also safely say he’s the most unpredictable performer I’ve ever worked with,” Morcan says. “Which was brilliant not only for me but also for the other cast members. I would love to work with him again.”
Those comments are echoed by Anno 2020’s lead producer Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, who lauded the amount of preparation Poppleton did leading up to his scenes.
“Every single word spoken was considered in detail and delivered perfectly,” he says.
Ben-Moshe says apart from making the script come to life, the actor’s improvisation was something else altogether.
“Some of the movie’s best dialogue was improvised by Greg and his co-star Kevin (Scott Allen). It was authentic and heartfelt, and it elevated his character to another level. Audiences will be captivated by his believable and charismatic style of acting.”
The fourth of five children to bus driver Bert and shop worker Aileen (Stapleton), a young Greg Poppleton grew up in working class Sydney. He was discovered in a cattle call for a kids’ programme and made his movie debut in a scene with Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge in 2001.
Since that impressive introduction, he has appeared in one-on-one movie scenes with Adrien Brody and John Goodman, and on TV he has appeared in the series Barons (ABC), The Last Days of the Space Age (Disney +), and Year Of (Stan) among many other series.
Speaking from his home in Sydney this week, Poppleton, who is married with two sons, says he was drawn to participating in Anno 2020 because of the hugeness of the undertaking.
“Connecting the world at a time when the world was being fragmented and isolated was both the aim and the message of this production,” he says.
“Anno 2020 is an authentic artefact of the lockdowns. It was created during the lockdowns and is infused with the spirit of the times. Something that can never be replicated by future productions looking back. Paradoxically, in the age of isolation, Anno 2020 brought people together from across the globe whose paths, if not for the pandemic, would probably have never crossed.”
As for the cataclysmic year that was 2020, Greg marvels at the ingenuity people everywhere showed in remaining connected one way or another.
“There’s no doubt it (the year) presented new ways to do things and new ways to see things. The ingenuity individuals displayed in remaining social amazed me.”
Poppleton says his lasting memory of his involvement in Anno 2020, the movie, was how well director James Morcan and producer Gil Ben Moshe worked, together and with their cast.
“Their primary concern was in creating believable relationships between characters, and we talked a lot about character and relationships before the shoot.
“Getting to improvise the characters online weeks before the shoot with my onscreen brother, Elijah, played by the smart, generous and playful, Kevin Scott Allen, made the relationship between us genuinely brotherly. We say things to each other only brothers can get away with.
“In rehearsal we developed a detailed history together, not on a dry intellectual level, but on a connected and emotional one based solely on the script and encouraged by James. We rehearsed the story on its feet straight away, which as (the acting teacher Michael) Chekhov famously said, ‘is the actors’ way.’ It meant we could talk in character about anything in the story with spontaneity when the cameras rolled, whether at a train station, in a park or walking through city streets. Nothing threw us.
“That same process also created believable, spontaneous relationships between my character’s niece, played by the wonderful, up-and-coming Audrey Nitschke, and my estranged onscreen wife, the generous Erin Connor.”
Poppleton describes Morcan’s direction as textbook and says he’d be delighted to work with him and with Ben-Moshe again in future.
“All the preparation with actors concerning their ideas, character and relationships was done thoroughly before the shoot. When the camera rolled everyone knew what to do and were at ease with each other, and that’s a reflection of James’s directing style.”
Outside of acting, Poppleton has the unique distinction of being Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer. He has over 1.3 million YouTube hits, released eight albums, played Sydney Festival twice, and produces and hosts the networked jazz show, The Phantom Dancer, on Australian radio.
Greg Poppleton…the jazz singer.
Poppleton will attend Anno 2020’s world premiere red-carpet event at Randwick’s The Ritz Cinema, in Sydney, on April 7. Beyond that, a Melbourne screening will take place at the Lido Cinema on May 6, and a Brisbane screening at the New Farm Cinema on June 4. The longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
As the countdown continues for the world premiere of the Australian-produced mystery-drama Anno 2020 – at a red-carpet event in Sydney on April 7 – attention turns to the film’s New Zealand-born author-director James Morcan.
James Morcan (right) with Anno 2020 producer Gil Ben-Moshe in Downtown Sydney.
The Sydney-based 45-year-old made his directorial debut helming this movie and has the distinction of not only writing the Anno 2020 script but adapting it from his published novel of the same name. He is also a screen actor, and he goes against type to play the part of an anti-Semite in an unforgettable scene opposite Jewish actor Gil Ben-Moshe, who is also the film’s lead producer.
Morcan describes Anno 2020 as a mammoth, all-consuming, creative book-to-film project he has been working on around the clock since the Covid-19 lockdowns began in early 2020. He was set to direct another feature film in Sydney when he was pulled from it when the pandemic intervened, resulting in the cancellation of the production. Undeterred, he turned his attention to Anno 2020.
“The storyline (of Anno 2020) is my attempt to make sense of, or mentally process, our strangely altered reality and everything humanity collectively endured in 2020. For the last three years I’ve devoted my life to it, from writing the novel and then the screenplay adaptation to directing the filming and finally guiding it thru post-production.”
Morcan says it’s no exaggeration to say, for him, the film was an absolute beast to direct, but he insists it was always rewarding as the quality was evident throughout the production.
“I lived every scene in my mind over the duration, visualizing how to bring to life this epic, heartfelt story in the most dramatic yet believable way. The result is a film best described as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness, and answers amidst the chaos of 2020.
“If I could summarize Anno 2020 in one word, I would say: substance. It has substance in spades and that’s what I always aim for as a storyteller. Early viewer feedback we are receiving confirms that this story makes people laugh, cry, think on a philosophical level and reflect on their own lives in new ways.”
Morcan believes it will feel extremely genuine to cinemagoers, and he primarily attributes that to some of the filmmaking techniques he and his colleagues pioneered during the film’s making.
“Keeping in mind the movie was shot during the strict lockdowns in 17 cities on four continents, we faced unique challenges. Our actors, in the main, were isolated and separated from each other as opposed to being together on set.
“Besides directing all the many Australian scenes on location, remote filming tech allowed me to direct cast members and crews in the various global locations that I couldn’t travel to due to Covid restrictions. This allowed my crew and I to film live all over the world without travelling to every single location.”
Anno 2020 boasts an award-winning ensemble of international actors. They include leading Australians Greg Poppleton (Backtrack, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D), as well as US veterans Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and Chinese American Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers).
“The actors were pushed to their limits as the rare performance style we employed is emotionally raw, semi-improvisational and mostly shot via close-ups courtesy of Zoom technology.
“This was not only reflective of the way many people were forced to communicate during the pandemic, but also it created a never-before-seen way to view characters interacting in movies – showing two close-ups at once. That’s something that’s never seen in regular movies apart from brief split-screen footage.
“Our video-linked conversations provide a real intimacy and dramatically contrast with the panoramic shots in the rest of the film.”
Morcan says those panoramic shots he refers to were all filmed using high-quality cinema cameras.
“Strategically recreating Zoom-style chats proved to be an asset. Our actors infused their own real-life experiences, be they traumatic or joyful, in cinema vérité fashion. That ‘real life’ injection helped evolve their characters into something even more truthful, giving this overall piece of entertainment shades of docu-drama or at least ultra-realism.
“Audiences will definitely feel these honest truths, proving the old adage what comes from the heart, goes to the heart.”
Morcan says one of the groundbreaking methods employed while shooting was to encourage ad-libbed interactions where the actors improvised much of the dialogue around preconceived situations.
“These improvised sequences facilitated a sense of immense spontaneity and realism similar to what auteur directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorcese did in the likes of those 1970’s classics Apocalypse Now and Taxi Driver, and more recently in Scorcese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. That approach led to very genuine interactions between actors in character.”
Anno 2020’s lead producer Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, says he believes the movie will launch Morcan’s career as a director.
“James proved to every actor involved that he understands story and what it takes to direct an ensemble that boasts Hollywood credits. I’m truly excited for him and look forward to working with him on many future projects.”
Ben-Moshe says collaborating with Morcan on Anno 2020 was confirmation for him that he has directing chops, an admirable work ethic, and the ability to get a performance out of any actor regardless of age, experience, or attitude.
“Directing is a real artform which requires an enormous amount of work, planning and having a clear vision for every scene. James worked around the clock ensuring he was prepared for every possible scenario that could arise during pre-production and primary photography.”
From Morcan’s perspective, Anno 2020 is the culmination of a two decade-long career telling stories in the creative mediums of cinema, television, and theatre – around the world and spanning various genres and historical periods. One notable acting performance was a lead role alongside Berynn Schwerdt (Wyrmwood) in the post-Apocalyptic feature film After Armageddon, which he also wrote.
Other leading roles include the OZ-Bollywood feature films My Cornerstone and Love You Krishna for which he also wrote the screenplays for. Both productions were filmed in Sydney and Mumbai, and incorporated English and Hindi languages. My Cornerstone screened in cinemas Australia-wide and in selected Indian cinemas.
Morcan also performed in Ben Hur: The Stadium Spectacular, starring Russell Crowe, before an audience of 130,000 people over two nights at Sydney’s ANZ Olympic Stadium. Other acting credits include the British TV series Dark Knight, the BBC feature Wild About Harry, and TV commercials for multinational companies like Samsung and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Another acting highlight was playing a vigilante in The Pawn, a gritty feature film set in Melbourne, Victoria, which Morcan’s production company Morcan Motion Pictures produced. The noir-style thriller premiered at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival and screened at the Imperia Film Festival in Italy.
He was also Executive producer on Desired, a New Zealand thriller directed by Amanda Phillips and starring Dwayne Cameron (#211). It was shot in Auckland and premiered at Cannes Marche du Film in France.
Morcan has also made his mark as an author. Writing in collaboration with his father Lance Morcan, he has co-authored some 35 published fiction and non-fiction books in addition to his solo-authored novel Anno 2020. Many of these have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists.
The father-and-son writing team’s novels include the bestselling historical adventures Fiji, White Spirit and Into the Americas, and their acclaimed thrillers Silent Fear and The Orphan Trilogy. The pair are progressively adapting their novels to feature film screenplays, and several of these are in early development.
Among their most popular non-fiction titles is Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, a book that was written in collaboration with Holocaust survivors to document the historicity of the WW2 genocide.
Across film, television, theatre, and literature, Morcan says he has often covered similar themes to those of Anno 2020.
“My stories usually involve twist endings as this film has, as well as powerful, realistic characters that audiences and readers can relate to.”
Looking ahead, Morcan says his goal for the movie Anno 2020, besides commercial success, is to achieve a sense of unity.
“In an increasingly complex modern world that seems to be more and more about divisions in society, where people are all being lumped into political sides or categories and are pitted against each other, a diverse, all-inclusive film with family and community values will prove to be very timely in my opinion.
“And I am confident audiences will be surprised to see all the similarities in the different characters we follow across the many countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities we explore throughout the story.”
Anno 2020 will celebrate its world premiere at a red-carpet event at Randwick’s The Ritz Cinema, in Sydney, on April 7. Beyond that, a Melbourne screening will take place at the Lido Cinema on May 6, and a Brisbane screening at the New Farm Cinema on June 4. The longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
‘Attracting Chaos’: An Old Style of Filmmaking Meets a New Breed of Director in James Morcan’s ‘Anno 2020’
Maverick first-time director, James Morcan, harkens back to the havoc of pre-blockbuster Hollywood with his ‘Altmanesque’ and unruly, ‘Anno 2020’ (2024). Rhoyce Nova sits down with the best-selling author turned auteur to discover the method to his madness.
Andre Doc Williams filming on the deserted streets of New York City during lockdown.
“Think you know what 2020 was about? Think again,” teases the tagline of Anno 2020. A mystery drama based on Morcan’s novel of the same name, Anno 2020 is set in, and was filmed during, the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Described as, “A global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness, and answers amidst the chaos of Anno MMXX (Year 2020),” the film features a core cast of more than a dozen performers from around the world. Spanning seventeen cities in five countries on four continents, it was shot over two years amidst international travel bans on a nano-budget of US$6000. Set to premiere at The Ritz Cinema on April 7, Anno 2020 was a Quarter-Finalist at the International British Film Festival 2023 and won the ‘Best Experimental Film’ award from the Titan International Film Festival in Sydney.
Author-Director James Morcan, also appears in ‘Anno 2020’ as the disaffected, wheelchair-bound, ‘Byron’.
New Zealand-born Morcan may be a directorial debutante but as an author, he has considerable clout. The novel upon which the film is based is the first solo-authored title from the dozens of books he has written with his father, literary polymath, Lance Morcan. Among the duo’s oeuvre are two best-selling novels, White Spirit and Into the Americas, the gripping international thriller series,The Orphan Trilogies, and the new release horror, Silent Fear, which their production company, Morcan Motion Pictures, is developing into a feature film. Also slated for production is the author’s controversial non-fiction franchise, The Underground Knowledge Series, which spawned a popular YouTube podcast and one of the largest and most lively discussion groups on Goodreads. Also an actor of note, Morcan has appeared alongside the likes of Russell Crowe. Most recently he co-starred in three highly-rated features, After Armageddon (2016), and the Oz-Bollywood productions, Love You Krishna (2013), and My Cornerstone (2019), all of which he penned. His feature films have screened at cinemas in Australia, New Zealand, India, Italy, and Cannes.
Andre Doc Williams filming during the Black Lives Matter protests in New York City.
The making of Anno 2020 is seat-of-the-pants guerrilla filming at its finest. The fact that the ambitious project was even started, let alone completed, is a triumph of collaboration and experimentation. Morcan divulges how a conglomeration of suddenly unemployed headline actors and bored, under-utilised crew members helped to piece the film together while the rest of the world sat glued to their couches in their pyjamas. “People were in lockdown, and they really wanted something to do, so we just attracted people who… were primarily more actor-producers who just wanted to join us.” Explaining how he navigated the logistical and technical challenges of filming remotely in so many locations during travel bans, Morcan says that much of the filming was facilitated organically, adding that the timing was equally as important as the technologies they used.
People just said, ‘Well, I’ve got a film crew and they’re bored in Los Angeles or… I’ve got this red camera, or we’ve got friends in China,’” says Morcan, adding, “and it just grew and grew and grew to the point where we barely recognised it, you know, from our original plans.
Promising newcomer, Jessica Castello, during filming.
As the location shoots expanded across borders, so too did the cast. In Anno 2020, a melange of instantly recognisable faces and high-profile international artists appear alongside a band of promising, lesser-known, performers. American perennials, such as Star Trek’s, Kevin Scott-Allen, Brooklyn.Blue.Sky’s, La Rivers, and consumate veteran actress, Sheila Ball, join with seasoned homegrown talents like The Chronicles of Narnia actor, Greg Poppleton and Blue Murder’s, Gil Ben-Moshe, while esteemed Chinese American actress, Crystal J. Huang, and standout newcomer, Israeli actress, Lital Luzon, are among the multicultural cohorts who round out the cast. Quizzed on how he managed to attract such a stellar line-up of performers on no budget during a lockdown, Morcan explains,
It was basically like, you know, the cooperative theatre productions of yesteryear where everyone would get a slice of the pie,” adding, “It was about making everyone a type of producer… so everyone is getting something out of it.
True to this collaborative ethos each of the lead actors and key creatives on Anno 2020 received producer credits.
Crystal J. Huang delivers a measured yet moving performance in Anno 2020.
Anno 2020, despite its setting, is not about the Covid pandemic. Instead, it follows the cast of core characters as they navigate the relationship schisms, clashing beliefs, and core internal wounds that are made manifest by the forced confinement of the lockdowns. There are no hackneyed, ‘My boyfriend and I were separated by the travel ban’ narratives here, rather, in true ‘Altmanesque-ensemble’ style, a series of distinct narrative vignettes unfold and intersect. We see an alienated mother and daughter finding their way back to each other online when the mother is diagnosed with cancer and cannot access medical treatment. We see an aging gay man seeking connection with the family who ostracised him many years earlier, and we see a formerly-young man who realises he has wasted his life when he finds himself single and loveless while staring down the barrel of middle-age during lockdown.
Jessica Castello delivers a convincing, nuanced performance in Anno 2020.
Describing himself more as an ‘author-director’ with ‘actorly’ leanings, Morcan reveals his literary roots in the dexterous handling of the complex storylines, while the empathy his acting background fosters shows in the performers’ ability to feel safe to express their vulnerability. “I think author-actor is the key background for me,” says Morcan, adding, “because my style, I guess, is very act pro-actor.” In a nod to Altman’s signature style, Morcan encouraged his actors to improvise and integrate elements of their own lived experiences in their performances. As a result, Morcan reveals that 75% of the dialogue in Anno 2020 was improvised and that, going in, he deliberately underwrote the screenplay to foster overlapping dialogue and allow for ad-libbing. As Morcan puts it,
I got to know each actor and, and I thought, this is almost docu-drama style acting that will really suit people to put in their own trauma,” adding, “I know that sounds bleak, but… that’s the conflict of drama and people, but I had to check about, ‘Are you happy to explore something that’s really happened in your life?’
The tactic led to some startlingly moving moments, like when the character of ‘Esther’, played by Lital Luzon, who is easily the breakout performer of the piece, blurts out that she deserved to be abused by her ex-partners. Morcan says, “I tend to believe that big truths like that… will resonate at a deeper level.”
Israeli actress, Lital Luzon, performs with unparalleled intensity and authenticity in Anno 2020.
Judging from the intimacy of his actors’ performances, they seem to be revelling in Morcan’s loose and free directing style.
I think the thing people forget is that writing can be done at any stage. So, there is what we know of writing, but then if you think of the equivalent of songwriting, sometimes a band would just sit there. They’re not actually physically writing. And I think it’s a similar analogy for me with the filmmaking process, in that in the editing room, we’re rewriting.
Morcan reveals that the initial edit of Anno 2020 was eight hours long and he wanted to get it down to around two and a half hours. With the final cut standing at 2:25, the film is still on the long side by current standards. In cases like this, the old writing and filmmaking adage, ‘kill your darlings’ comes to mind, but a novelist and screenwriter of Morcan’s pedigree is well aware of this. One gets the sense that he has gloriously disregarded contemporary Hollywood conventions like certain renegade directors before him. Robert Altman’s Nashville comes in at around 2:40, and Lars von Trier’s Dogville runs just shy of three hours. Bold moves like this mark Morcan as a maverick movie maker who is determined to do things his own way.
Shaun Huff and La Rivers play a couple whose values clash during the pandemic.
While the performances in Anno 2020 are, on the whole, strong, the visual stylings are raw, rough, and ready. Do not expect high production values and finessed filmic finishes. The movie looks just as it was shot, randomly and chaotically with different cameras and camera people, and a collection of Zoom videos. Perhaps the film could have benefited from greater visual integration and a more interestingly rendered zoom interface, however, over-editing would be out of place in a film tackling topics of disconnection and alienation, particularly given its Cinéma Verité ethos. In the final analysis, the unfiltered visual language of Anno 2020 actually fosters the sense of connection we feel with the characters, as when the performers are addressing each other in the zoom windows, the fourth wall is thinned, without entirely breaking. In describing the style of filmmaking he wanted for the film, Morcan says,
We had this phrase like, ‘It’s not just realism, but ultra-realism’. That’s what we were going for,” adding, “The goal was… let’s say you were watching the movie and a friend of yours just popped in and looked over your shoulder, the goal was for them to say, ‘What documentary is this?’ because it feels so lifelike, you know?
Young actress Audrey Nitschke, who plays ‘Sophie’ in Anno 2020, is a talent to watch out for.
This kind of immediacy and authenticity lies at the core of Morcan’s style of directing, which he likens to the wild and free filmmaking techniques of the pre-blockbuster era in Hollywood. “I’m a big fan of 60/70s movies before there were these massive blockbusters,” says Morcan, adding, “Then I think so much money was involved that they were basically getting directors… to sign off on the script… but then what if something amazing happens that you go, ‘Gee, I wish I could have just done this, but you’re not allowed to… and that’s a restriction not only on directors but everyone.” Morcan says, “When you free a director, you’re freeing everybody.”
Morcan’s embrace of this off-the-cuff, seat-of-the-pants, 70’s style of filmmaking, paired with his ‘author-actor’ sensibilities, mark him as a new breed of auteur to watch out for. In his words,
I’m big on the planning, but for this movie, I think it shows that there are other ways to make films and the film industry has kind of forgotten about that,” adding, “like, with that sort of preparation, you’re trying to reduce any chaos, but Anno 2020 was almost about attracting chaos, chasing it, because that’s what made it dangerous. That’s what made it lively.
RHOYCE NOVA’S RATING FOR ANNO 2020:
“INNOVATIVE
INTIMATE
BRAVE”
Rhoyce Nova is an award-winning writer, director, and film critic who is passionate about elevating stellar independent cinema.
Down Under film fans will be delighted to learn tickets are still available for Sydney’s eagerly awaited Inner West Film Fest 2024, which will roll out across Dendy Cinemas, Palace Cinemas, Actors Centre Australia, Marrickville Golf Club and many more locations from April 11 to 21.
Last year’s event started off as a one-dayer, but quickly expanded to four days. This year, festival organisers have more than doubled that. They say that required a lot more scouting around the world for great content.
Their efforts have certainly paid off this time around with a mouthwatering array of offerings for film-lovers with a special focus on comedy.
Festival co-directors Greg Dolgopolov and Dov Kornits said in a joint statement the Inner West Film Fest will kick off with a very special opening night event.
“Under a (hopefully) starry Inner West sky, a free one-off open-air screening will celebrate the much-loved and oft-quoted surprise breakout 2004 indie hit NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, the Jared Hess-directed cult comedy that helped define a generation.”
Dolgopolov and Kornits describe the movie as a deliriously entertaining cult classic and remind fans it recently enjoyed an anniversary screening at Sundance. This deliriously entertaining offering will screen on its 20th anniversary under the stars at Hole 1 of The Marrickville Golf Club.
This Inner West Film Fest programme is packed with Australian content, including festival favourite Goran Stolevski’s latest work, HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS, which won the coveted Queer Lion at The Venice International Film Festival.
The Australian Premiere of PAUL FENECH: OUTBACK OUTLAW COMEDIAN, from the creator of FAT PIZZA, HOUSOS, and BOGAN HUNTERS, also offers behind-the-scenes footage and commentary that will have you crying with laughter.
FIGHT TO LIVE is a riveting, profoundly inspiring documentary that follows Aussie Bare Knuckle Fighting champion “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings’ journey from victim to conqueror. It was directed by Inner West resident Tom Haramis who will be a guest of the festival.
HEART OF THE MAN is a poignant exploration of family dynamics, personal growth, and the power of acceptance, as a young boxer finds the courage to follow his own path. Written, directed by and starring indigenous filmmaker David Cook who will also be a festival guest.
Photographer and documentarian Stephen Dupont’s searing, unforgettable documentary KAUGERE: A PLACE WHERE NOBODY ENTERS is a modern-day parable of once tribal men finding their feet through the game of rugby league.
SAHELA, executive produced by Dev Patel and starring Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar, is director Raghuvir Joshi’s debut feature, and captures the complex, fraught emotion of a married man’s decision to confront the traditional Indian cultural values he was raised with.
The Cannes Film Festival success story DÉSERTS, is an epic road movie that winds its way from Casablanca to the South of Morocco Sahara, with gifted actor director Faouzi Bensaïdi (MILLE MOIS, DEATH FOR SALE) at the wheel.
Another Cannes success story, THE SWEET EAST is the stunning directorial debut of veteran indie cinematographer Sean Price Williams (GOOD TIME, HER SMELL, TESLA, MARJORIE PRIME), and provides an ample showcase for heartthrob-du-jour Jacob Elordi (SALTBURN, PRISCILLA), rising star Earl (son of Nick) Cave, magnetic scene stealer Simon Rex (RED ROCKET), and rising star Talia Ryder.
Blazing a trail at The 2023 Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, and scoring the Best Director prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, FREMONT is a tough, but sweetly tempered tale with stunning performances from exciting newcomer Anaita Wali Zada, award-winning man-of-the-moment Jeremy Allen White (THE BEAR, THE IRON CLAW) and actor-writer-comedian Gregg Turkington (ANT-MAN).
The deliriously funny brainchild of comedian, co-writer, producer and star Esther Povitsky, the satirical comedy DRUGSTORE JUNE boasts a side-splitting support cast, including Beverly D’Angelo, James Remar, Haley Joel Osment, Bobby Lee, and executive producers Bill Burr and Al Madrigal.
French high-stylist and stand-alone auteur Luc Besson is back with the highly original DOGMAN, a quirky collision of rich characterisation and hard-edged action to rival the director’s best work in the genre, including LEON, NIKITA and LUCY. Gifted leading man Caleb Landry Jones delivers a masterclass in outsider iconoclasm to match Besson’s bravura moves.
Caleb Landry Jones in Dogman.
And that’s just a snapshot of what’s screening at this year’s Inner West Film Fest!
Followers of the acclaimed Athenian composure-musician-artist-writer Vasileios (Billy) Yfantis are enchanted by his latest offering, which some have described as a remarkable album set to captivate listeners with its evocative piano compositions.
Yfantis celebrates a guest appearance at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.
There’s no doubt Yfantis has hit the mark with Cinematic Works, Vol. III, an album one music critic says “transports listeners to a realm of ethereal beauty and emotion”. Another critic describes it as “a dreamy Journey through atmospheric piano music”.
The album marks a significant milestone in Yfantis’ illustrious career. Known for his ability to harness the power of music to paint vivid stories, he has once again delved deep into his creative wellspring to craft a collection of soul-stirring tracks that transcend the boundaries of traditional piano music.
As a successor to his previous critically acclaimed albums, Cinematic Works, Vol. III continues the artist’s exploration of atmospheric and cinematic soundscapes. Each composition is a musical narrative, carefully designed to elicit powerful emotions and imagery.
“The piano has always been my canvas for storytelling,” says Yfantis. “With Cinematic Works, Vol. III, I wanted to create a sonic journey that transports listeners to different worlds, where they can lose themselves in the magic of music.”
Listeners can expect to be spellbound by the musician’s emotive piano performance as he skilfully blends classical and contemporary influences to create a truly transcendent musical experience.
Cinematic Works, Vol. III will soon be available on all major music streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, etc.
Cinematic Works, Vol. III…a dreamy Journey through atmospheric piano music.
1. Vasileios Yfantis – Cinematic Works, Vol. III (Year of Release: 2023)
2. Vasileios Yfantis – Cinematic Works, Vol. II (2022)
3. Vasileios Yfantis – Cinematic Works, Vol. I (2021)
Vasileios (Billy) Yfantis has been working on music since the late 1990s, experimenting with tape mixing and sound design. He holds two Masters Degrees in IT (Information Technology) and is a Ph.D. candidate in the University of West Attica, conducting research on e-government.
Moreover, the Greek maestro has authored books on music, business and science as well as periodically speaking about the electronic governance at scientific conferences Europe-wide.
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Treat yourself and listen to Cinematic Works, Vol. III here:
Editor’s note:Special thanks to Billy Yfantis from Lance & James Morcan, and all the cast and crew of the soon-to-be-released, mystery-drama Anno 2020, for his generosity in promoting this movie to his legion of followers. Anno 2020, directed by James and produced by Gil & Oren Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, celebrates its world premiere in Sydney on April 7.
“It’s just another thing the (Covid-19) pandemic took from us — deep, fulfilling, nourishing relationships on the job.”
So wrote veteran American actor, writer, producer Kevin Scott Allen in a guest article published in the Los Angeles Times early in 2021. The article, titled “Wish you were here. With love, your work friend”, was a poignant commentary on the impact the pandemic-enforced lockdowns and social isolation had on himself and on his fellow actors.
Explaining to readers how the isolation impacted upon him personally, Allen, who is best known for his roles in Alias (2001), Prison Break (2005) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), said there was a hole in his life the size of the universe.
The emotion behind those words is there for all to see in the soon-to-be released global movie Anno 2020 in which Allen plays the central character of Elijah, a self-styled philosopher who mentors a variety of colorful individuals similarly affected by the lockdowns elsewhere in America and around the world.
Kevin Scott Allen…a central figure in Anno 2020.
Billed as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness, and answers amidst the chaos of 2020, the Australian-produced mystery-drama Anno 2020 was shot in 17 cities on four continents during the lockdowns on a micro budget of US$6,000.
The film was produced by Sydney-based Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, and helmed by New Zealand born director James Morcan. They both act in it as well with Ben-Moshe playing a major role.
The Anno 2020 screenplay, which Morcan adapted from his published novel of the same name, immediately resonated with Allen. Speaking from his Los Angeles home this week, the respected actor says it mirrored what was going on in the world at the time.
“I was absolutely intrigued by the way it was to be filmed, and by the fact it was a truly global production,” he says. “Not to mention the filmmakers’ boldness and enthusiasm. I was so impressed, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of it.”
Allen describes Morcan, for whom Anno 2020 represents his directorial debut, as an actor’s dream for a director.
“James gave me total freedom to find the character’s voice, and he encouraged me to find my way of conveying the story, giving me full reign to improvise and create my own dialogue. I felt this character sinking further down into my bones with each scene we filmed.”
As for filming during the lockdown while separated from the director, crew, and fellow actors, he said it was as weird as hell not having folks running around on set.
“Being simultaneously on set, so to speak, with other actors on other continents via a mobile phone connection will be a lasting memory for me as will the rapport I quickly established with my terrific onscreen brother Greg Poppleton (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader).
“Filming a desert sequence at magical Whitewater, near Palm Springs, it was only me, the cameraman and his assistant physically on site with the director and producer on mobile phone in Australia. That was a real highlight. It was strangely liberating in that it was more real and I didn’t have to ‘ignore’ dozens of crewmembers during the takes.”
Allen’s decision to join the Anno 2020 cast proved a good one. The film has enjoyed recent success in film festivals – most notably winning the Titan International Film Festival’s ‘Best Experimental Film’ award, in Sydney, Australia, Quarter-Finalist status in the Best Film category at the International British Film Festival 2023, in London, as well as an official selection in the Symbiotic Film Festival in Ukraine.
Allen is currently filming what he describes as a wonderful Matt McClung-helmed, suspense-horror film called Menagerie in which he plays a ghost who haunts a hotel after having died early last century.
In addition to having acquired countless credits acting in film, television and theatre over 30 years, Allen is an author whose books include his non-fiction work Conquering the Film and Television Audition, and the well-reviewed mystery novel Murder Can Be Fatal, recently published by Film Arts Press. He is currently working on two more novels.
Veteran actor Kevin Scott Allen…always at home on the red carpet.
Allen’s biography on Amazon advises readers that he is also a sought-after, on-camera, acting teacher and audition coach. His students’ successful auditions have won them starring roles in films as well as co-star, guest star, and series regular roles on television.
A married man, his “Trivia” page on the international film site IMDb advises, among other surprising revelations, that he went to the same prep school as Ethan Hawke; was schooled in Switzerland; once spoke French better than English; was the very last actor hired/cast in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; won Best Actor Award at the 2011 Edgemar Short Film Festival for Switchboard; and filmed his first television show was when he was only seven.
Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in California, Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. He was educated at the Hun School of Princeton and at Collège Champittet, in Switzerland, where he learnt to speak French fluently, and he then studied theatre and dramatic arts at California’s University of Redlands.
In 1979, at the Globe Theatre on Broadway, Los Angeles, Allen played Buckingham in Henry VI, Part 2 and Clifford in Henry VI, Part 3. An early television appearance came in the Otherworld episode “The Zone Troopers Build Men” (1985).
Sydney producer Gil Ben-Moshe says working with Allen was one of the highlights for him on the Anno 2020 production.
“Kevin’s resume extends further than the Great Wall of China as this actor has done it all, and when you see firsthand this exquisite talent at work you cannot be anything but in awe of his status as a first-class actor,” says Ben-Moshe.
“Even more impressive than his enviable talent was his attitude on set. He trusted first time director James Morcan from day one. Kevin’s respectful and humble approach was a lesson to every actor regardless of their experience.”
This wasn’t lost on Morcan who describes Allen as the type of artist filmmakers love to collaborate with.
“Kevin’s able to walk the tightrope of being the sort of actor who completely submerges himself into any character he plays, juxtaposed with having the ability to listen to the perspective of a director and adjust accordingly,” says Morcan.
“Given his career goes all the way back to 1970’s Hollywood and working with such titans of the performing arts as Andy Kaufman, I found it inspiring to observe how Kevin masterfully approaches characterisation, storytelling and the filmmaking process in general.”
Morcan considers Anno 2020 a vignette film.
“It’s a rare type of movie where there are various plots instead of just one. These are told separately, but they all intersect at the end to ultimately become part of one larger story.”
Anno 2020 boasts an award-winning ensemble of international actors. Other cast members include leading Australian Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D), American veterans Sheila Ball (American Trash and A Prince and Pauper Christmas) and Chinese American Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers), as well as up-and-coming Californian Jessica Castello (Oildale), and Australian child actress Audrey Nitschke (Wolf Like Me).
Asked whether he would work with Anno 2020’s filmmakers again, Kevin Scott Allen said he would. “In a heartbeat!”
He adds, “I felt I had a true partner in James (Morcan), not merely a taskmaster. Every scene had a true feeling of creativity, not simply storytelling. It was the same with Gil (Ben-Moshe). Every moment he was on screen I was riveted by his true exploration of the scene and how it affected his character.”
Anno 2020 will celebrate its world premiere at a red-carpet event in Sydney on April 7. Beyond that, interstate cinematic screenings Australia-wide are planned, followed by screenings in New Zealand and possibly the U.S. as well. The longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
For Santa Monica-born actress Jessica Castello, playing the standout role of a daughter separated from a dying loved-one in her latest feature film was a case of make-believe reflecting real life.
In the soon-to-be-released, award-winning Anno 2020 – a mystery drama filmed and set in the cataclysmic year that was 2020 – Castello plays the role of a young exchange student locked down in Wuhan, China, and separated from her mother in Michigan after the outbreak of Covid-19.
Jessica Castello…making her mark in film.
The role of her mother, Heather, is played by acclaimed actress Sheila Ball (American Trash, A Prince and Pauper Christmas) whose character is dying of cancer, and the emotional scenes between her and Castello’s character, Emma, are among the most poignant in the movie.
Castello, best known for her starring role in the celebrated David Mueller-helmed Oildale (2019), says the filming of Anno 2020 was difficult for her in more ways than one.
“As well as being locked down like everyone else, I was separated from my Florida-based grandmother who was dying at the time,” she says. “She passed away during filming, so it was an especially emotional period for me.”
The Los Angeles actress says she also found it challenging having to act in the privacy of her Hollywood home and not on a traditional film set surrounded by other actors and crew.
“That was difficult because it’s harder to psych yourself up to play a scene in the comfort of your home. Fortunately, I clicked with Sheila (Ball) immediately, and she was a joy to work with. So nice yet so professional.”
In one scene, Castello, who is also a singer songwriter, sings ‘Chances Are (Emma’s Lullaby)’, one of the songs she wrote specifically for her character. That scene, part of a sequence filmed in a Los Angeles bar, was for her a highlight especially as she got to perform with other actors away from home, and more importantly, she says, because she got to sing.
Chinese American actress Crystal J. Huang (left) plays opposite Castello in Anno 2020 bar scene.
The 24-year-old strawberry blonde, who has been acting professionally since the age of 12, started in musical theater as a youngster, performing in many plays and musicals. She also wrote a musical for the stage, which she hopes to bring to light one day.
Castello recently scored representation with L.A. talent agency the Players Artists Agency. A move, she says, that has resulted in a bunch of auditions.
To say she is multi-talented would be an understatement. From the age of four she was a competitive figure skater, and she reveals at one stage she considered working toward qualifying for Olympic Games selection. Home-schooled through her junior years, she received her General Education Diploma at the tender age of 16 and went on to study criminal justice in college.
As well as starring in various supporting and lead screen roles, including her lead role in Oildale – a performance that earned her the Best Actress award at the Sene Film Festival – she has appeared in numerous national and international commercials. On top of that, a love of travel and a flair for the written word resulted in her being appointed editor of the popular online magazine Traveler.com.
Best Actress winner Jessica Castello singing in Oildale.
Castello says she was thrilled to be cast in Anno 2020 because it came at a time when the world was basically in lockdown and there was little going by way of acting opportunities.
“Working on this film was such a unique film experience. I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of something like that again. It has a special place in my heart!”
It turned out to be a good career move for her because the film has enjoyed recent success in film festivals – most notably winning the Titan International Film Festival’s ‘Best Experimental Film’ award, in Sydney, Australia, Quarter-Finalist status in the Best Film category at the International British Film Festival 2023, in London, as well as an official selection in the Symbiotic Film Festival in Ukraine.
Anno 2020’s lead producer, Sydney-based Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, says completion of the film was a triumph in the face of adversity given it was shot around the world at the height of the strict lockdowns.
“Its successful completion represents no small victory given the travel restrictions and other challenges thrown up by the pandemic,” he says. “Especially when you consider it spans 17 cities and five countries on four continents and was done on a shoestring budget of US$6,000.”
Ben-Moshe who is also an actor and who plays a memorable role in the film, says Castello was an absolute pleasure to work with.
“Even though Jessica is relatively young, she displayed a lot of maturity which was welcomed by the director and other cast members. What was most notable was her onscreen chemistry with veteran actress Sheila Ball.
Veteran American actress Sheila Ball.
“You can always identify the level of an actor by their demeanor on set. I cannot recall ever seeing Jessica overwhelmed or stressed during the filming of any of her scenes. She is a very confident, experienced, and versatile actress.”
Anno 2020 boasts an award-winning ensemble of international actors. Other cast members include leading Australians Greg Poppleton (Backtrack, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D), as well as US veterans Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and Chinese American Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers).
For New Zealand director James Morcan, Anno 2020 represents his directorial debut. The Sydney-based director, who also acts in the film and who adapted the screenplay from his published novel of the same name, describes the movie as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness, and answers amidst the chaos of 2020.
“It’s a vignette film – a rare type of movie where there are various plots instead of just one,” he says. “These are told separately, but they all intersect at the end to ultimately become part of one larger story.”
Morcan says Jessica Castello was chosen out of 500 young American actresses who applied for the role of Emma.
“The role had a girl-to-woman character arc, and Jessica was versatile enough to pull off both an immature teenager and an independent woman. Once I discovered she is also a dynamic singer, we worked together to incorporate her musical side into the story. I’m excited to see what roles Jessica is cast for in future, and I hope to collaborate with her again on another film.”
Castello says Morcan is truly an actor’s director.
“James was absolutely wonderful!” she says. “He made sure everything went as smooth as possible, always asking for my opinion and ensuring I was a part of telling this story.”
Anno 2020 will celebrate its world premiere at a red-carpet event in Sydney on April 7. Beyond that, interstate cinematic screenings Australia-wide are planned, followed by screenings in New Zealand and possibly the US as well. The longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
News release, March 3, 2024: The filmmakers behind Anno 2020, an award-winning, Australian-produced, mystery-drama soon to celebrate its world premiere, count themselves lucky to have secured the services of California-based Chinese American actress Crystal J. Huang.
Crystal J. Huang…multi-talented.
In recent years, Shanghai-born Huang has emerged as an in-demand actress in major American motion pictures, starring opposite such renowned Hollywood veterans as Eric Roberts and Tom Sizemore. The multi-talented actress is currently basking in the success of her new release psychological thriller Dark Feathers, another award-winning film and one in which she also makes her directorial debut.
Huang, who is also a film producer, model, dancer, and photographer of some note, is one of an ensemble of international actors who appears in Anno 2020, an ambitious, low budget (US$6,000) movie shot on four continents at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. She plays a Chinese immigrant living in Dublin, Ca., which also happens to be the place she now calls home in real life. Her screen daughter, played by Beijing-native Ruike Kuang, is on vacation in Beijing when the Covid-19 outbreak begins in early 2020.
Anno 2020’s New Zealand director James Morcan, who also acts in the film and who adapted the Anno 2020 screenplay from his published novel of the same name, says he didn’t hesitate to cast Huang to star in the production.
“Crystal was my main advisor on Chinese cultural elements. She carefully translated some of the script’s English dialogue into Mandarin for scenes in her native language,” says Morcan.
“I also gave her the freedom to improvise much of her dialogue. This helped to shape her role and mother-daughter plot into something authentically Chinese rather than reflect my Western perspective.”
Morcan says what he loves about Huang is she is not only an exceptional actress, but she is all about supporting the director and the film. “Crystal has no ego and that, combined with her remarkable talent, equals a winning formula for any actor.”
He describes the film as a multicultural kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness and answers during the wild year that was 2020.
“It’s a vignette film, a rare type of movie where there are various plots instead of just one. These are told separately, but they all intersect at the end to ultimately become part of one larger story.”
Requiring the employment of camera crews and cast around the world, Anno 2020 has an impressive lineup of actors. Other cast members include US veterans Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and Sheila Ball (Assault on VA-33), and leading Australians Greg Poppleton (Backtrack, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D).
The movie has had recent success in film festivals – most notably winning the Titan International Film Festival’s ‘Best Experimental Film’ award, in Sydney last month, and Quarter-Finalist status in the Best Film category at the International British Film Festival 2023 in London. It also received an official selection for the Symbiotic Film Festival in Ukraine.
Crystal Huang says Anno 2020 will always have a special place in her heart.
“The lockdowns of 2020 had an impact on almost everyone, and for me personally it (the pandemic) was an especially depressing and stressful time in my life,” she says.
“I was separated from my daughter during that period, and then the Anno 2020 opportunity came along. It provided me with a chance to express my own feelings about family, and how to cope with long distance relationships.
“Participating in Anno 2020 was truly a career highlight for me as well as being therapeutic, and it helped me get through that very difficult period.”
Huang, whose favorite actor is Woody Allen, says Anno 2020 is reminiscent of Woody Allen’s work.
“I think it is a timely contribution and touches on various important issues facing society in this era. It has rich diversity and almost every scene feels totally realistic.”
“The film’s characters are all meaningful and unique, and James, as a first-time director, has great personal style and delivers cinematic atmosphere. I believe Anno 2020 deserves to be seen by everyone, including Chinese people.”
Huang says one of her lasting memories of the film was the day she drove to Burbank to performance an iconic bar sequence.
“I had to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles to participate in that sequence, working around the continuing lockdowns in the process. As well as preparing for my performance, I had to shoot some scenes using my own camera. Fortunately, I was able to fall back on my experience as a photographer.”
Currently, she has been super busy producing her movie Dark Feathers, which just last week premiered on the opening night of the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. The film received five HRIFF nominations, including Best Picture and People’s Choice Award, and won three awards, including Best Actress (Crystal J. Huang), Best Supporting actor (Michael Madsen), and Best Trailer.
“I am swamped arranging for this movie to be released in theaters. Funding limitations mean I must do almost everything myself.”
Huang says she envisions producing the prequel of Dark Feathers if the film performs and if time allows.
As for Anno 2020, she says she would definitely work with director James Morcan and crew again if the opportunity arose.
“James’s creativity in directing the movie made the storyline very believable, and his approach to shooting assembling shots from individuals (physically separated by the lockdowns) felt rather fresh.”
Morcan confirmed he would work with Huang again in a heartbeat.
“Crystal really is a director’s delight to work alongside,” he says.
Anno 2020’s lead producer Gil Ben-Moshe, of Sydney-based film production company MoneyShot Productions, echoes his director’s comments.
“As a producer I need to ensure we cast people who are not only talented and professional, but who possess a positive attitude,” says Ben-Moshe who also plays a lead role in the movie.
“Throughout the entire shoot, Crystal demonstrated all these attributes. She is one of those actors who appreciate and respect other actors as well as the director. On set, Crystal’s charm and experience shone through, complimented by a truly likeable personality, and she delivered a heartwarming performance which was well received by all who have viewed the movie.”
Ben-Moshe says completion of Anno 2020, which was shot on a shoestring budget in 17 cities around the world at the height of the strict Covid-19 lockdowns, was a triumph in the face of adversity.
Beyond the movie’s official launch on April 7, interstate cinematic screenings Australia-wide are planned, followed by screenings in New Zealand and possibly the US as well. The longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
Israeli actress Lital Luzon is one of an international array of actors who stars in the soon-to-be-released, award-winning, mystery-drama Anno 2020. However, the multi-talented, 37-year-old, Jewish entertainer is unique in that she also holds the rank of Senior Sergeant Major in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and has recently completed a three-month tour of duty combatting Hezbollah insurgents on the Lebanese border.
Lital Luzon…on duty with her Special Forces unit.
Luzon was one of many Israelis directly impacted by Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel from Gaza on October 7. The bloody events of that fateful day saw her called up to rejoin her IDF Army combat squad in northern Israel – her squad being the elite Oketz unit whose members work with dogs and whose responsibilities include recovering missing, captured and sometimes deceased Israelis from combat zones.
As part of the IDF’s Reserve Force, she remains on call for such emergencies.
Speaking from her home in Tel Aviv, Luzon whose two siblings (a brother and a sister) also serve as soldiers, would not provide specifics on her unit’s missions on the Lebanese border other than to say the region is a real hotspot.
“There’s more going on there than people are aware,” she confides. “Much of what’s happening is unreported or underreported.”
Haifa-born Luzon says she began her mandatory military training with the IDF as an 18-year-old.
“Eighteen was, and to this day still is, the age able-bodied Israelis must commit to military training. It’s normally a fulltime, three-year commitment for males and only two years for females unless they (females) try out for acceptance into the IDF’s Special Forces.”
She was one of 10 females who tried out for the Special Forces that year, and she was one of only three or four who qualified. It was a commitment that changed her life in innumerable ways.
“I had my heart set on a career as a professional football player,” she says. “I was a member of Israel’s champion schoolgirl’s team at the time, and we competed for the World Soccer Championship for Schools in China.”
Luzon says she realised a three-year commitment to qualifying for the Special Forces would put paid to any professional football plans. That commitment continues with her having to commit to one month’s military service every year as well as being on call for longer service in conflicts such as the present one.
“I wanted to give something back to Israel. I had, and still have, vivid memories of being afraid with the constant threat of enemy incursions and missiles hanging over us. I often witnessed the bravery of my parents and other citizens, hence my desire to give back.”
Football is but one of many talents this impressive lady happens to possess – acting, singing, acrobatics, dancing and screenwriting being among the others with acting being to the fore.
Lital Luzon…the actress.
After completing her military training, she studied acting for three years, first at Israel’s Nissan Nativ Acting Studio where she was awarded a major scholarship, and then at the Ruth Dytches Acting School where she learned the art of acting in front of a camera.
Luzon’s acting credits include numerous theatre, television, and feature film appearances, most recently her role in the Australian-produced movie Anno 2020. Helmed by New Zealand director James Morcan, Anno 2020 sees Luzon playing opposite Sydney-based actor Gil Ben-Moshe in a moving portrayal of an Israeli separated from her former Australian lover in the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020.
The film boasts an award-winning ensemble of international actors. Other cast members include leading Australians Greg Poppleton (Backtrack, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D), US veterans Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and Sheila Ball (Assault on VA-33), and Shanghai-born actress Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers, Staycation).
Anno 2020 will celebrate its world premiere in Sydney on April 7. This red-carpet event follows the movie’s recent success in film festivals – most notably the Titan International Film Festival’s ‘Best Experimental Film’ award, in Sydney last month, Quarter-Finalist status in the Best Film category at the International British Film Festival 2023 in London as well as an official selection in the Symbiotic Film Festival in Ukraine.
For Ben-Moshe, who is also a lead producer of the movie, playing opposite Luzon was a highlight of his acting career.
“Every now and then you meet someone who is special and memorable for a number of reasons,” he says. “For me personally, Lital was that person. From the moment we interviewed her, it was clear to all of us that she was a great find. She added a calm on set, making the experience an absolute pleasure for everyone fortunate enough to work with her.”
Anno 2020 producer Gil Ben-Moshe…on set.
Ben-Moshe’s sentiments are echoed by the film’s Sydney-based director James Morcan.
“Casting Lital was a no-brainer,” says Morcan who made his directorial debut on Anno 2020. “She’s a generous actress who always sets out to deliver great scenes and not just a great individual performance. On set, her sweet demeanour was complemented by her professionalism and indisputable talent, and I look forward to working with her again.”
James Morcan…makes his directorial debut on Anno 2020.
The New Zealand director, who adapted the Anno 2020 screenplay from his published novel of the same name, is also an actor and he goes totally against character to play the role of a staunch anti-Semite and Holocaust denier opposite Ben-Moshe.
For Luzon, she says this movie was, for her, a wonderful, mind-blowing experience, but also quite surreal.
“I’m used to being surrounded by cast and crew members onset. However, because this was filmed at the height of the lockdowns, I was literally alone with much of my dialogue being delivered via Zoom footage. It took me out of my comfort zone. That said, James was so professional and patient. He helped me become a better actor.”
In the here and now, she is co-writing a television series about her IDF experience and is also involved in a new TV network series on how to survive the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Regarding Israel’s future, she remains hopeful amidst the turmoil.
“All Israelis want peace,” she insists. “We pray for a speedy end to the hostilities, and I personally look forward to the day when everyone in the region lives together in harmony regardless of race, religion and nationality.”
Anno 2020, a feature film helmed by New Zealand director James Morcan, won the Titan International Film Festival’s ‘Best Experimental Film’ award in Sydney last week.
Director-screenwriter-actor James Morcan accepts the Titan award.
The ambitious mystery-drama feature film was produced by Australian production company MoneyShot Productions on a budget of less than NZ$10,000.00 (US$6,000.00). It was shot using cutting-edge, experimental filming techniques and it involved calling in a lot of favours from cast and crew.
Morcan, for whom Anno 2020 represents his directorial debut, accepted the Titan award on behalf of Sydney producers and twins Gil and Oren Ben-Moshe and their production team.
In his acceptance speech, Morcan paid tribute to all who worked on and contributed to the film.
“Completing Anno 2020 was a triumph, especially when you consider our low budget and the fact that the film was shot during the strict Covid-19 lockdowns in 17 cities on four different continents,” he said.
Morcan describes the film as a multicultural kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness and peace during the wild year that was 2020.
“It’s a vignette film, a rare type of movie where there are various plots instead of just one. These are told separately, but they all intersect at the end to ultimately become part of one larger story.”
Producers Gil Ben-Moshe (left) and Oren Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions.
Requiring the employment of camera crews and cast around the world, Anno 2020 boasts an award-winning ensemble of international actors. The cast includes leading Australians Greg Poppleton (Backtrack, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall, Dino King 3D), as well as US veterans Kevin Scott Allen (Star Trek, Alias, Prison Break) and Sheila Ball (Assault on VA-33).
Morcan, who is also an actor, producer, novelist, and screenwriter, adapted the screenplay from his published novel of the same name and had major input into the lengthy editing of the film alongside Editor/DOP Simon Carter. In addition to directing it, he also plays a supporting role in the film.
The Titan festival award followed the announcement in December that Anno 2020 had been awarded Quarter-Finalist status in the Best Film category at the International British Film Festival 2023. The movie also received an official selection for the Symbiotic Film Festival in Ukraine earlier this month.
The official cinematic launch of Anno 2020 is booked for Sydney’s Randwick Ritz cinema on April 7. It will be attended by film industry representatives and friends of the production as well as cast and crewmembers.
The producers welcome enquiries from any well-wishers who would like to attend the launch.
Beyond the official launch, interstate cinematic screenings Australia-wide are planned followed by screenings in New Zealand and possibly the US as well, according to Gil Ben-Moshe. Brother Oren said the longer-term target includes online distribution on major streaming platforms.
Morcan Books & Films 