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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
New Zealand publisher Sterling Gate Books has announced its bestselling (fictional) audiobook this month is our historical adventure novel INTO THE AMERICAS by Lance & James Morcan. To listen to the prologue, click on:https://www.amazon.com/Into-Americas-novel-based-story/dp/B0FDKY28ZC/
INTO THE AMERICAS (A novel based on a true story) is a tale of two vastly different cultures – Indigenous North American and European civilization – colliding head on.
This gritty, real-life adventure is based on one of history’s greatest wilderness survival stories. It was inspired by the diary entries of young English blacksmith John Jewitt during his time as a captive of the Mowachahts of Nootka Sound, on North America’s western seaboard, from 1802 to 1805.
Listening length of this Audible Audiobook is 14hrs 2mins.
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For those who prefer the printed word, INTO THE AMERICAS is available as a paperback via Harvard Book Store, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Amazon and via public libraries.
The early reviews for ANNO 2020 show that film critics are resonating with this epic, mystery-drama, which premiered on YouTube this week.
U.S. arts critic Grady Harp writes: “(Director) James Morcan has successfully transformed his novel ANNO 2020 into a visual exploration of that moment in history – the year 2020 – when Covid-19 disrupted our lives. Spanning multiple continents and cities, this lucid insight into how we all struggled to make sense of lock downs, wearing mask, confining our communication to cell phones, facetime, and streaming is brought to life through a sensitive interplay of characters of all types, searching for meaning, physical needs, and questions about life that suddenly became of paramount significance and importance. Not only is the film well written, acted, photographed and directed, but it also proves to be a viable memory stone for that challenging year.
Other film critics have this to say about ANNO 2020:
Anno 2020 is a cinematic time capsule born from an era of uncertainty, great sadness and sleepless nights. Directed by James Morcan, this experimental film (is) a true testament to the alternative indie genre at its most ambitious… Morcan’s direction is proven to be a great undertaking… The result is a haunting yet hopeful meditation on connection, isolation, resilience and spiritual awakening. –ZoranaT-1
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The film delves into the minds of several characters whose lives are turned upside down. Each character has a journey into self-awareness, owning up to the truth about their past and present. These poignant stories will stand the test of time, enlightening future generations about what the human spirit can endure in times of adversity. –MaryAnnBernal
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This is experimental filmmaking at its best. (Anno 2020) holds a mirror to what we all experienced as a global society faced with lockdowns, mandatory vaccinations, and conspiracy theories, and looks at the challenges of staying connected during that difficult time in our lives… It’s like watching my own experience of the pandemic through the eyes of the characters. –Ashsha_Kin
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This feature film certainly does justice to its tagline… “Think you know what 2020 was all about? Think again.” Anno 2020 peels back the covers to reveal the hidden agendas of those in power in the cataclysmic year that was 2020… Having lived through the lockdowns, mandates and myriad of other COVID-related stresses of that year, as we lucky ones have, Anno 2020 is a movie we can all relate to regardless of our beliefs and convictions. Regardless of age, too. It’s suitable for family viewing. Highly recommended! –CinematicEveryman
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ANNO 2020 is billed as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of Anno MMXX (Year 2020).
Here’s the YouTube link for any who want to view this movie, streaming now:
Think you know what 2020 was all about? Think again.
Following a successful film festival run and sellout interstate Australian cinema release in Australia, our epic mystery-drama Anno 2020, helmed by writer-director James Morcan, has its world streaming premiere on YouTube today September 13.
Here’s the link (below) for any who want to view or subscribe. Warning: this is the movie some would prefer no-one ever sees! Despite that, it is suitable for family viewing.
The movie film industry gatekeepers have tried to block.
Filming the year the world stopped…That’s the fitting headline freedom New Zealand broadcaster Reality Check Radio (RCR) has given a podcast about the mystery-drama ANNO 2020 on the eve of the movie’s global streaming premiere.
In the podcast, RCR host Paul Brennan (above left) grills New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan (right) on the challenges faced in adapting his published novel to a feature film screenplay and then directing the movie during the COVID-related lockdowns of 2020.
IT’S THE MOVIE SOME WOULD PREFER NO-ONE EVER SEES!
ANNO 2020 streams on September 13 on YouTube and other platforms including Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble.
Bravely produced by Gil Ben-Moshe, this Australian-produced mystery-drama was filmed, despite the odds, around the world during the Covid pandemic; it’s a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of Anno MMXX (Year 2020).
For the film’s writer-director James Morcan, ANNO 2020 represents his directorial debut. James subscribes to the belief that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable – and viewers would be advised to keep that in mind when they watch this epic movie.
Sterling Gate Books’ mystery-drama tale ANNO 2020, now a contentious feature film as well as a published novel, is New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan’s latest book-to-film project.
A screenwriter and novelist, James adapted the ANNO 2020 screenplay from his novel; after sellout cinema screenings in three Australian states, the resulting feature film is now poised to celebrate its global streaming premiere on YouTube and other streaming platforms.
Readers are resonating with ANNO 2020 the novel as a visit to its Amazon pages show. Billed as “A global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of Anno MMXX (Year 2020),” it’s gathering stellar reviews and currently enjoys a 4.5 out of 5 stars review rating.
James Morcan’s latest novel now available via Amazon as a paperback, hardcover and Kindle ebook.
U.S. arts aficionado Grady Harp writes, “Incorporating his skills developed in the cinematic field, both in acting and in screenwriting, James has created a global panoply of beautifully defined stances and characters to bring attention to the manner in which we all coped with the pandemic. His richly colorful locales include, Bali, Palestine, Brazil, Israel, Australia, China, the UK, USA, and Switzerland, and in each scene he has developed a myriad of personalities to offer as many perceptions of the pandemic and its effect on relationships as possible.”
The movie adaptation of ANNO 2020 is just one of several book-to-film projects James is associated with – as a visit to his IMDb film industry page will show… https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1909596/
Morcan novels currently in development as feature films include Silent Fear, The Heathrow Affair, Into the Americas and High Country Contract among others. Co-authored by Lance and James Morcan, these and other novels of the father-and-son writing team have been adapted to movie scripts with James directing.
Expectations build for ANNO 2020 the movie as the countdown toward its September 13 global streaming release continues.
Spanning 17 cities and five countries on four continents, this controversial mystery-drama is a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, forgiveness and answers amidst the chaos of Anno MMXX (Year 2020).
Saturday September 13 is D-Day for the controversial mystery-drama movie ANNO 2020. That’s when it screens on YouTube and other streaming platforms including Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble. And that’s when movie-lovers get the chance to see why film industry gatekeepers have tried to block this feature film and why they and others might prefer no-one ever sees it.
YouTube premiere of ANNO 2020.
Shot around the world in 2020 despite the lockdowns, mandates and travel restrictions, ANNO 2020 contains underground knowledge regarding things that were suppressed or underreported in mainstream media. Things such as COVID-19 vaccine mandates, job losses, business failures, marriage breakdowns, side-effects of the lockdowns and separation from loved ones.
It’s a classic example of pure indie filmmaking in the truest sense; it’s also an example of brave filmmaking, undertaken against all odds at a time when few international feature films were being made; and it’s a credit to producer Gil Ben-Moshe, writer-director James Morcan and the entire cast & crew of ANNO 2020.
The mystery-drama ANNO 2020, soon to premiere on global streaming platforms, has been meticulously subtitled for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) as well as for numerous foreign language audiences. However, for this epic movie’s writer-director James Morcan, ANNO 2020 is not his first foray into catering for HoH viewers.
Subtitles and sign language also feature prominently in SILENT FEAR, a crime thriller which James and his father Lance co-wrote and adapted from their co-authored novel of the same name. It’s set in a London university for the Deaf where students are locked down during a deadly virus outbreak.
Both the SILENT FEAR novel and subsequent screenplay adaptation were written under the valued guidance of leading New Zealand Deaf filmmaker Brent Macpherson. Brent will serve as Co-producer and Deaf Consultant on that movie, which James is also directing.
In ‘Comments’ at the end of the book, Brent states: “The novel provides a valuable insight into the dynamics of the international Deaf community all in one setting. (i.e. a locked down London university for the Deaf). It highlights a wide range of Deaf cultural elements and behavioural characteristics unique to members of this community.”
More about SILENT FEAR and ANNO 2020 from Deaf filmmaker Brent Macpherson himself…
Meanwhile, the countdown continues for ANNO 2020’s streaming premiere now only days away…From September 13, this movie streams on YouTube, Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble among other streaming platforms. Watch this space!
New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan, whose directorial debut movie ANNO 2020 premieres on global streaming platforms this month, insists that 99.9% of films advertised as ‘indie movies’ are non-indies and dependent on the system.
James Morcan at the Victorian cinematic premiere of ANNO 2020 in Melbourne.
“So-called ‘indie films’ often have stars or major distributors on board from the get-go, including government finance,” he says. “Often you hear these stars or filmmakers talk about ‘the difficulties of shooting indies on such a low budget’ then you find out they had millions or even tens of millions of dollars and were backed by a major corporation like Disney!”
James says the labels ‘indie’ and ‘independent’ were hijacked decades ago as the major studios recognized those terms were being perceived as cool and audiences wanted more indies, or at least films sold as such, as they sensed artists had more creative freedoms in such films.
“However, if you go back in time, ‘indie’ originally meant completely independent and outside the ‘system’, as the word implies, and not beholden to anyone or anything, where rebellious, auteur-style directors could literally say whatever they wanted to without checking first with committees or government organizations or financiers or distributors.
“Well, my film Anno 2020 was self-financed for a budget of only $6,000 USD. It is a real, true, pure indie, I promise you. And we say controversial things in it that I assure you could never have been financed by anything within the mainstream movie industry.”
James, who adapted the ANNO 2020 screenplay from his novel of the same name, says as soon as h began writing the screenplay, long before pre-production, I knew it would get zero mainstream support and would have to be done as an old-fashioned indie against all odds.
“It was obvious that was going to be near impossible as we also had an around-the-world epic story in which we were to shoot in 17 cities on four continents in four different languages. Not to mention navigating shoots around the lockdowns and other Covid restrictions during 2020-2021!
“But despite all the hardships in filming this beast, never once did my team and I ever stop to ask ourselves , ‘Are we allowed to say that?’ or ‘Will we be offending anyone?’ or anything like that. Why? Because we were actually independent and so far outside the system that we may as well have been making the movie on the Moon!”
Following a limited but very successful interstate theatrical release in Australian cinemas last year, ANNO 2020 has its world streaming premiere on September 13 on TouTube and other platforms.
As director James Morcan says, “If you yearn for the return of actual indie movies, then you may like to check it out.”
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