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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
RT @SterlingGate: INTO THE AMERICAS (A novel based on a true story) – Mowachaht maiden Eu-stochee had been raped by a white trader so she w… 22 hours ago
RT @SterlingGate: WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story) – 4.6 out of 5 stars after 91 book reviews! “Disturbing, brutal, honest, unp… 22 hours ago
I’m very pleased to announce that our multicultural, international romantic comedy My Cornerstone (starring Miss India Australia beauty pageant-winner Zenia Starr pictured above) will complete its 2nd week of cinema screenings this evening. There have been over 150 cinema screenings Australia-wide in the first two weeks alone and the feedback we have received from audiences and film critics alike has been overwhelmingly positive. So thank you to all who attended screenings at cinemas in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide during its first week.
Due to public demand in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs we have booked the classy Ritz Cinema (Event Cinemas) at Randwick for daily screenings beginning late October (Friday 31st) until Sunday November 2nd. http://www.ritzcinema.com.au/Movie/My-Cornerstone
Meanwhile the film continues to show in selected Event Cinemas and Village Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Beyond Australia, it will then release in selected markets internationally starting with India-wide cinema screenings before the end of this year.
Our multicultural romantic comedy My Cornerstone is in cinemas now and currently screening Australia-wide.
Screening locations include Morley (Perth) WA, Marion (Adelaide) SA, Garden City (Brisbane) QLD, Sunshine (Melbourne) VIC, Southland (Melbourne) VIC, Liverpool (Sydney) NSW and Burwood (Sydney) NSW.
Here is our new 30 second trailer which is currently screening on TV:
Here are some comments from a few of our key cast members:
Zenia Starr
“Working on ‘My Cornerstone’ was a truly unique experience for me as an actress; for the first time I had the opportunity to act in a film with both of parents and so our ‘on set family’ truly was family!
The production team, cast and crew collectively put in many long and hard hours of work to get this film shot in record timing. Contrary to our on-screen interactions for the most part of the film, many lovely friendships were made and belly-laughing memories created. I hope that the message of this film will resonate well with those who watch it.”
Romin Khan
“If the words love, faith and hope resonate with you then ‘My Cornerstone’ is a film not be missed.
I have experienced a lot of love working on set with ‘My Cornerstone’ team and we all had hopes regarding the faith of this movie to make it to the big screen and our dreams have come true indeed.
So please do come by and join us at the nearest event cinemas near you to celebrate this amazing journey of love, faith and hope called My Cornerstone.”
Gil Ben-Moshe
“I am a cast member of ‘My Cornerstone’ along with my identical twin brother Oren. Apart from being a cast member I also wore several hats within the crew department. I was the first assistant director as well as the production manager. Working on My Cornerstone was a great experience, as I got to work along some of the most incredible cast and crew I’ve ever worked with. I thank producer/director Stanley Joseph for the wonderful opportunity.”
Aishveryaa Nidhi
“It was a pleasure to play the part of Heather Pinto in ‘My Cornerstone’. Film was so well cast that on-screen family actually became a family after the shoot. Whole cast and crew were very professional. Everybody has worked long hours to finish not one but two films in record days, which is a big achievement. Stanley has worked very hard to produce and release the film. Hats off to him!”
And lastly, myself (James Morcan)
“Filming this ambitious international story was a mammoth undertaking and only achievable due to our highly efficient crew who pulled off untold miracles. Personally speaking, being an actor and screenwriter on the film was a tough dual assignment given the tight deadlines and the improvisational nature of the shoot. But fortunately with Stanley’s constant guidance and a very supportive cast and crew, I managed to deliver what was required.”
Thank you so much for all your support.
See you at the movies!
James Morcan
Director: Stanley Joseph
Writers: James Morcan (screenplay), Stanley Joseph (story)
Actors: Zenia Starr, Romin Khan, James Morcan, Santosh Verma
Our soon to be released Indian-Australian feature film MY CORNERSTONE – which will screen in cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth from October 9th and then internationally later this year – has featured again in the Inside Film (IF) Magazine, the Down Under film industry chronicle.
The article, by IF Magazine columnist Don Groves, follows (unabridged):
My Cornerstone, an international romantic comedy filmed in Sydney, greater NSW and Mumbai, opens in cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth on October 9.
Scripted by James Morcan, the plot covers contemporary issues in both Australian society and Indian communities in a fun and sexy fashion.
Like other successful cross-cultural films such as Bride and Prejudice and Bend It Like Beckham, we believe My Cornerstone has the potential to become a mainstream crowd-pleaser with both traditional Australian audiences and ex-pat Indian cinemagoers alike.
Later this year the film will screen in cinemas in various countries worldwide, followed by an eventual international DVD release.
The director and producer, Indian-Australian filmmaker Stanley Joseph of World Pictures Australia PTY Ltd, is a well-known musician and Bollywood composer turned director who lives in Sydney.
The storyline reflects some of his own experiences as an Indian migrant in Australia. My Cornerstone is Stanley’s second feature film to date (with a third feature currently in post-production and due for release in 2015).
The film’s multicultural cast includes some of the brightest up-and-coming actors from Australia and India. My Cornerstone’s lead actress, 24 year-old Indian-Australian Zenia Starr, was recently crowned Miss India Australia and was a contestant in the 2013 Miss India Worldwide beauty pageant.
As a result of her role in My Cornerstone and other productions including the recent Australian indie film Backyard Ashes, Zenia is becoming a renowned name in both the Bollywood and Australasian film industries.
As per the above poster at Event Cinema’s theatre in Liverpool (Sydney) NSW, posters are now going up in cinemas Australia-wide for the theatrical release of My Cornerstone.
We shot this movie at locations in Mumbai, India and Sydney, Australia with an Indian/Australian cast and crew.
My Cornerstone is the first Indian-Aussie cross-cultural feature film in cinema history.
Our poster stand at the cinema multiplex in Burwood, NSW
On Thursday 9th October 2014, My Cornerstone will be released in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in participating Event Cinema venues. Please check Event Cinema websites nearest to you for session times in the coming weeks.
The following Thursday being 16th October 2014 will see the release in other key Australian cities including Perth and Adelaide.
Then later this year the film will be released in cinemas in various countries worldwide, followed by an eventual international DVD release.
Check out our film’s trailer:
Thank you so much for all your support.
See you at the movies!
James Morcan
Director: Stanley Joseph
Writers: James Morcan (screenplay), Stanley Joseph (story)
Actors: Zenia Starr, Romin Khan, James Morcan, Santosh Verma
Our soon to be released Indian-Australian feature film MY CORNERSTONE – which will screen in cinemas Australia-wide from October 9th and then internationally later this year – recently featured in the Inside Film (IF) Magazine, the Down Under film industry chronicle.
The article, by IF Magazine columnist Don Groves, follows (unabridged):
Producer-director Stanley Joseph is aiming to bridge the cultural gap between India and Australia by making mainstream films shot in both countries.
The Indian-born founder of World Pictures Australia is preparing to launch My Cornerstone, a romantic comedy which explores multiculturalism and spiritual faith, in Australia in late September.
It stars 24 year-old Indian-Australian Zenia Starr (above) as an Indian nurse who moves to Sydney where she’s hired to care for the ailing matriarch of a wealthy Indian-Australian family.
New Zealand-born, Sydney-based writer-actor James Morcan (below), who wrote the screenplay based on Joseph’s story, plays an enigmatic neighbour named Chris who enters her life. The film was shot in Mumbai and Sydney, with 90% of the dialogue in English, the rest in Hindi.
Reel to Deal Pictures, a newly-formed New Zealand-based distributor, will launch the film on 16-18 screens in Australia, Joseph tells IF.
Via sales agents the film will be released theatrically in Fiji and Singapore but Joseph, who migrated to Australia 17 year ago, plans to bypass cinemas in India and go straight to DVD, due to piracy and traffic logjams which make getting to cinemas a challenge in the big cities.
Seeking distribution in the US, he’s had talks with a US cinema chain and an online company.
Morcan says, “My Cornerstone is the first Australian-Indian crossover film. Our storyline reflects many of Stanley’s own experiences as an Indian migrant in Australia.”
Joseph’s follow-up is Love You Krishna, a romantic comedy drama now in post-production. Scripted by Morcan, again based on Joseph’s story, the plot follows the Chopras, a wealthy Indian-Australian family who are subtly influenced by a mysterious stranger’s visits to their Sydney mansion.
Starr, who also appeared in Mark Grentell’s Backyard Ashes, and Morcan are among the cast, and there is a similar split between English and Hindi.
Both films were financed by an Indian investor and were shot back-to-back in an economical 37 days. Joseph envisions a mid-2015 release for Love You Krishna.
His first film, actioner Newton’s 3rd Law, was released in 2011.
We are pleased to announce the theatrical release of My Cornerstone.
We shot this movie at locations in Mumbai, India and Sydney, Australia with an Indian/Australian cast and crew.
My Cornerstone is the first Indian-Aussie cross-cultural feature film in cinema history.
Event Cinemas are screening this film Australia-wide.
On Thursday 9th October 2014, My Cornerstone will be released in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in participating Event Cinema venues. Please check Event Cinema websites nearest to you for session times in the coming weeks.
The following Thursday being 16th October 2014 will see the release in other key Australian cities including Perth and Adelaide.
Then later this year the film will be released in cinemas in various countries worldwide, followed by an eventual international DVD release.
My Cornerstone is a romantic comedy which explores multiculturalism and spiritual faith.
The film stars 24 year-old Indian-Australian actress Zenia Starr (Backyard Ashes) as an Indian nurse who moves to Sydney where she’s hired to care for the ailing matriarch of an uber-wealthy Indian-Aussie family. Starr is also a beauty queen and the current Miss India Australia.
The film’s director and producer, Indian-Australian filmmaker Stanley Joseph of World Pictures Australia is a veteran of Bollywood now living in Sydney. Our storyline reflects many of his own experiences as an Indian migrant in Australia. Stanley is a well-known musician and film composer turned director. MY CORNERSTONE is his second feature to date (with a third feature in post-production).
Stanley Joseph: Director of My Cornerstone
Check out the trailer:
Thank you so much for all your support.
See you at the movies!
James Morcan
CREDITS:
Director: Stanley Joseph
Writers: James Morcan (screenplay), Stanley Joseph (story)
Actors: Zenia Starr, Romin Khan, James Morcan, Santosh Verma
Our soon to be released Indian-Australian feature film MY CORNERSTONE – which will screen in cinemas in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Singapore in the coming months – recently featured in the Inside Film (IF) Magazine, the Down Under film industry chronicle.
The article, by IF Magazine columnist Don Groves, follows (unabridged):
Producer-director Stanley Joseph is aiming to bridge the cultural gap between India and Australia by making mainstream films shot in both countries.
The Indian-born founder of World Pictures Australia is preparing to launch My Cornerstone, a romantic comedy which explores multiculturalism and spiritual faith, in Australia in late September.
It stars 24 year-old Indian-Australian Zenia Starr as an Indian nurse who moves to Sydney where she’s hired to care for the ailing matriarch of a wealthy Indian-Australian family.
New Zealand-born, Sydney-based writer-actor James Morcan, who wrote the screenplay based on Joseph’s story, plays an enigmatic neighbour named Chris who enters her life. The film was shot in Mumbai and Sydney, with 90% of the dialogue in English, the rest in Hindi.
Reel to Deal Pictures, a newly-formed New Zealand-based distributor, will launch the film on 16-18 screens in Australia, Joseph tells IF.
Via sales agents the film will be released theatrically in Fiji and Singapore but Joseph, who migrated to Australia 17 year ago, plans to bypass cinemas in India and go straight to DVD, due to piracy and traffic logjams which make getting to cinemas a challenge in the big cities.
Seeking distribution in the US, he’s had talks with a US cinema chain and an online company.
Morcan says, “My Cornerstone is the first Australian-Indian crossover film. Our storyline reflects many of Stanley’s own experiences as an Indian migrant in Australia.”
Joseph’s follow-up is Love You Krishna, a romantic comedy drama now in post-production. Scripted by Morcan, again based on Joseph’s story, the plot follows the Chopras, a wealthy Indian-Australian family who are subtly influenced by a mysterious stranger’s visits to their Sydney mansion.
Starr, who also appeared in Mark Grentell’s Backyard Ashes, and Morcan are among the cast, and there is a similar split between English and Hindi.
Both films were financed by an Indian investor and were shot back-to-back in an economical 37 days. Joseph envisions a mid-2015 release for Love You Krishna.
His first film, actioner Newton’s 3rd Law, was released in 2011.
