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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
Writer-director James Morcan says, “In Anno 2020, we cover many subjects about the year 2020 that Hollywood productions would never be allowed to say.”
Think you know what 2020 is all about? Think again…
Here’s the trailer for this contentious movie.
ANNO 2020 is streaming free now on YouTube. To see what the film critics are saying about this contentious movie go to: https://www.youtube.com/@ANNO2020TheMovie …and feel free to subscribe!
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:
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.
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.
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.”
This is the movie that gatekeepers have tried to block, according to New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan (pictured below). He refers to ANNO 2020, the feature film he adapted from his novel of the same name and the film that represents his directorial debut.
In the following soliloquy, James reminds viewers his movie is a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of 2020.
“This mystery-drama contains underground knowledge regarding things that were suppressed or underreported in mainstream media, such as COVID vaccine mandates, the side-effects of the lockdowns and separation from loved ones,” says James. “(Consequently) the gatekeepers have tried to block this movie.”
James says he has documented evidence of the reactions of said gatekeepers to show any journalists or podcasters, off the record, who choose to contact him.
ANNO 2020 celebrates its global streaming premiere on September 13 on YouTube, Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble among other streaming platforms. Watch this space!
In this engaging interview, Friends World TV podcast host Varun Tiwari questions Sydney-based director James Morcan and producers Gil and Oren Ben-Moshe about their hopes and dreams for their soon-to-be released mystery-drama ANNO 2020.
The ANNO 2020 producers are grateful to Varun for bringing ANNO 2020 to the attention of his many faithful followers, and for highlighting the movie’s upcoming (September 13) global streaming launch on YouTube and other platforms.
ANNO 2020, the soon-to-be-released mystery-drama movie, was shot in 17 cities on four continents at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Helmed by New Zealand-Australian director James Morcan, who also adapted the film’s script from his published novel of the same name, it will celebrate its global streaming premiere on September 13.
ANNO 2020 is billed as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of 2020. It will premiere on YouTube, Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble, among other streaming platforms.
The influential J-Wire online news platform has identified a dramatic Holocaust denial scene in the soon-to-be-released, mystery-drama, feature film ‘Anno 2020’as “having gut-wrenching power!”
The controversial, Australian-produced, award-winning feature film ‘Anno 2020’ will premiere on YouTube, Odysee, Daily Motion and Rumble, among other streaming platforms, on September 13.
This global release milestone was announced today by the film’s lead producer Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions. It follows last year’s sold-out red-carpet cinema screenings in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Speaking from his Sydney office, Ben-Moshe said following the success of the interstate screenings in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, his production team was excited to share their unique work with international streaming audiences.
“While ‘Anno 2020’ was very well received by cinemagoers, we believe it is tailormade for viewing on streaming platforms given its multimedia style and sometimes contentious handling of the lockdowns and other pandemic-related challenges experienced in 2020,” he said.
“The travel restrictions prevented us from always physically being on set – except for the Australian scenes. Even then, we had to film clandestinely at times.”
Directed by New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan who adapted the ‘Anno 2020’ screenplay from his published novel of the same name, the film is an epic mystery-drama shot in 17 cities, on four continents and features dialogue in four different languages.
Writer-director James Morcan describes ‘Anno 2020’ as an alternative movie.
Billed as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of 2020, its cast members are an ensemble of renowned actors from around the world.
They include leading Australians Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall), Greg Poppleton (The Chronicles of Narnia), Brett Partridge (Water Rats) and Audrey Nitschke (Wolf Like Me), American veterans Kevin Scott Allen (American Primeval), Sheila Ball (Assault On VA-33) and La Rivers (Equal Standard), as well as Chinese-American Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers), as well as rising US actor-singer Jessica Castello (Oildale).
Morcan agreed ‘Anno 2020’ has been crafted specifically for the streaming experience.
“It is an alternative movie with controversial themes that mainstream outlets would likely censor,” he said.
“It was apt that one of the awards it won was ‘Best Experimental Film’ at the Titan International Film Festival here in Australia. That award is reflective of the revolutionary filmmaking and storytelling techniques we used.”
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