Breton Tyner-Bryan's WEST OF FRANK to Make North American Premiere at Emberlight Film Festival

Multi-award-winning director/writer/actor/choreographer Breton Tyner-Bryan returns to the iconic Emberlight Film Festival as the featured director in the Essence of The Artist selection, with her highly acclaimed film WEST OF FRANK.

This queer dance drama film from multi-hyphenated creator Breton Tyner-Bryan is stacked with a cast of 12 Broadway Performers, emblematic of the 12 stories of the Women’s House of Detention, situated next to the historic Jefferson Market Library where it was filmed in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. 

The film features Gilbert Bolden lll (New York City Ballet), Rhaamell Burke-Missouri (Hadestown Broadway, KING Kong Broadway), Elisa Clark (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group), James Jude Johnson (Fiddler On the Roof), Heather Parcells (A Chorus Line Broadway, Chicago), Randy Castillo (Wicked Broadway, An American in Paris Broadway ), Savannah Cranford (INVICTA, Retrofactory Theater C), Kenny Corrigan (Paul Taylor Dance Company, America’s Got Talent), Alexa De Barr (West Side Story Broadway, Moulin Rouge), Dajuan Harris (Madonna, Todrick Hall), Mimi Thompkins (San Francisco Ballet, Arizona Ballet), and Tatiana Stewart (INVICTA, The Deuce). 

“WEST OF FRANK explores the metaphysical energy of the historic Jefferson Market Library, formerly a courthouse attached to the Women’s House of Detention in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Through the medium of dance, this film lives as a testament to spiritual freedom, in recognition of public spaces as an equalizer of accessibility.

The characters in the books of the library exist in a suspended reality, bearing witness to the injustices acted upon women and transmasculine prisoners by medical professionals in the American criminal justice system. An art deco 12-story prison from 1932 to 1974 in New York City, the prison housed such inmates as Angela Davis, Afeni Shakur, Andrea Dworkin, Mae West, Valerie Solanas, Ethel Rosenberg, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Sara Harris.” said producer, director, writer, choreographer, editor, Breton Tyner-Bryan. 

WEST OF FRANK is directed, written, choreographed, edited, and executive produced by Tyner-Bryan who also served as the costume designer (Netflix MOST LGBTQ Channel), sound designer, and casting director. Director of photography Thomas Shomo (Get Lucky, William Grant and Sons), set designer consultant Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge, Hair Spray Live), colorist Ryan Sciaino (Porter Robinson, NIKE), and composer Ai Ishikki (Juilliard, Berklee) masterfully round of the creative team. WEST OF FRANK is produced by Breton Follies Productions. 

Additionally, Tyner-Bryan has another film on the festival circuit this year: TIMELESS LOVE which has won over 60 awards including Best Director, Best Editor, and Best Costume Design. Her highly decorated films have screened at Berlin Commercial, London Fashion Film Festival, World London Film Festival, Madrid International Film Festival, Dances With Films Chinese Theater and Regal Cinemas, Micheaux Film Festival, La Femme Film Festival, Emberlight International Film Festival, La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, Lift Off Global Network London Pinewood Studios, Paris International Short Festival, New York International Women's Festival, Bucharest Film Awards, Big Apple AGENTS AND MANAGERS Lab, ASVOFF14 Paris, French Riviera Film Festival, Stockholm Short Film Festival, Paris Short Film Festival, Bucharest Film Awards, Vegas Movie Awards, Silk Road Film Awards Cannes, New York International Film Awards, New York City International Film Festival, Barcelona Indie Awards, Cannes 7th Art Awards, Europe Music Video Awards, Grahla International Film Awards, Istanbul Film wards, Tokyo Film Festival, Swedish International Film Festival, and Vienna International Film Awards.

Sabina Dana Plasse, of Film Threat states, “In under 9 minutes, her short West of Frank makes you feel you have spent hours in the historic Jefferson Market Library. Tyner-Bryan has provided such beauty and intrigue that will linger beyond its end — a lasting visual experience. Through dance, there is a type of freedom and revelation for all those who were imprisoned and perhaps existing throughout the pages of the library books. It’s as if the dancers have come to life in a hologram. The power of film allowed for Tyner-Bryan to edit and build on top of Ai Isshiki’s well-composed soundtrack. The director of photography, Thomas Shomo, appears to be in sync capturing difficult angles and movements that are flawless and natural.What makes this such a stunning and enchanting experience is the movement of the dancers and how their bodies arch and stretch to provide context to the space they inhabit. It is quite beautiful. The film is led by a type of voyeur or guide even though you are watching on your own. The guide, dressed in a sharp maroon suit dripping with chains, jewelry, and crosses, expresses a candid reaction but leaves you to decide for yourself about what is happening. Even the wardrobe references or illuminates the individuals of the past. 

OC Movies, TV & Streaming has compared her work to Darren Aronofsky’s film BLACK SWAN and Voyeurs ROOM 104 calling it "an impressionistic fantasy with eye-catching visuals, a fresh take on storytelling. Breton is at the forefront of this well-crafted dance choreography, making full use of her skills as a classically trained Ballet dancer and filmmaker." Unseen films has described her work as "a delight for the eye and ear, a visual feast". 

Breton Tyner-Bryan is an American born multi award winning director, writer, actor, choreographer with Canadian roots, based in New York City. A classically trained ballet dancer and award-winning filmmaker, she grew up in the theater in Hartford, CT. She is known for The Penguin (HBO), Manifest (Netflix), Great Kills (Tubi), Billions (Showtime), Divorce (HBO), GOSSIP GIRL (CW) working alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Molly Shannon, THE KNICK alongside Clive Owen, choreographing for BD Wong and Donny Most of Happy Days, Studio City (VICE), MANHATTAN LOVE STORY (ABC), Shackled (in production), TEST, Stories from the Microcosm with John Sanborn. She often plays detectives, tough seductive roles, and her heritage is Native American, German Jewish, Spanish, Italian, Irish, French, and Indian.

She is the executive producer and director of Breton Follies, a film production company, featured at New Victory Theater 42nd Street, and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Directing credits include Power Station Stars live televised broadcasts, Village Playwrights NYC, New Victory Theater, New York Fashion Week, Madonna-Washington Square Park, choreographic works include Saturday Night Fever Engeman Theater, "Heading East" starring BD Wong, Prospect Theater, Peter Pan Dreamland Stages, choreographic men-tee under Sergio Trujillo for Donna Summer (Broadway), and choreographic labs for Waitress (Broadway).

She has taught for New York University, Fordham University, Smith College, Berklee NYC, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School, The Place (London), Dance Base Scotland, San Francisco State University, LINES Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She holds a MA in Filmmaking from NYU, a BFA in Ballet Performance from the University of Utah and received her training at the School of the Hartford Ballet. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Deadline, Curve Magazine, Broadway World, Pointe Magazine, Dance Magazine and the Huffington Post.

She is currently in pre-production on her sci-fi pilot to series I DREAM OF HAZEL that she wrote, will direct, and act in, feature film TAKE YOUR TEETH OUT, a dark comedy-thriller that she wrote and will direct, and 3 additional feature films she will direct.

For more information on screening of WEST OF FRANK August 25th  in person and virtually at the Emberlight Film Festival visit their website here. Tickets here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.