On Monday, September 16, LA's premiere supper club, Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in North Hollywood California's NoHo Arts District, has been set to host a screening of the short film The Beating written by Paul Stroili and co-produced by Kimberly Van Luin of LA's much heralded SeaGlass Theatre Company. Stroili serves as Managing Director of SeaGlass, with Van Luin as Artistic Director. The Beating will be screened with another short, Resonance of Love. Both films were produced by Mirror Core Productions and directed by award-winning filmmaker Cyrus Mirakhor.
Presenter Michael Sterling is delighted about the event, a significant departure from what is traditionally associated with his renowned Cabaret venue.
"SeaGlass is one of LA's most acclaimed theatre companies." says Sterling. "I have long enjoyed working with Paul Stroili, not only on SeaGlass projects, but also our weekly radio show, State of the Arts on the LATalkRadio.com Network. When Paul and Cyrus Mirakhor approached me about Sterling's Upstairs hosting the event, I was more than happy to oblige."
The Beating tells the story of one father and the lengths to which he'll go to end a nightmarish problem of bullying at his son's school. It marks the second collaboration between writer/director Cyrus Mirakhor and actor/writer Paul Stroili; their first being the short film Gratitude which was named the best comedic short at The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. The film was also recognized by the Oaxaca International Film Festival, San Jose International Film Festival, the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival; and (with three nominations: Best Actor Chris Meehan, Best Makeup, and Best Special Effects) at the Action on Film International Film Festival.
The Beating features Paul Stroili (The Untouchables, Malcolm in the Middle), Chris Wynne (Back to the Future III, Speed II), James Hiroyuki Liao (Unforgettable, 24, Prison Break), Preston Strother (Community, Criminal Minds), Amy Farrington (American Horror Story, The Mentalist) Kimberly Van Luin (Criminal Minds), and newcomer Gabriel Martinez.
"When Paul brought me this material, I was surprised..." says Director Mirakhor. "I know him primarily through his comedic work, so when he presented me with this idea, it was quite a departure. Still, I knew I wanted to make the film immediately. Given the topics this piece addresses; bullying, mental illness, vigilantism, and school violence, it will certainly generate conversation as well as controversy. We both realized it was time for this cautionary tale about what might happen when we address the symptom but not the cause."
Stroili concurs; "I describe the story as tragically topical. I shared a very simple script with Cyrus, initially. He was essential in helping to flesh out the story, and give these characters the depth they needed. With a short film, it's not easy to present fully realized characters given the time constraints. Casting Director Jami Rudofsky found us some excellent actors, both from theatre and film. That, coupled with the creative and technical teams Cyrus has assembled resulted in a film of which we're very, very proud."
Given the intimate nature of Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, the screening is primarily for Cast and Crew, but updates and festival inclusions can be found at
www.mirrorcore.com/thebeating or
www.facebook.com/thebeatingashortfilm.
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