I. ROCK FORMATIONS & UNCHANGING MEN

Based on the acclaimed indie comic from Noah Van Sciver (Fante Bukowski, The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln), this is the bitterly comedic story of an unreliable father doing the absolute least he can to reconnect with his estranged son during a hike to see The Laughing Lizard rock formation.

The film stars Sky Elobar (star of The Greasy Strangler) and newcomer Jared Boghosian as the incongruous father and son awkwardly suffering through the unhappy reunion. Inspired by the wide open vistas and sense of alienation found in films like Paris, Texas and Gerry, director Allen Cordell (videos for Girl Talk, Beach House, Dan Deacon) makes room in the film for unexpected pleasures (and pains) including a pair of animated sequences.

Filmed on location in New Mexico, the film seeks to strike a balance between the beautiful and the bizarre with the straight-faced comedy of the story never undermining the sadness below the surface. It's a comedy about feeling disconnected from the people who should be most important to us in life.

IV. QUOTES / PROMOTIONAL

From director Allen Cordell:

"I think having a complicated relationship with your family is something we all can relate to whether you're close with your family or not. What I liked about this story is that it boiled that down to its emotional core. It's really powerful in its simplicity."

"The visual influence on this film are some of my favorite movies, ones that utilize the American landscape as an essential part of the story. Since this film takes place in that kind of landscape, I drew on films like Paris, Texas, Gus Van Sant's Gerry, or even Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man.

"Emotionally, I wanted this film to be sad, to be funny, I wanted it to be relatable. The frustration Nathan feels with Harvey and Harvey's obliviousness creates these unpredictable emotional moments - I loved giving the actors space to explore those moments and reacting to them as a filmmaker."

"We shot the film in New Mexico with a fairly small crew. It was ambitious for a 3-day shoot but once we got there it was a lot of fun and I feel very confident and proud of what we filmed."

"A film is an experience - it lets us explore the experience of others, not just sit passively. I wanted to make a film that takes the audience on a journey with it, takes them through all those complicated emotions we feel for our parents."

For screening copies of the film, interviews & press materials, please contact Christopher Funderburg via e-mail: moremonsterthanman@gmail.com.