In the midst of playing at film festivals across the country, including selling out screenings in NYC and at the 600-seat Directors Guild of America theater on Sunset Boulevard in LA, Leading Ladies is premiering back home in C-U, where the independent feature film was shot last summer. As part of the inaugural TheKingHead Film Festival, Leading Ladies will premiere at 7:30pm on Saturday, September 25th at the Art Theater, followed by three more screenings on Sunday the 26th (2:30pm, 5:00pm, and 7:30pm).
Tickets are available online at TheKingHead.com or in person at Ippatsu Salon and the Art Theater box office in downtown Champaign. Tickets are $10, and all proceeds from the Saturday night premiere go directly to the McKinley Foundation in Champaign, who housed the cast and crew last summer. We anticipate selling out some shows, so order early and often!
Leading Ladies features lead actors and dancers from NYC and LA (including SYTYCDance winner Benji Schwimmer and choreographer Melanie LaPatin), along with local talent from C-U and Chicago. Our crew of 60 included industry vets such as cinematographer Pete Biagi, who worked the camera on Robert Altman’s last two films, and costume designer Markas Henry, who’s designed for film (Elf), Broadway (Thoroughly Modern Millie, etc.), and stadium concerts (um, Britney Spears!). The soundtrack features music from Phoenix, Andrew Bird, Fleming and John, and many others.
Besides LA and NYC, Leading Ladies has played or will be playing festivals in Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Sonoma, Honolulu, Tampa, Seattle, Atlanta, and even Hong Kong! In November we will be featured at the St. Louis International Film Festival and the Denver Film Festival.
But, we are most excited to screen before our hometown audiences in Champaign-Urbana. Here’s hoping you can join us on September 25 & 26 (don’t worry, Pygmalion ends on the 25th, so you can do both!). Spread the word, and, as our tagline proclaims, “Let Love Lead”!
More information:
– review @ Variety.com (http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943039.html)
– Smile Politely article from summer 2009 (http://www.smilepolitely.com/culture/on_the_set_of_leading_ladies/)
– interview at Indie Film Magazine (http://indiefilmmagazine.com/leading-ladies/)
Leading Ladies (official movie trailer) from Shatterglass Studios on Vimeo.