''Axis'' is a 2017
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
written by and starring
Emmett Hughes. The film marks the feature film directorial debut of
Aisha Tyler, who raised funds for the project through a
Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign.
The film premiered at the 19th annual
Sarasota Film Festival in April 2017.
Premise
On the day he is set to star in a career-changing film, an Irish actor with a self-destructive past confronts a series of events that threaten his sobriety, his loved ones, and his life.
Cast
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Emmett Hughes as Tristan Blake
*
Emily Bett Rickards as Caitlin (voice)
*
Amber Nash as Radio Host (voice)
*
Paula Malcomson as Gráinne (voice)
*
Jonathan Sadowski as Hemingway (voice)
*
Jean-Luc Bilodeau as Barry (voice)
*
Ciarán Hinds as Jim (voice)
*
Paget Brewster as Dr. Lynch (voice)
*
Aisha Tyler as Louise (voice)
*
Thomas Gibson as Joseph (voice)
*
Kirsten Vangsness as Heather (voice)
*
Kevin Pollak as Cru (voice)
*
Bronagh Waugh as Siobhán (voice)
*
Lucky Yates as Radio Host (voice)
*
Caroline Morahan as Susan (voice)
* Nelson Estevez as Gio (voice)
* Fionn William O'Brien as Declan (voice)
*
Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing troubled police officer Jason Dixon in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' (2017). He was nominated i ...
as himself (voice)
*
Jerry Ferrara as himself (voice)
Development
Background
Having worked together in 2015 to produce the
Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
short film ''Ar Scáth le Chéile'', written by and starring Hughes and directed by Tyler,
the pair decided to collaborate on a full feature length film, with Hughes again writing and starring, Tyler directing and both of them acting as producer.
Kickstarter Campaign
Tyler launched a
Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign in April 2016.
Part of her motivation for using Kickstarter as a means to raise funds for the project was the limited time scale she had available. With a short break available in her schedule in 2016, Tyler wished to bypass the lengthy process of studio funding, and get her project moving as quickly as possible. The campaign initially aimed to raise $150 000 in order to greenlight the project, secure cast and crew and begin the ADR process, which would enable Tyler to approach additional funding sources for assistance. Overall, the campaign raised over $193 000.
Production
The film was shot in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
[ Filming began on May 28, 2016 and took place over the following seven days.]
Release
The film premiered at the 19th annual Sarasota Film Festival on April 7, 2017, where it competed in the "Independent Visions" section of the competition.Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival had permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival bega ...
in April 2017, where Tyler was honored with the "Artist of Distinction Award"
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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*{{Rotten Tomatoes, axis
American independent films
2017 films
American drama films
Kickstarter-funded films
Films shot in Los Angeles
Films about actors
2017 directorial debut films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films
English-language independent films