SCI-FI THRILLER SHORT “LAUNCH AT PARADISE” WRAPS, STARRING CATHERINE CURTIN

Press Contact:

Michael Jorgensen
michael@jorgensenpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

SCI-FI THRILLER SHORT FILM
“LAUNCH AT PARADISE”
WRAPS PRODUCTION

STARRING
CATHERINE CURTIN & ZAINAB JAH

WITH
JAMES HARKNESS, LAUREN SCHAFFEL, PATRICK SHANE,
AND DANIEL MITURA

DIRECTED BY
CARRIE ANN QUINN

WRITTEN BY
DANIEL MITURA

POSTER & STILLS AVAILABLE HERE



New York, NY (September 10, 2021) – Production has wrapped on Launch at Paradise, a new science-fiction thriller short film by Carrie Ann Quinn (“Defending Jacob”) starring two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner Catherine Curtin (“Orange is the New Black,” “Stranger Things”) and Obie Award winner Zainab Jah (False Positive, “Deep State”), with Grammy Award nominee James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud), Lauren Schaffel (“Still Standing”), Patrick Shane (“Homicide City”), and Daniel Mitura (The Hobbyist). Written by Daniel Mitura and directed by Carrie Ann Quinn, Launch at Paradise features music by Blair Borland, editing by Jonathan Rogers, production design by Kat VanCleave, cinematography by Dominick Sivilli, and costumes by Breton Tyner-Bryan.

If creating a unified perspective for all humankind can spell the end of violence, conflict, and discrimination, is it worth killing individual thought? Should we fundamentally change the human brain in order to end conflict? In Launch at Paradise, a powerful organization offers its agents “eternal life” in exchange for their brain matter, reorganizing the best content of their minds to create a super intelligence that brings forth an end to war and conflict. They are terrified to learn that they sacrifice their individuality as a result, but is there still an escape for their soul?

“The question of what happens when we die is always an enticing theme to explore. Daniel’s script approaches the question in a new way – by technologically adapting the way a human lives, rather than going to the afterlife for answers. By expanding and upgrading the brain, which is inextricably linked to the body, Daniel’s script explores a possible new way of living. I am excited to be delving into this with my film directorial debut,” said director Carrie Ann Quinn.

"This film attests beautifully to the fortitude of every artist involved who was asked to create in the dead of winter AND the height of the pandemic. I'm beyond grateful for the depth of their artistic reserves and can't wait for audiences worldwide to experience the fruit of these labors," said producer Dee Dee Perry.

Launch at Paradise is produced by DJDL Productions in association with AireBedd Productions, with Margaret Janicek, Elizabeth Madigan Jost, Lauren Schaffel, Patrick Shane, Dee Dee Perry, and David M. Night Maire as additional producers.



For more information, please visit www.LaunchAtParadise.com.


B I O G R A P H I E S

CARRIE ANN QUINN (Director) is an award-winning actor, director, producer and writer. She has dual residencies in New York City and Boston, where she is a Professor of Theatre at University of Massachusetts-Boston. Her recent TV/Film acting credits include Apple TV+’s “Defending Jacob” and feature films Chappaquiddick, The Fighter, The Sympathy Card, and other independent films. She has produced short films, directed a proof of concept for a feature film and directed a fiction podcast series. Launch at Paradise is her sci-fi and short film directorial debut. Quinn has directed and performed in numerous New York and regional theatre productions throughout the U.S. and is co-founder of the international theatre company Escape Artists. Through grants, fellowships and artist residencies, she develops original plays, film/tv scripts, and fiction podcasts based on real women from history, whose stories have been overlooked, disregarded or misconstrued. Her co-written play, Possessions, based on the 17th century Mancini Sisters, premiered in the US and toured to Sydney, Australia, and has been adapted into a TV pilot script and limited series. Her current script project is Wild Women, based on prostitutes and female-owned brothels in the wild west during the gold rush, which will be workshopped this fall in New York. Quinn holds a MFA in Theatre Education from Boston University and a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Carrieannquinn.com

DANIEL MITURA (Writer, John) is an actor, writer, and producer originally from Dallas, TX. He starred in the film The Hobbyist (directed by George Vatistas), which was featured in more than 100 festivals worldwide. His short film Loyalty is now available on Amazon Prime. His theatrical work has been produced at Theater Row, Playwrights Horizons, the Cherry Lane Theatre and more. He is currently working on a feature film which is a political thriller. IG: @danieljmitura

CATHERINE CURTIN (Dr. Barget) Film: Just released: Werewolves Within. Upcoming releases Red Pill (PAFF); Worth (Sundance); What Breaks the Ice (Woodstock Film Fest). Released 2020: Bad Education; Blush; Inside the Rain; The Half of It; First One In. TV: recurring leads on “Stranger Things,” “Homeland,” “Orange is the New Black,” and “Insecure.” More TV: “Awkwafina,” “Tommy,” “The Loudest Voice,” “Blacklist,” “Mindhunter,” “Bull” and “Surveillance.” Winner: SAG Award for Best Ensemble 2015 and 2016, “OITNB” and nominated SAG Award Best Ensemble 2018 “Stranger Things.” More film: 18 & 1/2; The Artist’s Wife; Beauty Mark; Goldstar; The Light of the Moon; Crazy Famous; Breaking Brooklyn; Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close; The Wolf of Wall Street; The Bourne Legacy; Catfight.  Insta or Twitter: @catecurtin

ZAINAB JAH (Elsa) is a beautiful British/African actress who has starred opposite Lupita Nyong’o in Eclipsed on Broadway and made history as one of the first Black women to take on the title role in Hamlet. Zainab is one of the stars in the award winning and critically acclaimed feature film Farewell Amor which appeared in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, she played Harriet Tubman opposite Ethan Hawke in the Showtime series “The Good Lord Bird.” Zainab also stars in the EPIX series, “Deep State,” and played a pivotal arc on the hit series “Homeland.” She can be seen in the new HULU feature film False Positive with Pierce Brosnan and Justin Theroux. Zainab performed the title role in Suzan Lori Park’s Venus at New York’s prestigious Signature Theatre and she starred in the world premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play for MCC. Zainab performed the title role of Lena in Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena at the Signature Theater receiving rave reviews and a Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Nomination for Best Leading Actress.

JAMES HARKNESS (Sam). Born in El Paso, TX, James has been on a diverse journey from dancer to choreographer to director to singer/songwriter. His career has taken him from the west coast to the east as well as several continents around the world. He is grateful to be a working artist. Credits include: Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud (Grammy nominee), Aida, The Color Purple. Film: North, The Mend. Television: “Blue Bloods,” “Law & Order,” “Le James Cafe.” Instagram/Twitter @ijamesharkness, YouTube James Harkness.

LAUREN SCHAFFEL (Maxine) television credits include “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Will and Grace,” “Still Standing,” and the voice of Lucy in “A Charlie Brown Valentine’s Day.” In film, she has appeared in My Dead Boyfriend, Admission, and Revenge of the Green Dragons. She has performed at numerous theaters including Geva in Rochester, and several NY theaters including Playwrights Horizons, The Barrow Group, Urban Stages, and The Tennessee Williams Project. www.laurenschaffel.com IG: @laurenschaffel111

PATRICK SHANE (Andy) studied at The New York Conservatory for Dramatics Arts: School for Film & TV. Some of his television credits include “POWER: Book III - Raising Kanan,” “For Life,” “Homicide City: Charlotte” & “Philadelphia,” and “Grave Mysteries.” He has appeared in over 50 films from shorts to feature length. To name a few: Get Happy!, STILL, Crazy for the Blonde, Loyalty, and Leo John Ain't Dead No More. He has performed at a handful of theaters in New York City including The Barrow Group, Bleeker Street Theatre, SoHo Playhouse and The Tennessee Williams Project. Fun Fact: Patrick was the first student athlete in his Texas high school to play football and march in the marching band during half time. www.Patrick-Shane.com IG: @TexasShane

BLAIR BORLAND (Composer) is a professional composer based in LA. Having earned a Masters degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music, and composing for industry leading AAA games such as Apex Legends and Watchdogs Legion, Blair is an up and coming composer who’s determined to write music that immediately elevates a project to the best it can be.

JONATHAN ROGERS (Editor) has been working as an Editor for over 10 years, cutting a wide variety of projects, ranging from commercials to feature length films. He won an Emmy as the Series Editor of the PBS show, “Bare Feet With Mickela Mallozzi.” Lover of waxing philosophical on film and all things film related, he revels in the power and possibility of moving images and the stories they can tell. https://jonrogers.co

KAT VANCLEAVE (Production Design) is a New York based Director & Production Designer known for her surrealistic world-building & her ability to develop a distinct visual language for each film she designs. Her architectural background with techno giants like Google (Glass Barge), Apple (HQ), Airbnb (HQ), and NVIDIA (HQ campus) laid the groundwork for her being selected in 2015 as one of a three-person design team sent to the Himalayas to construct Lingkhana (the private residence for the Bhutanese King & Queen). To date, she has helmed the design of 5 feature films, including the upcoming SLAPFACE (starring Dan Hedaya, August Maturo), Man Behind the Camera (Matthew Lawrence), Vita (Joe Morton), among others, and has worked on countless short films, web-series & TV pilots. She collaborates with filmmakers worldwide through RAINBOW PIRATES, her production company whose mission is to “leave the world more colorful than we found it”.

DOMINICK SIVILLI (Director of Photography) was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, New York. Since the age of five he has been drawing and has taken his inspiration from his hand to the lens. New York shaped his personality and style: a soft core inside a hard shell. There is one word Dominick always keeps in mind while working on set: CINEMATIC. He is based in New York & Los Angeles. Dominick has shot numerous of short films including his post recent Red Giant which started and was directed by Leven Rambin (Purge 2, Hunger Games, True Detective). He has worked on 8 feature films, commercials and music videos since 2006. Recent feature credits include Striver's Row starring Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, SAW, Predator 2) also recently worked with great actors such as Hakeem Kae-Kazim (“Black Sails,” Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, “24”), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Cloverfield Paradox, “Black Mirror”), Sarita Chowdhury (Hunger Games, “Jessica Jones,” “Orange is the New Black”), Dan Hedaya (Blood Simple, Usual Suspects, “ER”), Libe Barer (“Sneaky Pete,” Colony, I See You), August Maturo (The Nun, “Girl Meets World”), and Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things,” Eli). 



BRETON TYNER-BRYAN (Costumes) is an American born actor, director, and 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, with films winning at Barcelona IFF, Madrid IFF, World Independent Cinema Nice, France, La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival, and International LGBTQ Shorts. She is known for “Billions” (Showtime), “Divorce” (HBO) 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,” and “Stories from the Microchasm” with John Sanborn. With a stunt background, she often plays detectives, tough seductive roles, and collaborates regularly with cinematographer Michael J. Burke.

DEE DEE PERRY (Producer). Story lover Dee Dee Perry co-founded DJDL Productions with Daniel Mitura to foster artistic collaborations in film and theater that are as varied and vibrant as the view inside a kaleidoscope. She delights in works that entertain, expand our imaginations, and deepen our appreciation of the strength of the human spirit. Recent credit is as an investor in the play American Son (starring Kerry Washington) on Broadway, later a Netflix film. She is also the Co-Producer and Co-Host of The "Bali Effect," a weekly podcast that explores life's pivotal moments.

DAVID M. NIGHT MAIRE (Producer) is a creative independent filmmaker – Writer, Director, Producer – who’s gritty, character-driven films have received endorsements and worldwide acclaim. A bilingual International Baccalaureate diploma recipient, David Co-Founded and helmed AireBedd, a perspicacious production company banner under which he premiered music videos on MTV and Glamour, and produced content for the likes of Moët Hennessy. Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, and the Leslie-Lohman Museum, amongst others. Moreover, David M. Night Maire has garnered thousands of laurels and awards for the many short films he’s Directed and Produced, including the recent Zeno Mountain Award from the Miami Film Festival for My Daughter Yoshiko (2019) by BAFTA-nominated director Brian Blum. His cultivated persona and visual aesthetic have also precipitated invitations to Program and Judge diverse film festivals across the United States, including Shriekfest Horror Film Festival, DC Shorts International Film Festival & Screenplay Competition, and the PA Indie Shorts Film Festival.

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