“Otis” Wins Best Picture At 2008 International DV/HD Festival
(April 3, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – “Otis,” the provocative black comedy which chronicles an all-American family’s collision with the dark world of a serial killer, took home the award for Best Picture at the 2008 International DV/HD Festival in Los Angeles. In addition, the film was also honored with a Best Actor trophy for Bostin Christopher, who plays the title role and was on hand to accept his award at the festivities.
“We were thrilled to have been invited and it was indeed a wonderful surprise to win. ‘Otis’ is a quirky, political horror/satire, and I know all those who worked on the film are tickled by this award -- especially those huddled hard in the HD monitor tent on set. Bostin Christopher deserves particular praise for his emotional and at once disturbing and sympathetic performance,” said Producer/Director Tony Krantz. “We had a great and dedicated cast and crew, and these awards are a testament to the hard and wonderfully creative work they all did.”
“Otis” was chosen to be part of the festival from hundreds of submissions and selected Best Picture from a field of more than 75 feature and short films. Established in 2003 and focusing on creative works shot only in Digital, Video & High Definition formats, the International DV/HD Festival is seven-day movie festival recognizing the best Narratives, Documentaries, Music Videos & Animations in friendly competition.
Produced and directed by Tony Krantz (“Mulholland Drive,” “Sublime,” “24”), “Otis” is written by Thomas Schnauz (“Reaper”, “X-Files”) and Erik Jendresen (“Sublime,” “Band of Brothers”) and is WHV’s fourth acquired title from the "Raw Feed" film franchise.
In addition to Bostin Christopher, “Otis” stars Daniel Stern (“Home Alone,” “City Slickers”), Illeana Douglas (“Ghost World,” “Factory Girl”) and Kevin Pollak (“A Few Good Men,” “The Usual Suspects”). Also featured are Jere Burns (“Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Dear John”), Ashley Johnson (“Fast Food Nation,” “What Women Want”), and Jared Kusnitz (“Dance of the Dead”). John Shiban (“Rest Stop,” “Supernatural”, "X-Files”) and Daniel Myrick (“Believers,” “The Blair Witch Project”) are also producers.
“Otis” will debut on uncut DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi-Def June 10 from Warner Home Video (WHV).
Synopsis
“Otis” is a story of suburban America gone haywire. In the midst of a serial abductor/killer’s rampage, a beautiful young teen, Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson), goes missing. When her desperate parents, Will and Kate (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas), are contacted by her kidnapper, an insufferable FBI Special Agent (Jere Burns) takes charge of the case.
But, from deep within the psychopathic subterranean world created by Otis (Bostin Christopher), Riley turns the tables on her tormentor, manages to escape and to contact her parents. Fed up with the tragi-comic inability of the FBI to find their girl, Will, Kate and Riley’s brother, Reed (Jared Kusnitz), decide to take matters - and justice - into their own hands. But when Otis’ brother, Elmo (Kevin Pollak), shows up unexpectedly, the Lawsons find themselves mired in one of the more unusual and macabre consequences of vigilantism.
Far from proclaiming ‘Mission Accomplished,’ the backed-in-a-corner Lawsons will further complicate their already deadly predicament with a surprising, unfortunate and frankly hilarious final choice.
Films under the “Raw Feed” banner are a mix of thriller, horror and sci-fi with a strong psychological and dramatic edge, and are as much psychological as they are thriller or horror genre. The films have been released on DVD in rated and uncut versions, featuring innovative extra features and bonus content. The “Raw Feed” label originated from the creative minds of Tony Krantz, Daniel Myrick and John Shiban. The first film in the series, “Rest Stop” (written and directed by Shiban), debuted on DVD in October 2006 and has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide, making it the top-selling MFV title in WHV history not based on a previous films. “Rest Stop” was followed by “Sublime” (directed by Krantz) in March 2007 and “Believers” (directed by Myrick) in October 2007.
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment. # # #