Short and feature, 108 min, Not rated Q&A with Quicksand filmmaker JohnPaul Morris
A short and a feature film made in Michigan about a car ride gone terribly wrong.
Director: Cody J. LaRue
Narrative Short, United States, 2022, 14 min, Color
Elliot’s plan was simple: take an edible, get some snacks, and get home before the drugs kick in. However, when his car breaks down and leaves him stranded, Elliot must navigate his way home before he is too high to function. Will he find his way home safely?
Great Lakes Connection: The director was born and raised in Michigan and the film was shot in Flint, Michigan.
Director: JohnPaul Morris
Narrative Feature, United States, 2022, 94 min, Color
After losing their best friend’s ring days before the wedding, co-best-men Ray and Paul embark on a secret do-or-die adventure to reclaim it as they are forced to navigate questions about life, love, and how to escape a gang of murderers.
The entire production team and a majority of the post-production team are Michigan filmmakers. The film was shot and produced in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and the Upper Peninsula.
Director: JohnPaul Morris
Writers: JohnPaul Morris, Jake Burgess, Broderick Steele
Producers: Chris Loud, Nick Loud
Key Cast: Tanner Presswood, Simon Eliás
JohnPaul Morris is a 33-year-old cinematographer turned director who produces concept, commercial (Ford, Facebook, NBA), and feature films (Quicksand, 2023). He started a production company in rural Northern Michigan in 2009, which has since grown into a multifaceted creative effort and hub for feature film efforts.
I wasn’t sure my first feature should be a comedy, but Quicksand was the film that we had to make. It would have haunted us not to do it. We wanted to make a movie about surviving your 20s, a feat that half our team had just accomplished and the other half was still undertaking. And just like your 20s, we wanted the film to be fun and unceasingly surprising.
Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival (Bay City, Michigan), September 22, 2023, WINNER Audience Choice, Best Narrative Feature
Grand Rapids Film Festival (Grand Rapids, Michigan), October 23, 2022, WINNER Best Screenplay
Austin (Texas) Film Festival, October 29, 2023, Official Selection
Eau Claire (Wisconsin) International Film Festival, November 4, 2022, WINNER Best Narrative Feature
Traverse City (Michigan) Film Festival, July 28, 2022, Michigan Premiere, Official Selection (4 sold out screenings)
Saturday, Sep 16, 6:30pm
Soo Theatre
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