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Point 453

Point 453 chronicles the growth of an untreated bipolar boy as he struggles to fit into a family that rejects him.

to Story

STORY

(1) Point 453 follows Darren, a young boy with presenting symptoms of bipolar disorder as he searches for a normal and meaningful life. The film tracks Darren at ages 11, 17, and 21 and seeks to portray the struggles and fallout that occur over time as his illness takes hold.

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(2) Take18 Entertainment believes that the filmmaking community can and should strive to entertain and educate moviegoers by telling stories that illuminate lesser-known aspects of the world in which we live. In the case of Point 453, we aim to shine a spotlight on mental illness, highlighting the multigenerational nature of and the effects of leaving it untreated on the arc of an individual's life.

(3) We believe that we, as young people, are among the best to tell the story since many of us have personal experience dealing with mental illness, be it in a close friend or even family member. Additionally, our production team is composed entirely of adolescents and young adults, meaning that we have a unique and in-depth perspective on the inner workings of the mind of the teenage boy who this story follows, above and apart from his illness. Finally, we know our efforts today as young people to portray and understand this important issue can help to shape future attitudes and treatments for persons living with mental illness.

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CAST

(Principal Actors)

Kristin Kueter
CRAIG MILLER
Patrick 
KEN THRIFT
Austin 
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CREW

ETHAN PAISLEY
Writer | Director | Producer
MAYA BABOW
UPM | Asst. Casting
JAYDE EADS
Key Hair & Makeup
KIARA RAMIREZ
Cinematographer
LORI LAUBE
Casting Director
DYLAN DIXON
First A.D. | Asst. Producer 
MARGOT LUBLINER
Asst. Writer | Production Asst.
CONNOR FILIPPI
Sound Operator
ZACH BELLIN
Production Assistant
to Press Kit

PRESS KIT

FILM INFORMATION:

Theatrical Poster

TITLE:

Point 453

RUN TIME:

50 minutes

PRODUCTION COMPANY CONTACT:

Take18 Entertainment

Ethan Paisley

ethanbrookspaisley@gmail.com

+1 707.787.7844

LOGLINE:

Point 453 chronicles the growth of an untreated bipolar boy as he struggles to fit into a family that rejects him.

SHORT SYNPOSIS:

Point 453 follows Darren, a young boy with presenting symptoms of bipolar disorder as he searches for a normal and meaningful life. The film tracks Darren at ages 11, 17, and 21 and seeks to portray the struggles and fallout that occur over time as his illness takes hold.

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DIRECTOR'S NOTE:

 

In December of 2014, I hit bad depression and expressed my emotions in a rough, 40 page script. The script touched on points in my life where I felt disappointed and insecure about other people, and more importantly, myself. I took a month to reflect on what made me feel unhappy, and it led me to investigating the topic of mental illness.

 

I was concerned about my own mental health, and talked to my family members and close friends who happened to have bipolar disorder about the struggles in their life to see if I found a parallel in mine. After reflecting, I was shocked to find how much I had in common with my own dad, who is diagnosed with the illness. His illness has played a big part in my family growing up, and his struggle to cope inspired me to give depth to my script. After talking with more bipolar people and researching the numbers who struggle with it in some way, I felt passionate about shining a light on those with untreated cases of the disease and bringing awareness to helping them. I also wanted to make a movie that spoke to families with mental illness, and those without, so that I could appropriately explain the symptoms and steps to care for something as common as bipolar disorder.

 

This is a film about humanity, family, and the idea that love and genuine connections can conquer any isolating factor, whether it’s mental illness or even sexuality, race, or gender. I hope the audience can learn and appreciate something about Point 453, whether it educates them on treating bipolar disorder or reminds them to tell their best friend they love them. 

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DIRECTOR'S BIO:

Ethan Paisley is an American director, producer, writer, and director based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Paisley got his start at a local theatre where he took on roles ranging everywhere from Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors to Romeo in Romeo & Juliet. His theatre experience landed him roles in several independent films, most recently Boo Men (dir. Devin Morse) and Nebula (dir. Daniela Bornstein). While acting on-camera professionally, Paisley created a YouTube parody series that accumulated over ½ a million views in less than a year and helped him realize a passion he had for behind-the-scenes work. Since then, Paisley has produced & directed over 25 short films, 2 feature films, and written a commercial for the SpikeTV Network. He currently produces through his award-winning production company, Take18 Entertainment, and has two SAG films in post-production. His talent has been recognized in the Scout, Singapore International, and All American High School Film Festivals.

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CINEMATOGRAPHER'S BIO:

Kiara Ramirez was born in Mexico city. When she was 4 years old she move to Northern California where her passion began as she discovered her Grandmothers SLR Cameras. During her Freshmen year of high school her first narrative film was showcased in the Mendocino Film Festival.  She has since then gone on to create various short films, produce commercials, music videos, and work on feature films. Her film Road 253 was screened at the Directors Guild of America in Los angeles in February of 2016 followed by her first world premiere for her film Detras Del Muro at the 2016 Mendocino Film Festivals Official Selection. 

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MAIN CAST:

 

Mary- Kristin Kueter

Patrick- Craig Miller

Darren- Caelan Scrivener

Austin- Ken Thrift

Kate- Rheagan Rizio

Pablo- Hunter Woelfle

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MAIN CREW:

 

Director/Producer- Ethan Paisley

Cinematographer- Kiara Ramirez

First A.D./Asst. Writer/Producer- Dylan Dixon

UPM/Asst. Casting- Maya Babow

Casting Director- Lori Laube

Asst. Writer/ PA- Margot Lubliner

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Film Stills

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