Victoria, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles (MMD Newswire) December 15, 2011 - Seychelles-based independent movie Company CoOpFilm Productions has stepped forward to "rescue" the action/thriller "El Clan" ("The Gang"), proving that sometimes the story behind the camera is almost as dramatic and intriguing as the one in front of it. As is the case with many indie films, funding for production of "El Clan" has been a challenge. But the creative minds behind this fast-paced tale, which takes place somewhere in the 1930s, have believed strongly in their project from the beginning, and are determined to see it to completion and help it find the international audience it deserves. Along with Film! CanaryIslands (FCI), Lou Di Giorgio, co-producer with Norbert A. Schilling of FCI and main investor of "EL CLAN" has provided funding thus far, and it's probably no exaggeration to say that CoOpFilm Productions, , has helped save "El Clan" from oblivion.
Lou Di Giorgio, a cinematography veteran, has been investing in new film technology since 2004. Besides contributing hundreds of thousands of US dollars to fund "El Clan," and co-producing also Nersas Ferrera's "The Lupano's Decision", he has rented equipment such as RED ONE digital cinematography cameras and accessories to FCI. He has helped the teams gain confidence in the use of this innovative technology, which allows cost-efficient production without compromising quality. Says Di Giorgio, "We're really excited about 'El Clan,' because it was a labor of love for so many of us. But it takes more than love to market a film to an international audience. We're still actively seeking additional investors who want to be part of a worthwhile and potentially very lucrative film project. We also need distributors for international release."
He says that post-production of "El Clan" should be completed in April of 2012, and if the film is accepted, it could conceivably have its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Locarno in Switzerland, or perhaps in Venice or Rome. "Of course we hope the public will like it and we can pick up a distributor to market 'El Clan' worldwide," says Di Giorgio.
"El Clan" is the third film shot this year on the island of Tenerife by FCI, after the "Clash of the Titans II" shot by WB. Before "El Clan", FCI also produced the movies "Montevideo" and the "The Lupanos' Decision. "El Clan" was shot in only 22 days on fourteen locations in Tenerife between Puerto de la Cruz and San Cristobal de la Laguna, "El Clan," directed by Jaime Falero, accurately recreates the troubled years of the 30s. It's vaguely reminiscent of films such as "Road to Perdition" (Sam Mendes, 2002) and "Hostel" (Eli Roth, 2005), but with some advanced special effects designed by FX Inside.
A point of pride for the filmmakers, Di Giorgio notes, is that "El Clan" was made with very limited resources without any sacrifice of quality, and it was completed in only a few months. "We couldn't have done it without the free support of dozens of enthusiastic people," he says. "Everyone worked together, and the result is a shocking action-thriller movie that viewers all over the world will eat up."
Lou Di Giorgio also acknowledges the support and sponsorship of the Council of Tenerife (the governing body of the Island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands), as well as the people of Tenerife, for their support of this project. "And," he says, "I really want to acknowledge the director of photography, Santiago Torres, for the awesome image quality, composer Diego Navarro for the beautiful music, and, of course, Jaime Falero for great direction and a wonderful script, which was written in collaboration with the very talented Pedro J. Mérida." The combined factors of outstanding direction, excellent acting, first-rate cinematography, and haunting music will give 'El Clan' maximum emotional impact, Di Giorgio believes.
Di Giorgio adds that this is perhaps the first time in Europe that a totally commercial indie movie was produced entirely with private capital. CoOpFilm Productions got involved with this project in the first place because we believe 'El Clan' has such a strong potential for international success," he adds.
Now the challenge is to get 'El Clan' in theaters worldwide. Di Giorgio says, "We're thinking big. 'El Clan' could be a small film with a limited European audience, or a TV movie that is forgotten by next week. Or it could be an internationally acclaimed motion picture, seen in theaters worldwide and ultimately enjoyed on a wide range of media such as iTunes and DVD. We at CoOpFilm Productions are shooting for the international/multimedia option, because we think this movie deserves the absolute widest audience possible. All that's missing right now are the investors and distributors who can help us take it to the top."
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For more information see the CoOpFilm Web site at www.coopfilm.com
- Watch the trailer for "El Clan" on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/32963160
- The IMDb page for "El Clan": http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2113658
- Pictures of Lou Di Giorgio on the set of "El Clan": http://www.flickr.com/photos/coopfilm/sets/72157628315069259
- "El Clan" page on the Film!CanaryIslands website: http://www.filmcanaryislands.com/index.php/en/latest-news/3-news2/151-el-clan-la-pelicula
Contact: Lou Di Giorgio (Producer) CoOpFilm Productions Ltd. Victoria, Mahé Republic of Seychelles Tel/Fax: +248 432-5784 e-mail: info@coopfilm.com