Edgy 'Intoxicating' True Story Hits Screens

For Immediate Release

LOS ANGELES, October 18 -- Rogue Arts, in association with American World Pictures, premieres Intoxicating to the big screen in the Los Angeles region beginning November 5. The film is set to open at the Loews Beverly Center in Los Angeles, Regal Avenue Stadium 13 in Rolling Hills Estates and Edwards University 6 in Irvine. The film will be screened for buyers at the upcoming American Film Market in Santa Monica, Nov. 3-10. Rogue Arts plans to roll out the film to other cities and markets into the spring of 2005.

The film made its festival premiere as the Saturday night gala at The Method Fest Film Festival and sold ten territories at its international premiere during the Cannes Film Festival.

Intoxicating is the sophomore directing effort of filmmaker/musician Mark David. His first feature was the gritty incest drama Sweet Thing which premiered at the Seattle Film Festival.

Intoxicating was written by and stars Kirk Harris (Hard Luck, My Sweet Killer, loser). Harris, a former Golden Gloves champion boxer turned actor, recently was billed by online indie film magazine Film Threat as "an actor to watch".

"He is like a young Marlon Brando. Incredibly real, brooding with the ease of someone who has actually lived," says Elaine Wood, program director of The Method Fest, of Harris' performance in the film.

Co-starring in the film is Golden Globe nominee John Savage (Message in a Bottle, Thin Red Line, Carnivale), Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (Less Than Perfect, Spun, The Specialist), Camilla Overbye Roos (White Squall, Titanic), Joanne Baron (Spider Man II, The Prince & Me), Ron Gilbert (The Usual Suspects, Lansky), and Allan Rich (The Quiz Show, Amistad). The soundtrack composed by David and William Tabanous features hip hop artists Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Coolio, Mopreme Shakur (brother of Tupac) of The Outlawz and MC Eiht of Compton's Most Wanted.

Intoxicating is based on the controversial true story of director David's first cousin, a talented young surgeon with a large appetite for substances and one night stands. The surgeon's father is dying from pugilistic dementia after a long boxing career. The film was shot in a working hospital in Gardena and in nightclubs and bars around southern California. CNN and Fox News substance abuse specialist Dr. Joseph Haraszti called the film "an intense psychological study of the self destructive nature of addiction". David says, "I grew up in a family of doctors and I've witnessed first hand the epidemic of substance abuse in the medical field".

The film was shot in Super 16mm and with a digital intermediate blown up to 35mm. Director David who also photographed the film says, "with little money I was still able to get the look and feel I wanted using Kodak Vision stock and then scanning the negative to high definition video where we color timed and then filmed out to 35mm. The film is a true hybrid of old and new formats."

ABOUT ROGUE ARTS

Rogue Arts' Intoxicating is 20th film launched in 18 months.

In an increasingly difficult indie film world. Kirk Harris and his rag-tag group of filmmakers, actors, and Indie film friends, are making a difference actually getting films out in the marketplace.

Rogue Arts, whose latest film Intoxicating will launch in Los Angeles November 5 before being rolled out nationally, has launched over 20 titles in the past 18 months.... more than one film every month! This output would make some big time studios jealous.

Founded two years ago, Rogue Arts has produced five features to date (all of which have sold) and in the last eighteen months has begun handling domestic theatrical releases of US indie and foreign titles.

Rogue Arts was founded by actor-filmmaker Kirk Harris (Intoxicating, Hard Luck, My Sweet Killer, loser). Rather than wait on audition lines as an actor, Harris started making his own films and now releasing others as well. Harris, a former Golden Gloves boxing champion, has gone on to star in four theatrical released independent films. He also directed the highly touted Slamdance Film Festival entry loser.

While studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Harris was overcome with the burning desire to not wait on opportunity but to create his own destiny. "I knew I was a poor kid with absolutely no contacts to Hollywood. Desire, hunger, desperation...whatever you call it, led me to put my first film on credit cards. I was very lucky to sell the film and learn from the experience," Harris says.

"I will always be an actor and look forward to whatever new opportunities may come down the pipe. However I also enjoy the business aspect of developing and selling projects that we care about".

Joining Harris in Rogue Arts are indie director (and musician) Mark David (Intoxicating, Sweet Thing), veteran character actor Ron Gilbert (The Usual Suspects, Lansky) and publicity and event veteran Don Franken.

Rogue Arts' latest produced film Intoxicating hits the big screen starting November 5. In Los Angeles region the film will be at the Loews Beverly Center, Regal Avenue Stadium 13 in Rolling Hills Estates, and at Edwards University 6 in Irvine (among other locations that might be added).

Rogue Arts has also acquired a surprising list of titles including Academy Award Winner Anders Thomas Jensen's (writer Mifune, King is Alive, Wilber Wants to Kill Himself, director The Green Butcher) Flickering Lights starring Ulrich Thomsen and Iben Hjejle, and Michael Rymer's (Queen of the Damned, Angel Baby) Allie & Me. This past month their feature documentary Brothers On Holy Ground premiered on Starz! on September 11th to honor victims of 9/11. The film was directed by now retired FDNY fireman Mike Lennon. As well, after premiering The Good War by Georgio Serafina starring Roy Schieder, at Pacific's Arclight Cinema, Rogue Arts sold the home video rights to Monarch Home Video.