NEW YORK LATELY

SYNOPSIS:

A drama following multiple characters as they weave through their daily lives searching for happiness. However, happiness to each of them is defined differently. The film moves through its various stories without attempting to make character intersections any more meaningful than the random nature of life itself; the effect is a sprawling mosaic of New York City and its everyday people, living everyday lives.

I quit my job and moved to New York in 2006 to make movies. I spent two years working on some freelance stuff, networking and making friends along the way. By late 2007 I cashed out my 401K and asked my friends to help me make a feature film.

This was a beast to produce myself. You know how you hear advice all the time for a first feature? People suggest minimizing your actors and locations -- well I said fuck that and shot in over 20 locations with more than 40 actors.

We spread out the shoot over Dec 2007 and Jan 2008, with a few weeks break for the Christmas holidays. Being a newbie producer, I scheduled December too tightly where we were exhausted. It didn't help that my AD caught a nasty cold from filming outdoors in the rain, so he was out of commission for a few days. Having learned from that, I scheduled January much better to the point where my crew told me that, if I wanted, I could add more scenes to each day.

What can you say about your first feature film, except that it's your baby. You put your heart and soul into it, then let it fly hoping it'll land on its feet. For better or worse.

The worse: There were 3 major storylines that I cut out of the film.  I tried to create a much larger kaleidoscope of characters and wasn't able to piece it together as I'd hoped. To this day, telling the actors were the toughest phone calls I had to make.

The better: I played at festivals and got some nice reviews. Made solid friendships. I learned a hell of a lot.

Fun Facts:
It really snowed on Jared (Jared Asato) and Truly (Susan Cagle)...and rained on Elliot (Jeremy Koerner) and Sam (Vanessa Streiff) for some great production value.

During filming, we were approached by the NYPD in Red Hook Park (a sketchy area). I was a bit nervous because we didn't have permits. All they wanted to do was warn us that we were in the bad part of town...and to ask if they could be in the film. Gotta love New York.

Writer | Director: GARY KING

Starring:
JENN DEES
SUSAN CAGLE
JARED ASATO
MARK DICONZO
JOHN WEISENBURGER
VANESSA STREIFF
JEREMY KOERNER

Gary King’s feature film debut is a unique exploration into the drama of interpersonal relationships and their various stages. With New York Lately, King has created a charming piece of cinema that is as tantalizing as it is engaging in its visual and emotional prowess. Accessible dialogue and skilled acting by relative newcomers, depict a culturally and behaviorally varied group of thirty-somethings who allow the revelations of life’s complications to emerge through missteps, risks taken and personal reflection.

The narrative rings as true and believable as anything one would overhear on poker night or at a ladies night out. Still, it manages to push the boundary of intrigue, melodrama and to some extent, even adventure. Combining the use of multi-layered prose and interconnecting plot lines with the visual details of the film, King finds a distinct way of examining the more complicated components of typical emotional situations, reminding us what courage under fire really means. Proudly wearing its influences on its sleeve, New York Lately lashes together the more subtle visuals of Almodóvar, the smoothly intense styles of Wong Kar-Wai and the thematic tones of Paul Thomas Anderson. The devil is in the details here and a first time film maker putting these details exactly where and how they belong with acuity and precision, is step one in the making of a master craftsman. —Andrew James (Row Three)

Named One of the Ten Best of 2009 by ROW THREE

“…a remarkable achievement…independent cinema at its finest…”
— THE INDEPENDENT CRITIC

“…an absolutely wonderful piece of work.”
— ROGUE CINEMA

“…a beautiful film…”
— ROW THREE

“…breathtaking and emotionally powerful…”
— TCWREVIEWS

“…smart, lively and engaging…”
— SONIC CINEMA