About
1 x 90min Science Fiction Thriller
After a random school shootout leaves a scientist’s daughter and the shooter dead, he uses nano-robots to look into a psychopath’s memories to find reasons for violence and a way to treat it.
Key Creative
- Anand Raghavan - Writer / Director
- Haydn Wazelle - Producer
- Nicholas Purrier - Co-Writer
- Mike Kam - Director of Photography
- Edward J Douglas - VFX Supervisor
Anand was 25 when he moved to Canada from India in pursuit of his dreams to make films. It took another five years, but he directed two short films (MAYA GETTING BORN, THE RICHEST PLACE) and produced three more in 2010. His first short THE RICHEST PLACE is an award-winning short documentary on the life of Vancouver jazz artist Dalannah Gail Bowen, currently being developed as a feature film at Tabula Dada. His other short MAYA GETTING BORN, a drama, had its international premiere at the Indian International Film Festival, Tampa Bay, and won Best Student Film the Vancouver South Asian Film Festival 2013. Anand worked as an Associate Producer at Screen Siren Pictures on independent features like DAYDREAM NATION starring Josh Lucas & Kat Dennings, YEAR OF THE CARNIVORE written & directed by Sook-Yin Lee, and FOREVERLAND starring Max Thieriot and Juliette Lewis.
Anand has now joined forces with Haydn Wazelle and has since produced a Bravo!FACT Short film,PILGRIMS with Lorne Cardinal & Tantoo Cardinal which screened at Cannes 2013 Court Metrage as a part of Telefilms Not Short on Talent and had its World Premiere at TIFF ’13, as well as In The Deep for Crazy8s, with award-winning Director Nimisha Mukerji, recently licensed to the CBC, and had its World Premiere at Whistler ’13. Pinocchio Project is his first feature film as a director.
Lead at Tabula Dada, Haydn has worked with Anand since 2010 on three feature films and 4 short films. In 2014, Telefilm Canada selected Haydn to participate in the prestigious Rotterdam Lab at Cinemart, and he was later selected to participate in the Producer’s Workshop at Cannes ’14. Haydn’s won a Telefilm Producer Mentorship Award (2009), BC Film Producer Mentorship Award (2010), and a Bell Media National Fellowship in 2011. Haydn HATES long walks at sunset and LOVES Jean-Michel Basquiat, his Mum’s breakfasts, and jumping in puddles or the closest ocean with his wife and two beautiful daughters.
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Nick Purrier hails from Woking, England, best known as the first town destroyed by Martians in H.G. Wells’ classic science fiction novel The War Of The Worlds. In reality, the place is gradually being destroyed by ‘chavs’ rather than extra-terrestrials, and so he left to find intelligent life elsewhere. At Newcastle University he would continue to develop a lifelong passion for the craft of storytelling, studying an eclectic range of modules, notably; ‘Writing for the Media’, ‘Television Studies’, along with ‘Psychoanalysis’ and ‘Identity, Culture & Society’ cultivating a deep understanding of the strengths and flaws that shape human character. After graduation, he built on the experience gained writing for newspaper The Courier, and would go on to work with The Lab Magazine after moving to Canada in 2012.
He assisted in the making of Bravo!FACT Short film PILGRIMS with Lorne Cardinal & Tantoo Cardinal which screened at Cannes 2013 Court Metrage as a part of Telefilms Not Short on Talent and had its World Premiere at TIFF ’13, as well as IN THE DEEPfor Crazy8s, with award-winning Director Nimisha Mukerji, recently licensed to the CBC, and had its World Premiere at Whistler ’13. Given the opportunity to observe the process of bringing a story to screen first hand, co-writing the screenplay for THE PINOCCHIO PROJECT came naturally.
Mike Kam was born and raised in Hong Kong. He moved to Canada with his family during his early teens. Being a child growing up at the prime of Hong Kong cinema, he is heavily influenced by directors such as John Woo, Johnnie To and Wong Kar Wai. His passion for cinematography grew extensively during his post secondary education and began to work in the related field upon graduation. He worked as a director of photography for feature film projects such as Hastings Street (directed by Andrew Moxham), Mi Lian Wen Ge Hua (directed by Li Long Yue) and Pinocchio Project (directed by Anand Raghavan). He also worked as a contract director of photography for Rogers Broadcast Limited. His TVCs are nationally broadcast in Canada with clients such as NDP, ICBC, PGX, Webber Naturals, Great Canadian Oil Change, Trick Factory Customs…etc. He also worked as a camera operator and steadicam operator for feature film projects like Black Mountain Side (A Farewell to Kings Entertainment Company), In the End (Mya Studios), Match Made in Heaven (Bumpy Road Productions), Love Song 2013 (Hairun Pictures). He also co-founded One Leaf Productions.
Edward Douglas has been the Film, TV and Video Game industry since 2001. He is co-founder and Creative Director of Flying Helmet Games, a development and media studio developing the revolutionary Tabletop Video Game Eon Altar, co-produced with Tabula Dada. Working in some of the world’s top game studios, Edward has directed, designed or produced on the worldwide best-selling franchises, Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed and Mass Effect, Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy series and Sony’s Little Big Planet. Previously he shot and post-produced in Canada’s independent and service film and television industries. As Executive Producer Edward brings his experience in science fiction, world-building and visual effects to Anand Raghavan’s first feature film,Pinocchio Project.
Synopsis
Dr. Adam Anderson (David Lewis), pioneer in the field of nanobiotechnology, has ambitions to use his life’s work to develop a cure for memory based cognitive disorders. Having invented a revolutionary technology that can pinpoint and recreate specific memories, his research is abruptly cut short as government funds are re-distributed in an effort to combat the severe issue of ultra-violence that plagues society. Approached by Dr. Rachel Porter (Tricia Holland) of the Mansingh Research Centre (MRC), Adam is given the opportunity to breath new life into his research, albeit taking it in a different direction entirely, as part of a government sanctioned project. He is offered the chance to test his technology on a human subject as he has so long craved to do so, recreating the memories of a psychopath in an effort to determine patterns and root causes of violent behaviour, with the ultimate goal of discovering a universally applicable treatment. After wrangling with the ulterior political motives of Senator Edward Frost (Mackenzie Gray), the driving force behind the research at the MRC, Adam makes the decision to separate from the project. Just as he has finally found the time away from work to spend with his loving wife and daughter, the latter is tragically torn from his life in a mass school shooting. Distraught, Adam returns to the MRC with a renewed determination to rid the world of violence, with the hope that no other family should have to experience his sorrow, and in a bid to save his now crumbling marriage. Adam must now delve deeper into his subject’s twisted memory, embarking on a journey that explores moral sanction and leading to the discovery that key experiences can be modified.
Cast
- David Lewis - Dr. Adam Anderson
- Emily Holmes - Dr. Rachel Porter
- Mackenzie Gray - Senator Edward Frost
- Scott Lyster - Simon Frost
David has been acting since the mid 90’s and in 1999 landed the Lead Role in “Shoes off” which won Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival. Film credits include “Personal Effects” opposite Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. Television work includes a lead in the CBS TV series “Harper’s Island” as well as recurring roles on “Dead Like Me” and “The L Word” and Guest Star roles on “Supernatural” and “Fringe”. Film career highlights include working with William H. Macy on the award winning film “Door To Door and embodying the role of Mr. Crocker in three “Fairly Odd Parents” movies. He is currently shooting the first season of BBC America’s “Intruders” and his short film “Stalled” which he wrote and produced has just been nominated for 5 Leo awards.
Emily Holmes was born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, Ontario. From a very young age Emily always envisioned a career for herself in acting. Her dream matured when she attended University of British Columbia, and graduated with a B.F.A in acting. Since then, Emily has successfully carved a niche for herself in the National and International film and television markets which have enabled her to travel extensively worldwide. Emily has worked with some of the world’s best known talent.
Emily has done some interesting work on the big screen. She had a supporting lead role in the film Year of The Carnivore with director Sook –Yin Lee which debuted at 2011 Toronto Film Festival to critical acclaim. Another such film was Peter Greenaway’s (‘The Pillow Book’, ‘The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover’) film ‘Nightwatching’ opposite Martin Freeman (‘Sherlock”, ‘Love Actually’) which was shot in Poland, Wales and Amsterdam. The feature is based on the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn and his most famous picture Nightwatch. In this extravagant, exotic and moving look at Rembrandt’s romantic and professional life focused in 1642, Emily plays Hendrickje; at first a beautiful, young, kind hearted servant to the Rembrandt van Rijn (Martin Freeman) household who, later in life, eventually becomes his mistress. This film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2007.
Emily also shot another lead role in Morroco in ‘Prisoners Of The Sun’ with John Rhys Davis, David Charvet and Carmen Chaplin. (Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter) Emily plays Claire Becket, a clairvoyant confidant and councilor to Professor Hayden Masterton (John Rhys-Davies), who joins him on a perilous expedition deep beneath the timeless sands of Egypt. Prisoners will be released in 2012. Other feature film credits include cult favorite ‘Snakes on A Plane’ and a co-star role in the critically acclaimed French Canadian film ‘Familia’, which won the Best Canadian First Feature Film at the Toronto Film Festival 2005.
Emily’s lead MOW Roles include ‘Independence Day-saster which she teamed with director Davvid Hogan again, ‘Big Time Movie’ for Nickelodeon and ‘Magic Beyond Words’ for Lifetime. Her television series credits and guest star appearances include Alcatraz, Secret Ciircle, Emily Owens, Supernatural, ‘Smallville’, and ‘Stargate SG1’. She also guest starred in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Taken’ and DreamWorks miniseries into the ‘West’.
Emily currently resides in Vancouver BC with her family.
Mackenzie was born and raised in Toronto. A professional actor for over 35 years, he has appeared in over 150 films and television shows. He has acted in or directed over 100 plays on stage across Canada. Mackenzie can be seen as the Kryptonian scientist JAX-UR, world wide in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman film THE MAN OF STEEL and in IMAX Real 3-D in the film METALLICA: THROUGH THE NEVER as the band’s Tour Manager. Since moving to Vancouver as a series lead for the TV series THE NET, he has appeared as a recurring guest star, guest or lead roles in many TV series, including SUPERNATURAL, THE HAUNTING HOUR, PSYCH, FRINGE, ALCATRAZ, SMALLVILLE, DA VINCI’S INQUEST, THE COLLECTOR, FIRST WAVE and countless TV movies.
Cult fans know him from GRAVE ENCOUNTERS, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS and THE HITCHER II Mackenzie is a multiple Leo Award “Best Actor” nominee and has won or been nominated for many awards in his various disciplines. His Crazy 8’s Film Noir short UNDER THE BRIDGE OF FEAR was just shown at The Cannes Film Festival, was an official selection at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Whistler Film Festival and has been bought by the CBC.Mackenzie is a multiple Leo Award “Best Actor” nominee and has won or been nominated for many awards in his various disciplines. His Crazy 8’s Film Noir short UNDER THE BRIDGE OF FEAR was just shown at The Cannes Film Festival, was an official selection at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Whistler Film Festival and has been bought by the CBC.
Scott grew up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. He was a burger flipper, pizza boy, car stereo installer, forklift driver, construction worker and real estate agent. One night a very good intoxicated friend of his asked “If you could do anything what would it be?” With only high school theatre as experience Scott blurted out “Acting”. A very low run demo reel was shot and sent to every agent in Vancouver. One replied. They are now out of business. But it was there that he booked his most difficult and memorable job. The first one.