{"id":39443,"date":"2017-11-06T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T15:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=39443"},"modified":"2017-11-09T04:51:33","modified_gmt":"2017-11-09T09:51:33","slug":"half-brothers-opens-chelsea-film-festival-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/half-brothers-opens-chelsea-film-festival-in-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"“Half Brothers” Opens Chelsea Film Festival in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 5th Chelsea Film Festival (CFF) opened last week with a host of filmmakers and actors in attendance for the black tie festivities.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea<\/p>\n

Featuring 90 films from 26 countries, the fast-growing, highly popular weekend film festival with a focus on social change kicked off with champagne flowing at the Loews on 34th and a viewing of “Half Brothers.”<\/p>\n

The opening night film is about two brothers from different fathers. The low-key poet and high-energy entrepreneur meet for the first time at a mountain retreat with their respective mates.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

The cast features a diverse range of personalities played by actors from Switzerland, where it was filmed, as well as Ireland and the U.S. The director, Christoph Lehmann, hails from Germany.<\/p>\n

Shot with a low budget like most of the independent films at the festival, it took some creative work on the part of the director just to get the feature-length movie made. And the challenges started even before filming, Lehmann told the audience during a Q&A following the movie.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

Show me the chemistry and the money<\/h4>\n

Even though the actors didn\u2019t film their auditions in the same country, they were edited together in advance of filming for a trailer to get financing. It showed a lack of chemistry between the two of them, said Lehmann, so they had to be recast.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

Once financing was secured, which took about six months, a large chunk of the budget was spent filming the awe-inspiring Swiss Alps where this drama\/comedy (dramedy) takes place. The mountains were seemingly made to be showcased on the big screen as the film opened with sweeping scenes that dropped the viewer right into the destination.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise with that setting that the movie took the top award for cinematography (Olaf Klein). It also won for Best Supporting Actress (Alicia Gerrard) and Best Supporting Actor (Matthew Smiley).<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

They were ready for their close-up<\/h4>\n

Close-ups of the actors helped balance the budget splurges on location shots. A tip Lehmann shared: \u201cClose-ups are a secret for low budgets,\u201d he said. They are cheaper to film, and you can\u2019t always afford multiple camera angles, he explained.<\/p>\n

Some scenes had to be shot from several angles though, like a fight scene between the bros after some heavy disclosures. On that particular day, the weather wasn\u2019t cooperating, but the film had to stay on track due to budget constraints, so they filmed anyway.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

In retrospect, Lehmann said, the gloomy weather worked quite well for the scene, which was moody and darker than the rest of the film. They key is to be flexible, he said. You can make plans, but may have to adjust based on weather or other circumstances, especially in a location like the Alps where weather can change quickly.<\/p>\n

More improvisation was necessary when one actor got altitude sickness during a shoot in an ice cave and was unable to remember his lines, a casualty of filming at heights like these. The setting also required more hand-held cameras, as trucks and dollies were not an option in the rugged terrain.<\/p>\n

How to reduce a $1 million budget<\/h4>\n

How did they get it made and at what cost? Hard cash raised was about $200,000, though it really cost closer to a million to make, said Lehmann. How did he make up the shortfall?<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

He had heard through the grapevine that Saas-Fee, Switzerland, was in the market to be featured in a film to help tourism efforts and he negotiated with the picturesque Swiss village known as the Pearl of the Alps, for rooms and meals for 30 actors and crew for six weeks so they could shoot the film.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon for destinations that want some tourist attention to target filmmakers for exposure, said one insider at the film festival. Locations have been known to buy booths at the Cannes Film Festival and are willing to offer a sweet deal to directors that want to make their location famous.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea
Chelsea Film Festival Opening Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo<\/a> by Yulia Nar for Chelsea Film Festival<\/a> \/ \u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

Product placement like the $10K watch sported by the more successful brother helped. And Lehmann\u2019s former career as a commercial director also funded the effort.<\/p>\n

A lot of the cash budget was spent shooting and editing the breathtaking scenery. Overhead shots were filmed with the help of drones of course, using a Sony F55, 4K digital camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Half Brothers Trailer \u2013 Serious Funny Award Winning Dramedy by Christoph Lehmann<\/div><\/div>
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