NY- The Award-winning gay teen love story “Akron” follows the interconnected lives of two handsome schoolboys, as they fall in love and risk their families bonds in order to consummate their passion. A Wolfe Video Release, this emotionally-charged drama stars Matthew Frias and Edmund Donovan as the young lovers, and is written, produced and directed by Brian O’Donnell and Sasha King. AKRON will be released February 7th, 2017 in the U.S. and Canada via Wolfe Video on DVD & VOD and across all digital platforms including iTunes, Vimeo On Demand, and WolfeOnDemand.com and many major retailers.
Questions for Brian O’Donnell (writer, co-director and co-producer)
What inspired you to write AKRON?
A night at the opera. A friend invited me to see Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera, and during intermission I thought to myself, “I’d like to write a movie with themes like these – two houses against each other because of fate, a strong love story, a strong mother-son relationship – but with a central gay love story.” And during the second act what would become AKRON started playing in my mind in one big piece. The characters, the situations, even the opening shot. Once I had realized that I was struck by inspiration I made a pledge to take the project as far as I could.
What other movies were you thinking about while you were writing, directing and producing AKRON?
I was thinking of other films with attention to family and love relationships and films with nuanced acting and emotional situations. Films like Nine Lives, Ordinary People, Old Joy, Once.
Does this movie need to be set in Akron, Ohio (or the Midwest)?
Akron the location is essential to AKRON the film. We consider the environment to be another character in the film. The locations you see in the film were in the original screenplay. The end of winter in Ohio, when the snow and ice thaw and the color starts to come back to the sky and the fields – these help to further enhance the themes of the film. I was born in Akron, so it being set in Akron really rooted the whole project at every step.
There some important “first times” in AKRON – director, screenplay – what was that like?
Exciting. Scary. Freeing. Fun. A lot of fun.
What is your favorite movie? book?
There are too many to choose from for both categories here. Among the filmmakers who consistently inspire me are Pedro Almodovar, Kelly Reichardt, Lucretia Martel and Todd Haynes. Writers I love include Colm Toibin, Alan Hollinghurst, Reinaldo Arenas and James Baldwin.
Why has the portrayal of gay characters in movies to date been primarily concerned about their sexuality?
I think because gays have been seen as different from the norm a focus on gay sexuality was an easy way to communicate that on film. For a long time that difference defined what it meant to be gay. Characters were only gay if you could see them behaving in recognizable, often stereotypical ways. There has also been empowerment in showing gay people as fully sexual, in pushing the boundaries of what has been deemed acceptable. It can be provocative, exciting, bold, an expression of a love that “dare not speak its name.” It has worked both ways. But times have changed and it is now possible, because we see ourselves and are viewed by others as no different from the norm but simply as a part of the whole, to show gay characters in a more full light, with a wider array of behaviors and concerns.
What was it like to film AKRON in Akron, where you were born and raised?
I moved from Akron in 1989 to attend NYU. At that time I was not fully aware that I was gay. I had no firsthand frame of reference in my community – I didn’t know any out gay men or women. If you heard the word “gay” aloud at all it was in derision. So to go back 25 years later with a script centering on a romance between two young, out gay men and to receive nothing but enthusiastic support from the people of Akron (and neighboring town Wooster) was wonderful. I wasn’t necessarily surprised as I strongly believe that times and attitudes have changed and I have experienced Akron and Wooster as being full of great people, but it was a wonderful experience.
Were the local communities of Akron, Wooster and Florida helpful in making this film?
Folks were incredible. There were of course friends and family happy that I was “coming home” to make a movie and offered any help they could – including my brother and sister-in-law who gave us full reign to shoot in their house! But even complete strangers, once they heard about the project and the script, offered unbelievable support. The Wooster Inn offered a great deal to house the actors and crew. We received incredible permission to shoot on the campuses of University of Akron and College of Wooster. One woman offered us the use of her yoga studio – she gave us the key code, we went in and shot and locked up behind ourselves – and we still haven’t even met face to face!
Do you have an intended audience in mind for AKRON?
Of course the first audience that would come to mind would be the LGBT audience, especially young adults, as the lead roles are two young men falling in love. But I think it will connect very strongly with women and mothers, as the mothers in the movie have quite dramatic story lines as well. Really, fathers, siblings – all of the characters in the film are fully realized and affect the plot – so we believe that the film has a universal appeal; it will appeal to anyone who likes a movie about real people and real emotions. The fact that AKRON has been accepted in both LGBT and general audience film festivals confirms this for me, I’m happy to say.
Your sister and her husband are Executive Producers, what was it like to work on AKRON with them?
We have a dream team. It’s been fantastic as we have found a natural balance of opinions, skills and insights that have been invaluable most especially in the editing and post-production work. Their support has been incredibly thoughtful – they want nothing but the best AKRON.
Questions for Sasha King (co-director and co-producer)
What inspired you to get involved in the making of AKRON?
Brian inspired me. He wrote a beautiful story with a very progressive theme that attracted me immediately. It was the positive LGBT theme that really struck me initially – he was writing a love story with two young men who had the full support of all of their peers, friends and family in their relationship. The plot in the story has nothing to do with them being gay and although we think this would be the normal in LGBT films it is not.
What other movies were you thinking about while you were directing and producing AKRON?
Many films filtered into my psyche at different stages but I suppose Irish success Once resonated for the low budget ‘think outside of the box’ approach and Brokeback Mountain for the spacial awareness the visuals give the audience and the pacing and the incredible music inspiration.
There are some important “first times” in AKRON – director, screenplay – what was that like?
I didn’t feel like I was a first time director because I’ve produced many films and have walked through the process with many directors soaking up the knowledge and experience; so I felt confident taking on this role. I had complete confidence in Brian as I knew how passionate he was and how much thought and consideration he had put into the characters and the story lines in the script. I knew we would be a strong directing team together.
What is your favorite movie? book?
Have to give you 2: Rear Window and The Field. Also, a book that stayed with me from my youth is Animal Farm.
Your husband is the Composer/Editor, what was it like to work on AKRON with him?
It was fascinating to work with Bill on AKRON because he and I lived and breathed the editing and the composing for months. We talked about the choices and options 24/7 –even over the dinner table. We even got to the point where we were constantly saying phrases from the film to each other! It was a very special creative time. I hope to do it again with him.
Questions for Sasha and Brian Together
How did you two meet?
Brian: We met through mutual friends running around the East Village of New York in the early nineties – and everything that entails (hehe). We were fast friends and hadsome great times coming of age together.
Sasha: Yes, Brian and I have known each other since the early nineties – when both of us were living in the East Village and we had a lot of mutual creative friends. We stayed in touch over the years and Brian was aware that I was producing films. When he wrote AKRON he asked me to read it and I fell in love with it immediately, the sentiment and progressiveness of the LGBT love story. I said to him “Let’s make this!”
Brian: I knew Sasha to be a woman who got things done. So when she said “Let’s make this,” we agreed and immediately started working and planning and collaborating.
What was it like to make a movie with one of you in NYC and the other in Dublin?
Brian: It was easier than you might expect. The cross-Atlantic work was mostly in post-production and we utilized all sorts of tools that are out there now like Skype and Vibr and Dropbox to keep in constant communication, to share edits and files and music and everything really. We both had a very clear vision that we shared and were excellent communicators – and we share a real trust – so while it probably would have been much easier to edit a film had we been in the same room, it was surprisingly smooth despite the distance.
Sasha: This was amazing for me, a real dream come true. I loved every minute of it. Although I am Irish, I had lived in NYC for a long time and am very familiar with things state-side, so I was not daunted by doing the pre-production from another country. Also, Brian had an amazing vision already and tons of ideas for locations. When it came to casting, I flew to NYC to be there in person and our casting team sent us actors’ reels online which was incredibly efficient. We also went to Akron and Wooster in advance to scout locations, etc. Later, I flew into NYC for final prep and then we went on to Florida and Ohio for production. After the shoot, I traveled back to Dublin with the film on enormous hard drives and handed them to Bill, who started compiling our rushes right away. He was able to send these to Brian and me to review and we began editing. Editing while in two different countries was no problem at all. Brian came to Dublin to work out final edits and to work on Bill’s music as well.
AKRON has won the following awards:
- BEST LGBT FEATURE FILM – Columbus International Film + Video Festival
- BEST FEATURE FILM – OutReels Cincinnati
- BEST FEATURE FILM, AUDIENCE AWARD – ImageOut Film Festival (Rochester)
- BEST FEATURE FILM, AUDIENCE AWARD – Out at the Movies Int’l Film Fest (Winston-Salem)
- AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER (BEST FILM) – Desperado LGBT Film Festival (Phoenix)
- DIRECTOR’S AWARD WINNER – Cinema Diverse: The Gay & Lesbian Film Festival of Palm Springs
- AUDIENCE CHOICE WINNER (FESTIVAL FAVORITE) – Cinema Diverse: The Gay & Lesbian Film Festival of Palm Springs
- BEST FEATURE FILM, AUDIENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP – Kansas International Film Festival
- BEST FEATURE FILM, AUDIENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP – MiFo LGBT Film Festival (Fort Lauderdale)
- BEST FEATURE FILM – MALE, AUDIENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP – Roze Filmdagen (Amsterdam)
- BEST FEATURE FILM, NOMINEE (winner TBA) – Cincinnati Film Festival
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