Burning Palms (2010/2011)

BURNING PALMS is a subversive tale that interlaces five stories where no taboo is left unexplored. Framed as a graphic novel come to life, the film unfolds in five popular neighborhoods of Los Angeles as each character careens toward a dark and often comic fate.

Santa Monica: Dennis Marx (Dylan McDermott) and Dedra Davenport (Rosamund Pike) are waiting at the airport for Dennis' 14-year-old daughter Chloe (Emily Meade). From the second she arrives it is clear that she and her father do not have a conventional relationship. Dedra becomes so distraught and jealous that she kills herself.

Westwood: Ginny Chen (Jamie Chung) and Chad Bower (Robert Hoffman) are a young couple in love. When Chad asks Ginny for an unusual sexual request, Ginny continually feels shame for her sin, punishing herself through self mutilation.

West Hollywood: Geri (Peter Macdissi) and Tom (Anson Mount) are life partners, though they could not be more different. The two adopt a little girl from Africa named Mahogany (Tiara McKinney), but when the little girl doesn't meet their expectations of how they feel she should act, they abandon her in a state forest.

Holmby Hills: Nicholas (Austin Williams), Trevor (Jake Austin Walker), and Colby Pinter (Addison Black) are three brothers who love making mischief and are raised by their pot smoking nanny Mary Jane (Lake Bell). When the household maid Blanca's (Paz Vega) dead child's umbilical cord goes missing, the three boys hold a trial in which a deep secret is revealed about the death of Blanca's baby, which probes Blanca to kill herself.

In Sherman Oaks, Sarah Cotton (Zoe Saldana) is a young woman who finds herself a victim of rape. When her rapist flees, he leaves behind a crucial part of his identity: his wallet. Sarah tracks down Robert G. Kane (Nick Stahl) to a local pizza place. Instead of turning him in, Sarah wants him to rape her again.

The underlying story beneath Burning Palms' five featured stories, is the different kinds of people who live in the unique neighborhoods that make up the entertainment capital of the world: Los Angeles. There have been previous films similar in design, but their separate storylines always intersect at the end. Burning Palms defies those expectations by keeping the stories separate and distinct. The only commonality is the presence of the "bag lady."

There have also been many Los Angeles based films that speak to the 'magic' of Hollywood where struggling underdogs venture, and through twists of fate, make it big. But there is one aspect that is often overlooked and ignored in Hollywood: the average person. This film gives a good look at the people who aren't gracing magazine covers or starring on the big screen. Yet despite having average lives, these people prove that maybe they have a little bit Hollywood magic of their own--showing the world that nothing is ever like it seems.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

When I wrote Burning Palms several years ago, I imagined it was the perfect indie project to cut my teeth on as a director. But a few days into pre-production I soon realized I was undertaking an epic film on a small budget. Two cities, dozens of locations, an eight page a day schedule, a massive ensemble cast including several children, a dog and an opossum. All this with only twenty-five days to capture five completely off the wall tales. This wasn't just me going off to make my little passion project. It was going to be a trial by fire.

Our first story up was "Buyer's Remorse"/West Hollywood. Peter Macdissi and Anson Mount gamely jumped into their roles as a dysfunctional gay couple that adopts a child. When I first met Peter, he was getting his hair bleached for the role. Peter was one of the last actors cast in the film and had the least amount of time to prepare himself for the insane role that would land him in a sling with a ball-gag in his mouth... Peter was fearless. And hysterical! My favorite thing he said to me on set was, "Don't tell me when I'm good. Just tell me when I'm doing something wrong. I don't like compliments." As for Anson, I knew he was the perfect Tom the day he came and read for the part. Before he began, he whipped out some glossy lip balm and explained his character always kept his lips moist. He was right about every other choice he made in becoming his character. As for the role of Mahogany, Tiara McKinney was a dream come true. People have no idea how hard it is to maintain a straight face through all the madness of this story. Most adult actors could not pull off the role with such effortless stoicism. One of my most memorable and slightly cringe-worthy moments was standing with Tiara, her father, and the on-set school teacher as I showed Tiara the bullet (drug vial) she would find in Geri's glove box. Incidentally, Tiara also charged me five dollars for every profane word she heard on set. (That included dialogue.) Needless to say, she walked away with a significant raise in her salary.

The next story we shot was "The Green Eyed Monster"/Santa Monica. I first met with two of the three principal actors in this story: Dylan McDermott and Rosamond Pike. Dylan graciously opened his house to us and we spent a couple hours discussing the roles. Dylan was wise to point out that his character had an unusual, but strictly kosher relationship with his daughter and wanted to pretend she was a boy instead of a girl. This was a major breakthrough. Rosamond, who's actually a Brit, flew from London to St. Louis to get to know who her character was and her background. She also spent time with a dialect coach to make sure she would nail Deidra's mid-western accent. She nailed more than the accent. She knew this character inside and out. I loved watching Roz between takes. She would often stand off to the side, talking to herself in character, working out her emotional state. It was fascinating. I learned so much from her. Dylan was the consummate professional. He could repeat the same line a dozen times and each one was uniquely perfect. Then there was Emily Meade who plays Chloe. This was a tough role. Chloe is only fourteen, but she's way beyond her years on almost every level. Emily brought all those mature qualities but imbued them with something intrinsically juvenile. The first time we screened the movie, one of the most persistent comments I heard was how amazing Emily's performance is. I'm so proud of her work here.

After the first two stories were in the can, we moved production from Los Angeles to Baton Rouge. The first story we were shooting there was "Kangaroo Court"/Holmby Hills. This was a doozey. Only a couple days before we were to begin shooting, our primary location fell through. We scrambled to secure another stately house that would pass for the affluent neighborhood our story is set in. In Louisiana, it's not easy finding such a home, as most of the mansions there are very southern with wrap-around porches and Spanish moss hanging from trees. We finally found our house. The first cast member I met was Austin. We actually met back in Los Angeles when he came to shoot his scene with Shannen Doherty. Austin had a four-page scene that included a lengthy monologue. I was certain this might take a while to shoot but this kid was a machine. He had the whole thing not only committed to memory but also nuanced in ways that I never imagined when I wrote it. In fact, his abilities as an actor stunned and impressed the entire crew. I met Paz Vega for coffee in Los Angeles before she agreed to play Blanca. Paz was surprised when she saw me and told me she was expecting a "creepy old man" based on the bizarre/graphic nature of the script. I thought that was hysterical. She really knew what I wanted from this role and struck a perfect balance of pathos with a dash of melodrama to create a Telenovella vibe. Adriana Barrazza who played Maria brought a lifetime of experience. She blew me away in Babel and to this day I am so grateful she agreed to take on this role. We met and Adriana had snapshots of a woman she had met weeks before that she wished to model her character after. She had dozens of ideas and was always surprising me with interesting and brilliant choices she made on behalf of Maria. Then there's Lake Bell. Lake was Mary Jane the moment I laid eyes on her. I could make ten movies with her playing this role. Not only is she gorgeous, but Lake is the quintessential cool chick. Most of the crew had a crush on her and part of that comes from the fact that she is just so damn funny. There are about fifteen minutes we had to cut from the film because we wanted to keep the pace going, but there are some moments I hope to see on the DVD extras that feature some brilliantly funny stuff from Lake. I will always be a big fan of hers.

Our next story was "Maneater"/Sherman Oaks with Zoe Saldana and Nick Stahl. They arrived at our hotel in the evening. And even though it had been an exhausting day, they were ready to jump in and start working on the piece. Let me jump back in time for a second. When our casting director, Mary Verneau, told me that Zoe was interested in playing the part of Sarah I nearly jumped out of my chair. I had always been a big fan of her work. When we met, one of the first things Zoe told me was that she didn't want to play the part. She felt like she had to play the part. After completing Avatar and Star Trek, she was ready to sink her teeth into something dark and challenging. This was definitely the part. Of all the stories in Burning Palms, this is by far the most disturbing and intense. This was a bold, brave choice on Zoe's part and she killed it. Of course, Nick's turn as the rapist, Robert, is equally stunning. His ability to take a character that is so inherently unlikable and somehow make him sympathetic is a hat trick few other actors could pull off. We shot this story in four days, pulling very long hours of emotionally draining stuff.

Our final story was "This Little Piggy"/Westwood with Jamie Chung, Robert Hoffman, and Kate Albrecht. Again, I couldn't have been graced with a better cast. Jamie's performance is nothing short of brilliant. Her deadpan portrayal of Ginny is comic gold. It's a tricky story because, in essence, it's a one-trick pony. The same joke repeats itself, but Jamie keeps the laughs coming as a sexually repressed girl driven mad by her guilt. It was meant to be a modern, humorous twist to Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" and with Jamie and Robert in the leads; I think it would make Poe proud. Robert plays Jamie's slightly clueless boyfriend and he provides the perfect air-headed counterpart to Ginny's neurotic, tortured soul. I had so much fun with this cast and was thrilled to go out on a high, fun note.

The post-production part of Burning Palms was long and intense. Our first cut was over two and half hours. Gregory Plotkin, our brilliant editor, ultimately shaped the film into what it is today and I couldn't be more impressed with his work. This was a beast of a movie to edit and he did a tremendous job. As for the animation, Howard Nourmand of Grand Jete came in and did a bang-up job. Howard knew exactly what I wanted and gave each story's animated intro its own unique look. But one of my favorite parts of the whole process was working with Matthew Margeson our composer. He essentially composed a score for five films. It's a bravura achievement--funny, tense, silly, strange. He gets it all and his overall theme captures the strange, haunting tone of the film.

I had such an amazing time working on this film. I'm eternally grateful for the talent, dedication and hard work that so many people gave this little movie.

Christopher B. Landon

ABOUT THE CAST

Zoe Saldana (Sarah Cotton) is the epitome of a true star in Hollywood, and has built her reputation as a versatile and respected actress by choosing roles that she feels passionately about.

Saldana is well known for her role in the Columbia Tri-Star film, CENTER STAGE, for her memorable performance as 'Eva,' and most recently as 'Neytiri' in 2009's most talked about film, James Cameron's sci-fi thriller AVATAR, co-starring Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington. AVATAR has quickly become the highest grossing film of all time and recently won the 2010 Golden Globe for Best Director and Best Picture. AVATAR went on to receive a total of nine 2010 Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture.

In 2009, Saldana's fame grew to new levels when she starred in J.J. Abram's blockbuster action-sci-fi film STAR TREK, which went on to receive four 2010 Academy Awards nominations. Saldana played 'Nyota Uhura' opposite Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana and Winona Ryder.

Saldana was most recently seen in the Screen Gems film DEATH AT A FUNERAL, co starring James Marsden and Martin Lawrence, and in Warner Bros' THE LOSERS alongside Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jason Patric.

Saldana's other film credits include VANTAGE POINT, HAVEN, GUESS WHO, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, THE TERMINAL, DIRTY DEEDS, TEMPTATION AND CONSTELLATION, GET OVER IT, CROSSROADS, and SNIPES AND DRUMLINE. Her television credits include appearances on the WB's, "Keeping It Real," and NBC's, "Law & Order."

In 2004, Saldana accepted the Young Hollywood "One to Watch" award presented by Movieline Magazine for her performance in The Terminal. She then went on to grace the cover of ELLE in 2009 as one of the magazine's top "Women in Hollywood," as well as the cover of GLAMOUR as one of the magazine's "Women of the Year." Saldana was also named as MaxMara's "Face of the Future" and Glamour UK's "Film Actress of the Year" for 2010. Also in 2010 she became the face of CALVIN KLEIN underwear.

Saldana was born and raised in New York. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

Rosamund Pike (Dedra Davenport) has quickly emerged as a contemporary and multifaceted actress having earned international acclaim for both her stage and film roles.

Pike will next be seen in BARNEY'S VERSION opposite Paul Giamatti, and Dustin Hoffman. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and went on to raves at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a love story which spans over 30 years and poignantly captures the life of the politically incorrect, irascible and fearlessly blunt, Barney Panofsky (Giamatti), and the women he has loved in his life. The film will be released in the UK on January 28, 2011. This fall, Pike can also be seen in the dramatic film, MADE IN DAGENHAM opposite Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins based on the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant.

In addition, Pike is currently in production on Universal's spy comedy JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN, a sequel to the 2003 hit film. She will appear opposite Rowan Atkinson, who plays the film's title character that somehow finds himself responsible for stopping a plot by a group of international assassins hunting down the Chinese premier. Gillian Anderson and Dominic West also star with Oliver Parker directing. The film will be released on September 16, 2011.

Pike also recently wrapped production on David Frankel's comedy, THE BIG YEAR, where she will star alongside Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin in the Fox 2000 film. In addition, earlier this year, Pike filmed the BBC movie, "Women in Love."

Pike starred in Lone Scherfig's Academy Award Nominated film, AN EDUCATION, opposite Peter Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligan. Received well at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, AN EDUCATION continued to garner critical acclaim with Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Film Critics nominations, and a win for Best Foreign Film at the Independent Spirit Awards.

In 2004, Pike began work on Laurence Dunmore's film version of THE LIBERTINE opposite Johnny Depp, playing the wife of the Earl of Rochester (Depp). Pike was recognized for her extraordinary performance, receiving the 2005 British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film also starred John Malkovich and Samantha Morton.

Pike was next seen starring alongside Kiera Knightley, Brenda Blethyn and Dame Judi Dench in the film adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, directed by Joe Wright. She earned critical acclaim and received a 2006 London Film Critics Award for her portrayal of Jane Bennett.

In 2007, Pike played opposite Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins in the New Line legal thriller, FRACTURE, directed by Gregory Hoblit. She also starred in Jeremy Podeswa's independent film, FUGITIVE PIECES, which opened the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. Pike starred in the Disney Film, SURROGATES, opposite Bruce Willis and was cast in her first major film as an iconic Bond girl at the age of 21. Pike starred opposite Halle Berry and Pierce Brosnan in DIE ANOTHER DAY.

With starring roles in cinema, throughout her career, Pike continues to return to her roots in theater on the London stage. She has starred in "Gaslight" at the Old Vic Theater in Patrick Hamilton's Victorian thriller, The Wyndhams Theater's production of "Madame de Sade" opposite Judi Dench, and The Royal Court Theatre production of "Hitchcock Blonde," directed by Terry Johnson. With its enormous success, the play was moved to the Lyric Theater in London's West End. Pike also began 2010 by starring as the title role of the UK touring production of "Hedda Gabbler" for which she received rave reviews for her performance.

Lake Bell (Mary Jane) is proud to have her first short film that she wrote and directed, accepted at Sundance Film Festival. The film, WORST ENEMY, is a comedy about a female misanthrope (Michaela Watkins) who gets herself stuck in a full body girdle.

Bell will next be seen in Paramount's comedy NO STRINGS ATTACHED, opposite Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, and Kevin Kline, directed by Ivan Reitman from a script penned by Elizabeth Meriwether. The film is slated for a January 21, 2011 release.

Bell is currently shooting the third season of the Adult Swim series "Children's Hospital," created by Rob Corddry. In March, she will shoot the second season of HBO's "How to Make It in America" opposite Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk. The show will return in the summer of 2011.

Future films include LITTLE MURDER opposite Terrence Howard and Josh Lucas. Her past film credits include Nancy Meyer's IT'S COMPLICATED (winner of the National Board of Review's 2009 Best Ensemble) starring opposite Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS opposite Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, Warner Bros. PRIDE AND GLORY opposite Colin Farrell, New Line's OVER HER DEAD BODY opposite Paul Rudd, and the independent film UNDER STILL WATERS, for which she received the Newport Beach Film Festival award for 'Outstanding Performance in Acting.'

Past television credits include NBC's "Surface," ABC's critically acclaimed drama "Boston Legal" opposite James Spader and William Shatner, and NBC's "Miss Match" opposite Alicia Silverstone. Additionally, Bell starred opposite Jeff Goldblum in the NBC telefilm "War Stories" which followed journalists covering the civil war in Uzbekistan in the wake of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan.

Bell completed her four years of drama conservatory training in London at The Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. She also received certification from the British Academy of Dramatic Combat for sword, dagger, and rapier. Her conservatory theatre credits include "The Seagull," "Six Degrees of Separation," "The Children's Hour" and "The Pentecost."

Bell was born in New York City and currently splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Dylan McDermott (Dennis Marx) A Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee, Dylan McDermott has proved his talent in film, television and theater.

McDermott's film credits include The Pang Brother's THE MESSENGERS; WONDERLAND; HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS; STEEL MAGNOLIAS; HAMBURGER HILL; MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET; and IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

McDermott's television credits include the Jerry Bruckheimer produced TNT drama "Dark Blue;" ABC's "Big Shots;" TNT's dramatic limited series "The Grid" opposite Julianna Margulies; and David E. Kelley's Emmy Award-winning series "The Practice," earning him a Golden Globe in 1999 and nominations in 2000 and 2001 as well as an Emmy nomination in 1999.

McDermott starred in Nicky Silver's "Three Changes" at Playwrights Horizons. Starring opposite Maura Tierney, the play follows an uncomfortably married Upper West Side couple. Additionally, in September 2006, McDermott was on stage in Eve Ensler's new play "The Treatment." Ensler's play explored the relationship between a traumatized former military interrogator (McDermott) and his psychologist Colonel who is assigned to give him routine treatment. The play opened the Impact Festival 2006, a New York City-wide arts festival as part of the Culture Project. McDermott was nominated for a Drama League Award for his performance.

Other theatre credits include Neil Simon's production of "Biloxi Blues" on Broadway and "Golden Boy" directed by Joanne Woodward at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

Paz Vega (Blanca) is one of the sexiest European actresses in the world. She has starred in such Spanish films as CARMEN, TALK TO HER, and SEX AND LUCIA, and burst onto the American scene opposite Adam Sandler in SPANGLISH. She co-starred in THE SPIRIT directed by Frank Miller, TEN ITEMS OR LESS starring Morgan Freeman and most recently TRIAGE starring opposite Colin Farrell which just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. She just finished shooting ROADKILL, an independent film directed by John Stockwell.

Jamie Chung (Ginny Chen) Jamie Chung is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought after and engaging young actresses. This spring she can be seen as 'Amber' in the Zack Snyder ("300") film SUCKER PUNCH co-starring opposite Vanessa Hudgens, Emily Browning, Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish. This action/fantasy/thriller will be released on March 25th, 2011 by Warner Brothers.

Next, Chung will be seen in the Warner Brothers Film THE HANGOVER 2 opposite Ed Helms as his Fiancee. The film will be released on May 26th, 2011.

Recently, Chung finished filming PREMIUM RUSH which stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Michael Shannon. The film is an action story set in New York City, where a bike messenger picks up a package at Columbia University and subsequently catches the attention of a dirty cop. Columbia Pictures will release the film in January 2012.

Chung was last seen in the 2010 hit summer comedy GROWN UPS as Rob Schneider's daughter 'Amber' alongside Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, and David Spade.

No stranger to the small screen, in September 2008 Chung starred as the lead in the hit ABC Family original event "Samurai Girl." The show revolved around 'Heaven' (Chung), the adopted daughter of wealthy parents, who strives to balance a normal life with the Samurai traditions of her ancestors.

Chung's other film credits include Summit Entertainment's SORORITY ROW, Twentieth Century Fox's adventure film DRAGONBALL, Universal's I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY. Her other television credits includes the Disney Channel movie Princess Protection Program opposite Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, a leading role on "ER," a guest star on "CSI: NY" and recurring appearances on "Greek."

Nick Stahl (Chad Bower) After an impressive feature film debut at the age of twelve, Nick Stahl has continued to display a broad range of talent. Stahl recently was seen in SLEEPWALKING for Overture Films playing the lead role opposite Charlize Theron, AnnaSophia Robb, and Dennis Hopper.

Stahl was also most recently seen in the feature film QUID PRO QUO opposite Vera Farmiga and SIN CITY, opposite Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Brittany Murphy in this action thriller. He also starred on HBO's critically acclaimed series "Carnivale," as 'Ben Hawkins.' Prior to that, Stahl starred as 'John Connor' in TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Claire Danes for Warner Bros. He was also seen in the indie film TWIST and the Sundance feature BOOKIES.

Over the years, Stahl has maintained his presence with a number of films, most notably in the critically acclaimed, Academy Award nominated film, IN THE BEDROOM, for Miramax Films. Also memorable, was his chilling performance in director Larry Clark's BULLY, opposite Brad Renfro and Bijou Phillips. His other film credits include Twentieth Century Fox's THE THIN RED LINE, directed by Terrance Malick and co-starring Sean Penn and George Clooney, and New Line Cinema's SAFE PASSAGE, opposite Susan Sarandon and Sam Shepard.

Born in Harlington, Texas and raised in Dallas, Stahl started to perform in children's plays at the age of four. His first professional role was at the age of ten in the television movie "Stranger at My Door" with Robert Urich. He followed with another movie of the week, "A Woman with a Past," opposite Pamela Reed. Shortly thereafter, he received the coveted role of the young boy in "The Man Without a Face," who brings out the love in a physically and emotionally scarred man (played by Mel Gibson). Gibson gave him the role over thousands of others after being impressed by his screen test.

The following year he completed another movie for television, "Incident in a Small Town," with Walter Matthau, and the Disney feature "Tall Tale," in which he co-starred opposite Patrick Swayze. Stahl also co-starred with Martha Plimpton in Tim Blake Nelson's directorial debut, EYE OF GOD, which premiered at the Sundance Film festival.

Each one of the roles he has played in his professional career have displayed impressive range and diversity - the ultimate goal that actors many times his age find difficult to achieve.

Emily Meade (Chloe) Emily Meade recently starred in Joel Schumacher's film TWELVE opposite Chase Crawford and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson. She was also seen in the recurring role of Pearl on HBO's hit series "Boardwalk Empire," executive-produced by Martin Scorcese and the feature film MY SOUL TO TAKE directed by Wes Craven.

Meade's upcoming projects include three highly anticipated independent films. Emily plays a confused newlywed in SILVER TONGUES, and co-stars opposite Bo Burnham in the high school comedy, SIN BIN.

Meade's other film and television credits include the Sundance Film Festival selection, "Assassination of a High School President" starring Bruce Willis, the CBS television pilot "Back" opposite Skeet Ulrich, the independent film THE HOUSE IS BURNING, executive produced by Wim Wenders, and numerous episodes of the "Law & Order" series.

Her theatre credits include "The Puberty Club," "Waiting for the Light to Change," and "Sleep Away," all for the 24*7 Theatre Company at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York. Meade was born and raised in Manhattan and is a graduate of the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts.

Robert Hoffman (Chad Bower) Actor Robert Hoffman's leading man presence and effortless comic flair have made him a very exciting talent to watch.

Hoffman will next star in Imagine/Relativity film TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT opposite Topher Grace and Anna Faris and most recently starred in the Twentieth Century Fox film ALIENS IN THE ATTIC with Ashley Tisdale, directed by Barry Josephson. Hoffman has also completed production on a number of indie films, including the Blue Streak Films' SAY HELLO TO STAN TALMADGE with Agnes Bruckner and Jennifer Coolidge, and the 80's comedy WE GOT THE BEAT, from writer/director Jon Artigo.

Hoffman is best known for starring in the Disney box office hit, STEP UP 2, which grossed over 150 million dollars internationally. Other past film projects include Dreamworks' SHE'S THE MAN with Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, the Farrelly Brothers' BAG BOY, and the dance film YOU GOT SERVED.

Hoffman's past television projects include CSI: Miami, FOX's crime drama Vanished, FOX's sitcom Quintuplets with Andy Richter, and MTV's improv show "Wild N' Out."

Hoffman is a classically trained dancer and an award-winning hip-hop choreographer. He won the National Choreography Award for his work on the film YOU GOT SERVED. He has danced in such films as GUESS WHO?, COACH CARTER, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and VANILLA SKY. He has also worked with various music artists including Christina Aguilera, Usher, Mya, Marilyn Manson and Ricky Martin, for whom he also served as a dance double in a music video. Hoffman's inspiration to dance came from the first time he saw Michael Jackson's "Thriller".

Hoffman also showcases his talents on www.punchrobert.com, where he posts short films depicting entertaining and shocking self-created characters. These films were recently featured on the CW's ONLINE NATION in Fall 2007.

A native of Florida and Alabama, Hoffman currently resides in Los Angeles.

Shannen Doherty (Dr. Shelly) is an accomplished film and television actress. Beginning her career at the mere age of nine, she always knew she wanted to be an actress. When the late Michael Landon discovered her from an episode of "Father Murphy," her fate was sealed. She was cast in her first series regular role as Jenny Wilder in "Little House: A New Beginning." She was only 11.

Recently, Doherty reprised one of her most memorable TV role as Brenda Walsh on the new 90210. Doherty has also been seen in the films CHRISTMAS CAPER and KISS ME DEADLY, an action feature co-starring Robert Gant. She starred in the CBS action mini series "Category 7: The End of the World" opposite Randy Quaid. She also appeared in "Breaking up with Shannen Doherty;" a reality series on the Oxygen Network in which viewers hired Doherty to get rid of boyfriends, girlfriends, bad friends & unbearable bosses. Doherty also served as the show's executive producer.

Moving effortlessly between television and film, Shannen was cast in GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN directed by Alan Metter which starred Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker. Doherty was then cast alongside Christian Slater and Winona Ryder in the 80's classic HEATHERS directed by Michael Lehman. Shannen starred in the acclaimed film NIGHT SHIFT for director Ron Howard and starred in director Kevin Smith's second installment of the CLERKS trilogy entitled MALLRATS. Other film credits include the independent films BLINDFOLD and RESURRECTION for director Lawrence L. Simone. Shannen has recently starred in the Hallmark channel's "Growing the Big One."

Doherty starred for 3 years on the Spelling Television Production series, "Charmed," on the WB Network. She won critical praise for her direction of numerous episodes in the third season. Doherty starred in the Alliance Atlantis production of 'The Battle of Mary Kay' co-starring Shirley MacLaine and Parker Posey. Doherty starred in "Another Day" for USA Networks in December 2001, which she produced along with Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope and Alliance Atlantis. She also starred in Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" for Dimension Films.

In television, Doherty hosted Sci Fi Network's highly rated reality show "Scare Tactics. She starred opposite Antonio Sabato Jr. in the Showtime original film "Jailbreakers," directed by William Freidkin for Cable Ace Award Nominated series "Rebel Highway." She also won acclaim for starring in the NBC movie-of-the-week "Margaret Mitchell" in the title role about the famous "Gone With the Wind" author. She continued with the CBS mini-series "Gone In The Night," which was both a critical and sweeps rating success, the CBS movie-of-the week, "Sleeping With the Devil" opposite Tim Mattheson and "The Ticket" for USA Cable. Other television credits include, "Our House," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "North Shore", "21 Jump Street," "Life Goes On," "Obsession," "Friends Till The End," "The Other Lover," the mini-series "Robert Kennedy and His Times, and the ABC television movie Satan's School for Girls opposite Kate Jackson.

Doherty spends her free time riding her horses and resides in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Christopher B. Landon (Writer/Director) is a Los Angeles native and attended Loyola Marymount University where he studied screenwriting. After just three years he decided to leave Loyola and pursue his film career when film director Larry Clark offered him a writing job. In 1997 he went on to co-write the script of ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE starring Melanie Griffith and James Woods. More recently, he has written the screenplay for BLOOD AND CHOCLATE, wrote and produced episodes of the 2007 television series "Dirty Sexy Money" and co-wrote PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2. He is also responsible for writing the DreamWorks Pictures' hit thriller DISTURBIA starring Shia Lebeouf. The film went on to become No. 1 in the box office upon its release. Landon was also named one of Variety Magazines' 10 Screenwriters to Watch in 2007.

Oren Segal (Producer) is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University. Before graduation Oren had worked with the likes of Nancy Meyers (WHAT WOMEN WANT, THE HOLIDAY), David Friendly (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, DR. DOLITTLE), and Greg Hoblit (PRIMAL FEAR, FRACTURE). Upon graduation, he then came to Media Talent Group where he has been for 7 years and represents such Hollywood Stars as Kim Basinger, Rose McGowan, Bret Easton Ellis, and Paz Vega. He also co-manages Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie with Geyer Kosinski. Segal will next produce: DOWNERS GROVE - Bret Easton Ellis' adaptation of Michael Hornburg's novel and JUST LIKE BEAUTY -- Nick Pustay's adaptation of Lisa Lerner's novel.

Jason Hewitt (Producer) has produced and financed over 25 feature film and television projects. Highlights of the films he has recently executive produced/produced include THE DEADLINE starring Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch; THE OPEN ROAD starring Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Ted Danson, and Harry Dean Stanton; A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND and MAMA I WANT TO SING both for Fox, and CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER released by Lions Gate in 2008. In addition he has produced multiple films for NBC/Universal's Sci-Fi Channel including "Warbirds" and "Lightning Strikes". Other independent films produced by Hewitt include AFTER AUTUMN one of four films selected for competition at the 2007 American Black Film Festival as well as SAINT FRANCIS which premiered at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. His expertise lies in physical production, creative writing, incentive based financing and deal structuring.

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Burning Palms

Burning Palms (2010/2011)

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Opened Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Opened Friday, January 14th, 2011