A Lonely Place for Dying


A Lonely Place for Dying is a 2008 American independent thriller drama film directed by Justin Eugene Evans and produced by James Cromwell. Starring Ross Marquand, Michael Wincott, Michael Scovotti and James Cromwell, the film is set in 1972 during the Cold War. The film's score was composed by Brent Daniels.
WWW alonelyplacefordying.com

Plot

In 1972, an abandoned Mexican prison sits alone in the dusty Chihuahua desert. KGB mole Nikolai Dzerzhinsky waits for his contact from The Washington Post. Dzerzhinsky holds explosive evidence against the CIA; information he will trade for asylum in the United States. Special Agent Robert Harper must obtain this evidence and kill Dzerzhinsky or risk the end of his CIA career. As the two men hunt each other, they discover that the sins from their past destined them for this deadly confrontation.

Cast

  • Ross Marquand as KGB Officer Nikolai Dzerzhinsky
  • Michael Scovotti as CIA Agent Robert Harper
  • Michael Wincott as CIA Project Manager Anthony Greenglass
  • James Cromwell as Washington Post Editor-In-Chief Howard Simons
  • Brad Culver as Special Forces Captain Robert "Bob" Altman
  • Mike Peebler as Special Forces First Lieutenant George Roy Hill
  • Luis Robledo as Special Forces Staff Sergeant Solares
  • Jason R. Moore as Special Forces Staff Sergeant William "Bill" Friedkin
  • Stephen Jules Rubin as Special Forces Buck Sergeant Konigsberg

Release

"A Lonely Place For Dying" held an unannounced sneak preview at the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival. Despite being an out-of-competition rough-cut screening with no visual effects, music, sound mix or color grade, it was nominated for three awards and won the Heineken Red Star Award.
The first 22 minutes of the motion picture was released on VODO in July 2011. It was downloaded over one million times and became the best-seeded movie Torrent in the world for several weeks. "A Lonely Place For Dying" screened at its final three festivals and concluded its two-and-a-half-year-long festival run, while "part one" of the film dominated Bittorrent.
After nearly three years on the festival circuit, "A Lonely Place For Dying" received a limited theatrical release on approximately 19 screens throughout the United States. It debuted on September 7, 2012 at the Al Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin and concluded its run on November 4 of the same year in several theaters in Portland, Oregon. The film played in theaters across Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
In February, 2013, it was released on iTunes and Amazon. On May 31, 2013, the filmmakers held a charity screening of "A Lonely Place for Dying" at Justin Eugene Evans' high school in Clackamas, Oregon. All proceeds went to Clackamas High School's speech and drama departments.

Accolades

"A Lonely Place for Dying" was an official selection of 46 film festivals where it was nominated for 53 awards and won 29 including 18 as best picture. The film began its festival run at the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival and concluded its run as the Opening Night film for the 2011 Oaxaca Film. Fest Below is a partial list of the film's awards.
AwardDate of CeremonyCategoryRecipient and nomineeResultRef
Santa Fe Film FestivalDecember 7, 2008Heineken Red Star AwardJustin Eugene EvansWon
Eugene International Film FestivalOctober 10, 2010Best Action NarrativeJustin Eugene EvansWon
Somewhat North of Boston Film FestivalNovember 10, 2010Best Action FilmJustin Eugene EvansWon
Park City Film Music FestivalJune 10, 2010Silver Medal for Excellence In Original MusicBrent DanielsWon
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Visual EffectsMarc Leonard & Daniel BroadwayWon
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Cinematography Justin Eugene EvansWon
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Makeup and HairCatherine Doughty
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best MusicBrent Daniels
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best EditingBrad Stoddard
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Lighting DesignJustin Eugene Evans
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best EnsembleThe Cast of ALPFD
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best ActorRoss Marquand
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Director - Feature FilmJustin Eugene Evans
Wild Rose Independent Film FestivalNovember 6, 2010Best Feature FilmJustin Eugene Evans
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best CinematographyJustin Eugene Evans
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best ActorRoss Marquand
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best Supporting ActorMichael Wincott
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best Production DesignJustin Eugene Evans, Jan Shane & Catherine Doughty
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best Special EffectsDaniel Broadway, Marc Leonard & Mystic Arts
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best Special Effects Make-UpCatherine Doughty
Maverick Movie Awards2010Best StuntsRick Kingi & Kurly TlapayawaWon
Maverick Movie Awards2010The PreciousJames Cromwell
Beloit International Film FestivalFebruary 19, 2011Best ScreenplayJustin Eugene EvansWon
Beloit International Film FestivalFebruary 19, 2011Best FeatureJustin Eugene EvansWon
Indie Spirit Film FestivalApril 17, 2011Director's Choice AwardJustin Eugene EvansWon
Van Wert International Film FestivalJuly 10, 2011Grand PrixJustin Eugene EvansWon
Van Wert International Film FestivalJuly 10, 2011Outstanding DirectionJustin Eugene EvansWon
Van Wert International Film FestivalJuly 10, 2011Outstanding ActorRoss MarquandWon
Van Wert International Film FestivalJuly 10, 2011Outstanding Film EditingBrad StoddardWon
Burbank International Film FestivalSeptember 21, 2011Best Feature FilmJustin Eugene EvansWon
Burbank International Film FestivalSeptember 21, 2011Best PictureJustin Eugene EvansWon
Oaxaca FilmFestNovember 12, 2011Opening Night FilmJustin Eugene EvansWon

Reception

A Lonely Place for Dying was met with almost universal praise. Justine Browning of Huffington Post said "A Lonely Place for Dying is a powerful independent thriller from a promising new director Justin Eugene Evans." Andrew L. Urban of Urban Cinefile said "Executed with skill, the film uses its primary element - the abandoned Mexican prison - to terrific effect...excellent design and music, with terrific camerawork, complete what is arguably a better movie than many which get a theatrical release." Jesse Veverka of the Clyde Fitch Report refers to the film's director as an "independent narrative film prodigy." Charles Monroe Kane of WPT's "Director's Cut" said "A Lonely Place For Dying is an absolutely fantastic film!"