The Tested at BAM!

The Tested screens at BAM Friday, February 17th at 6:50pm and Sunday February 19th at 2pm. Q and A with director Russell Costanzo and actress Aunjanue Ellis after screening. Buy Tix here THE TESTED SCREENING

Great Response at Our Image Film & Arts Fest

A quote from OUR IMAGE FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL

An audience favorite!! The audience actually held an hour long discussion of the film after the screening. They loved the "complexity of the characters; the accurate portrayal of how a life of deep poverty & injustice can lead to extremely difficult choices; the powerful writing, directing, and performances....." They also all agreed that although difficult to watch, this is story that needed to be told.

HOUSTON THEN DENVER

The Tested screens in Houston next week than off to Denver where the film and the director Russell Costanzo is compared to Sidney Lumet and Spike Lee.

Check out the description HERE

The Tested Going International

The Tested will be screening in Quebec at the Cinema Du Parc as part of the Montreal Black Film Fest.

If you happen to be there:

screenings:

Sunday, September 25th at 5pm
Monday, September 26th at 9pm

Aunjanue Ellis in The Help

Congratulations to all the attention Aunjanue Ellis is getting for her movie The Help. She's an amazing actress and we've been honored to have her in The Tested.

Textiles, Dancing, and The Tested!

The Wellesley Townsman does a nice piece on producer Melissa B. Miller. Read it HERE

Dancing and Filmmaking not so Far off

Producer Melissa B. Miller recently interviewed by the Boston Herald for The Tested. Read it HERE

Aunjanue Ellis talks about The Tested (and a little film called The Help)

The Adepero Connection

We just found out a great short called MEN IN LOVE will be playing before our film at the ROXBURY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL we haven't met the director yet but we're already connected through the wonderful and talented Adepero Oduye (Pariah) who stars in his short and was in our original short of The Tested. Gotta love the independent film world. To learn more about the short, please visit the MEN IN LOVE WEBSITE and see us both at the festival at the end of the month.

Next Stop Boston!

SATURDAY JULY 30TH 5pm at Wentworth Institute of Technology - Blount

The Tested wins Grand Jury Prize for Best Film!

Congrats to the Cast and Crew!

The start of something great

That something great is the line that started to form an hour before the screening for The Tested at ABFF over the weekend. The turn out was amazing and the audience was even better.

ABFF Screenings

Colony Theater, 1010 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach
Friday, July 8 at 12:50 pm & Saturday, July 9 at 10:30 am

The Tested sizzles in Miami!

Need a way to beat the heat in Miami this summer? Chill out in the theater for a special screening of The Tested July 6 - 9. Details to follow.

Focus Project 2011 selects Russell Costanzo's DEAN BARKER Collection

Focus Project 2011 has selected Director Russell Costanzo's DEAN BARKER photography collection as one of it's featured portfolios.
vote for it here Focus Project 2011

A great Article from Indiewire and Shadow and Act

Click on the Link for a great interview with our lead actress Aunjanue Ellis and Director Russell Costanzo.

The Tested Interview

Odessa Inspiration

These two pictures are of Annie Novack, taken by The Selby on one of her urban rooftop gardens. They also happen to be a huge inspiration for my Odessa character in my script An Ode to Odessa. I love the farm girl meets city girl dress. The story is about a teenage boy who becomes infatuated with her, and I think it's easy to tell why.

The Tested nominated for "Best Diaspora Feature"

click on the link here: AMAA NOMINATIONS

Upcoming Aunjanue Ellis Interview

Tambay Obenson will be doing an exclusive interview with Aunjanue for his ongoing coverage of The Tested. Click on the link below and get the opportunity to ask her your own questions.

http://www.shadowandact.com/?p=39493#more-39493

The Tested PAFF Screenings

Pan-African Film Festival
Culver Plaza Theatres (across from Sony Studios)
9919 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles 90232

Screening Times

Monday Feb. 21 @8pm
Tuesday Feb. 22 @ 6pm

for more info and to purchase tickets PAFF

The Tested taking it West Coast

The Tested will be at the 2011 Pan African Film Festival. The Festival runs from Feb. 16 - 23 in LA and we'll have two screenings on Feb. 21st and Feb. 22. For more info you can go to The PAFF Website

We're also excited to be getting a shout out from Shadow and Act

An Ode to Odessa

I have found a title for my script. Or maybe it's found me. As fun and mysterious as it is to keep referring to something as "Untitled", I've taken a deep breath and changed the title page to read An Ode to Odessa.

Logline: A sixteen year old boy's infatuation with a woman he meets on the bus further complicates his already tumultuous adolescence.

It's been cathartic to write from the perspective of a teenage boy and caused me to start to nod to them on the street, as if I were part of their pack. It is only when they respond with dirty looks that I am reminded of my gender and age, both of which have nothing to do with this rare breed of human.

- Melissa

Broken Smile and The Script Without a Name

As things with The Tested heat up, we're excited to update you on our other projects.

Russell's Broken Smile, an exploration of sibling-rivalry set in the indie-folk rock world (check out the fictitious band's posters and a playlist at russellcostanzo.com), is about to enter it's casting phase.

Draft number two is underway on the Untitled Mel Project which centers around a sixteen year old boy's infatuation with a woman he meets on the bus.

Both projects are a bit of a departure from the weight and intensity of The Tested but still explore emotional themes like jealousy, envy, love, and adolescence.