Jump to content

Allen Sunshine

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Allen Sunshine
Directed byHarley Chamandy
Produced byChantal Chamandy, Laurent Allaire
CinematographyKenny Suleimanagich
Music byEthan Rose
Production
companies
Mother and Son Films, Chasseurs Films
Release date
  • June 28, 2024 (2024-06-28)
Running time
80 minutes
CountriesCanada, United States
LanguagesEnglish, French

Allen Sunshine is a Canadian-American drama film written and directed by Harley Chamandy and produced by Chantal Chamandy and Laurent Allaire.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Synopsis

[edit]

“Allen Sunshine” tells the story of a former music mogul who retreats to an isolated lake-side home to grieve his famous wife's suicide. He copes by composing ambient-electronic music and by nurturing an unexpected friendship with two young boys whom he meets on the lake fishing. Throughout the course of his stages of grief, Allen encounters characters that remind him of what he's lost and forgotten, and what he hopes to gain and reconcile.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Director’s statement

[edit]

Director Harley Chamandy expresses his intention behind Allen Sunshine as an exploration of grief and connection. He states, "I wanted to make a film about love, and what it means to live without it and finding it again in new forms. To choose optimism is to choose happiness and that's what I hoped to push with my film. In our current landscape, it seems that so much art made for and by young people is cynical and nihilistic and I hoped to bring a different kind of sensibility to my generation. The film first began with an image of a man living alone on a lake with his dog and making electronic music. I was thinking about big vintage synthesizers by a lake. Then, I began to think about celebrity and fame, which has increasingly come to be regarded as an end in itself. The themes of isolation, natural beauty, celebrity, alienation, and grief eventually came together in the figure of Allen, who enjoys the trappings of wealth and fame but also contends with the fact that his wife was driven to suicide. Allen finds solace in his friendship with the two ten-year-old boys who open his eyes to the simple things that make life worth living."[14]

Producer

[edit]

Produced by Chantal Chamandy and Laurent Allaire, Allen Sunshine was developed under the banner of Mother and Son Films and Chasseurs Films. Chantal Chamandy, also a musician and artist, brought her understanding of creative expression to the production, ensuring a nuanced portrayal of the protagonist's artistic journey.[15]

Cast

[edit]
  • Vincent Leclerc as Allen[16]
  • Miles Phoenix Foley as Dustin[17]
  • Liam Quiring-Nkindi as Kevin[18]
  • Catherine Souffront Darbouze as Jocelyn (credited as Catherine Souffront)[19]
  • Joseph Whitebird as Bill[20]
  • Stephanie Breton as AnneLise[21]

Original soundtrack

[edit]

The film's soundtrack, composed by Ethan Rose, draws from ambient and electronic influences, mirroring the protagonist's introspective journey. Rose's compositions underscore the film's themes of isolation and personal rebirth, using subtle, evocative melodies to capture the emotional landscape of Allen's grief and recovery.[citation needed]

Awards

[edit]

Werner Herzog Film Award (2024): Allen Sunshine received the prestigious Werner Herzog Film Award for its innovation and emotional depth, presented by the Werner Herzog Foundation in collaboration with the Film Archive Munich. Herzog commended Chamandy's skillful storytelling, highlighting his unique approach to portraying complex emotions. The award included a €5,000 prize and recognizes outstanding achievements in cinema.[22][23]

TRT First Cut+ Award: At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Allen Sunshine received the TRT First Cut+ Award.[citation needed]

Release

[edit]

Allen Sunshine premiered at the 41st Munich International Film Festival on June 28, 2024. It was met with critical acclaim for its meditative approach to storytelling and received recognition for its visual and emotional depth.[24][25][26][27][28] The film was released on Apple, Prime Video, and other leading platforms on November 12th, 2024.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Harley Chamandy's Allen Sunshine wins the First Cut+ Award at Karlovy Vary". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  2. ^ "Harley Chamandy Will Not Let Cinema Die". Office Magazine. 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  3. ^ "Sahraa Karimi's project 'Flight From Kabul' heads Karlovy Vary's Eastern Promises awards". Screen. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  4. ^ Szalai, Georg (2023-07-04). "Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises Winners Include 'I'm Not Everything I Want to Be' and 'Flight From Kabul'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  5. ^ "BOMB Magazine | Harley Chamandy by Addis Goldman". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  6. ^ https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/brownstein-werner-herzog-shines-a-light-on-young-montreal-director
  7. ^ Jenner, Matthew Joseph (2024-07-24). "Review: Allen Sunshine (Harley Chamandy)". International Cinephile Society. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  8. ^ "Allen Sunshine navigates grief, and finding purpose through new connections". NOTOFU MAGAZINE. 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  9. ^ "interview | harley chamandy". Schön! Magazine. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  10. ^ Kotomori, Maya (2024-11-14). "Harley Chamandy's 'Allen Sunshine' is a meditation on the quiet beauty of nature". Document Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  11. ^ Jenner, Matthew Joseph (2024-07-24). "Review: Allen Sunshine (Harley Chamandy)". International Cinephile Society. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  12. ^ Keogan, Natalia (2024-11-12). ""It's Punk Rock to Be Hopeful These Days": Harley Chamandy on His Self-Distributed Feature Debut Allen Sunshine - Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  13. ^ Raup, Jordan (2024-11-12). "Allen Sunshine Review: A Tranquil Debut Feature with a World of Feeling". Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  14. ^ https://www.papermag.com/harley-chamandy-allen-sunshine
  15. ^ "Allen Sunshine – Chasseurs Films" (in French). Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  16. ^ Prince, C. J. (2024-07-01). "Harley Chamandy on Allen Sunshine, Shooting on 16mm, and Finding Inspiration Outside of Cinema". Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  17. ^ Chamandy, Harley (2024-06-28), Allen Sunshine (Drama), Stephanie Breton, Miles Phoenix Foley, Vincent Leclerc, Chasseurs Films, Mother & Son Films, retrieved 2024-11-04
  18. ^ "Allen Sunshine - Apple TV (CA)". AppleTV. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  19. ^ "Allen Sunshine - 2024". Spielfilm.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  20. ^ "KVIFF | Book of Projects". www.kviff.com (in Czech). Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  21. ^ "Allen Sunshine | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  22. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2024-07-19). "'Allen Sunshine,' About Grieving Music Mogul, Wins Werner Herzog Film Award (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  23. ^ "Allen Sunshine | Feature". Hrishi Bardhan. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  24. ^ "Munich International Film Festival Sets Trio Of World Premieres: Harley Chamandy's 'Allen Sunshine', Jamie Kastner Documen". DNyuz. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  25. ^ "Filmfest München 2024: Allen Sunshine (by Harley Chamandy) | Review". Film Fest Report. 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  26. ^ Clarke, Stewart (2024-06-10). "Munich International Film Festival Sets Trio Of World Premieres: Harley Chamandy's 'Allen Sunshine', Jamie Kastner Documentary 'The Spoils' & Davi Pretto's 'Continente'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  27. ^ "Allen Sunshine to world premiere at Munich fest". Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  28. ^ "'Allen Sunshine,' About Grieving Music Mogul, Wins Werner Herzog Film Award (EXCLUSIVE)". Yahoo News. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allen_Sunshine&oldid=1260828546"