Sunday, May 16, 2010

Putt Putt goes to Philly!

TPPS will be screening at Philadelphia Independent Film Festival! The festival runs from June 23-27, and Putt Putt has been given ideal screening times in the schedule. The film is being shown Friday the 25h @ 9 p.m and then on Sunday the 27th @ 7 p.m to close the festival! An awards ceremony and after party will follow the Sunday screening. Bringing the film to Philly is going to be another great accomplishment for all involved!

More festivals are upcoming, CTFF’s (Connecticut Film Festival) and Philadelphia Independent Film Festival's support for the film is a clear indication that even more exciting opportunities await. Check back here and on Facebook for frequent updates as the news continues to roll in!

(story by Nicole Albee)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Thea Gill on SyFy's "Riverworld"!

More exciting projects keep rolling in for the stars of The Putt Putt Syndrome. In the SyFy Channel TV event “RiverworldThea Gill played the female caretaker in this epic tale. Check out the impressive costume and make up!

Syfy Photo: James Dittiger

The 4-hour mini series aired on April 18th and featured a unique underworld that includes anyone who has lived on Earth, even from centuries past. Mark Twain is a featured character along with the main hero played by Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett. Check out the trailer below:

For more Thea Gill news, visit her Facebook fan page.

Putt Putt news continues to come in! Additional updates are on the way.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Putt Putt Syndrome at the CTFF 2010!


The PPS team is proud to announce our Festival kick off starting in New England with The Connecticut Film Festival. New England is the most appropriate region in the country to begin our festival circuit giving that our film was shot on location in its entirety in the state of Maine.

From May 4-9 2010 The TCFF will feature 140 films, 100 workshops, many panels, keynote speakers, and even 70 bands in Danbury, CT. The Putt Putt Syndrome is one of the features scheduled to show Thursday May 6. Tickets go on sale soon. Check out our festival page for details.

Actors David Chokachi and Paul Diomede will be attending the festival, giving audience members the opportunity to share in the experience of the project with actors from the film. Director/Writer/Producer Allen Cognata and Verité Films producers Donald Roman Lopez and René Veilleux are also planning to attend. René Veilleux, who is originally from Connecticut, said, "I'm really looking forward to sharing our fun, quirky and provocative film with the community in my home state."

Film festivals truly celebrate the hard-work and dedication that it takes to make an independent film. If you are in the New England area, come out to the festival and see our fun indie.

The Putt Putt Syndrome continues to build momentum—stay tuned for more updates in the near future!

(Story by Nicole Albee)


Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Putt Putt's Jason London on NCIS!

The latest NCIS episode featured a familiar face: Putt Putt’s very own Jason London! Jason guest starred in the episode titled “Guilty Pleasure” and it aired on Tuesday April 6th on CBS. This particular episode of the popular crime drama featured the dangerous world of high-priced D.C call girls after a Navy officer is found murdered. Jason London plays Dwight Kasdan, a lawyer brought in to represent a call girl who is a possible suspect. Fans of both The Putt Putt Syndrome and NCIS can watch the episode on CBS.com.

Keep up with all of the exciting Putt Putt updates using Facebook, including this fantastic behind the scenes video from the L.A screening. The buzz for the film continues to grow--stay tuned for more news ... including more information on the CT Film Festival!

(Story By Nicole Albee)

Sunday, March 21, 2010

L.A. Screening A Huge Success!!

Jason London at the Majestic Crest Theater

Thursday March 11th at the gorgeous Majestic Crest Theatre in Westwood was a fantastic evening for The Putt Putt Syndrome. The flashing lights of the historic marquee introduced old Hollywood glamour into the evening, and provided the perfect setting for what turned out to be a truly memorable event. The Majestic Crest was filled to capacity, and the lobby was absolutely packed and buzzing with activity both before and after the screening. The level of enthusiasm and anticipation of the film's first LA audience was definitely in the air, especially when the leading actors and celebrity guests arrived on the red carpet.

Leading actress Thea Gilll

Guests included Putt Putt actors Jason London, Thea Gill, Veronica Diaz, Tom Gibis, Karen Strassman, and Vincent Maeder. Other celebrity guests included international film actress Bai Ling, Tim Pocock from “X-Men Orginis: Wolverine”, “The Young and the Restless” actress Kate Linder, Matt Riedy from Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush”, and longtime host of Entertainment Tonight, Bob Goen. Multiple photographers and reporters were there to capture the infectious energy, including Ron Russell, host of “Setting The Record Straight” and Tracy Pattin of “Sizzle In The Middle”. A press junket was also part of the evening as talent paraded in front of the camera for interviews starting with director Allen Cognata, then the lead cast and finally special guests.

Check out red carpet pictures here ... RED CARPET PHOTOS. (Photos By Miguel Torres. http://www.migueltorresphoto.com/)

The large turnout for this independent feature screening in Hollywood was particularly unusual, as there are a myriad amount of film related events happening there every evening. This low budget film could have been lost in the shuffle, but the personal nature of the plot appeared to really interest the attending audience. The lobby was filled with people sharing their very personal struggles with the Putt Putt Syndrome and the huge effort it requires to truly have a good marriage these days. Audience member Angie Gega mentioned the movie had a universal theme in life: “If you look at the bigger picture, the structure is the same for any relationship you choose to have...Nothing stays with you forever, it’s up to you to keep things with you…It’s called constant work, appreciation, passion, an unending desire to keep the energy level and passion up, and not fall in the putt putt syndrome. ” The film really gets people to analyze life and their own struggles in relationships, while looking forward towards the future with hope.

The film’s comedic nature really touched people infusing them with a sense of hope and a bit of humor about the film's core theme. And as the audience exited the theater with big smiles it was evident that they had a great time. One guest even described feeling a wave of laughter move through the entire theater during several moments in the film. The evening continued at the after-party held at one of LA's newest hot spots The Upper West where guests connected and shared stories about their personal experiences and own opinions on the Putt Putt Syndrome. Support from sponsors CortiSlim, Mark and Katie Schultz, Stella and Booya Tequila really made the evening unforgettable. The producers also thanked the LA cast and crew who made the trek out to Maine to be part of this collaborative process. "It is this herculean effort demonstrated by everyone involved with the film that ensures our film will be a big success," they added.

Director/Writer Producer Allen Cognata - Producers Rene Veilleux and Donald Roman Lopez with reporter Ron Russel

The next steps for the film include submissions to film festivals and meeting with the many distributors who have already shown an interest in the film. This is wonderful considering the film has only had three private screenings so far! Continue to spread the word about The Putt Putt Syndrome through Facebook, and trailer, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks including a fun video behind the scenes at the big event!

Check out this new video of regular folks on the street discussing the epidemic of the syndrome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_8MWbG9mGM

(Story by Nicole Albee)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Los Angeles Red Carpet Screening of The Putt Putt Syndrome at the Majestic Crest Theater a HUGE Success!!


The Los Angeles screening of The Putt Putt Syndrome was a HUGE success!

The Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood was buzzing as the capacity crowd gathered outside and in the lobby and enjoyed watching the film's stars and celebrity guests be photographed and interviewed!

Check out the photos and see for yourself!

The Putt Putt Syndrome LA Red Carpet Screening Pictures!


Stay tuned for more fun updates, photos and videos of our big event coming soon!


Watch our trailer at: http://theputtputtsyndrome.com/trailer.html

Find out more about The Putt Putt Syndrome at: www.theputtputtsyndrome.com

Join The Putt Putt Syndrome Facebook Fan Page and interact with the Actors and Filmmakers: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Putt-Putt-Syndrome/243731047560?ref=ts

And learn more about Verité Films at: http://www.veritefilms.net/

Verité Films can also be found on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Verite-Films/166325993524?ref=ts

THE LITTLE “INDIE” MOVIE THAT CAN!

MARCH 9, 2010 – Following a big Oscar night for Independent Films, Berry Pond Productions, in association with Verité Films is proud to announce the Los Angeles screening of Allen Cognata's independent film "The Putt Putt Syndrome" on March 11, 2010 at the Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood.

The film, which was recently screened at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City, has made its way to L.A. with its eclectic cast of actors such as Jason London from cult film “Dazed and Confused” to iconic “Baywatch” heart throb David Chokachi, soap opera star Heather Tom from CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful” as well as Thea Gill from the popular gay TV series “Queer As Folk.” Robert Maschio from ABC’s “Scrubs” and actor Paul Diomede from the independent film “The Messenger” are also part of the cast.

"The Putt Putt Syndrome" is a dark, sexy comedy about 2 married couples stuck in a rut in their relationshps after realizing that their perception of marital bliss is not as idyllic as it seems.

The main character Johnny, played brilliantly by Jason London, goes through an absurd journey of paranoia after his best friend, Tony (David Chokachi) plants a seed of doubt about wives' infidelities. The result is an entertaining, witty and offbeat film about two couples trying to understand what has gone wrong in their relationships. The film's universal theme is a profound commentary on the dangers of becoming complacent in life. Thea Gill and Heather Tom play the bored, distraught and confused housewives.

“This is such an exciting time for independent films. We're figuring out our own place in the mainstream market as we redefine new distribution models that can compete with big Hollywood blockbusters,” said producer René Veilleux. “It really proves that audiences want original stories and a lot of well produced independent films provide that." Producer Donald Roman Lopez added, "Independent film-making is going through a renaissance, and we are thrilled to be forging this new path for films like ours. That's the true spirit of independent film-making."

The film was shot in Cognata’s hometown of Winthrop, Maine. Locals there came together by offering their homes, businesses and volunteer services to make his dream a reality. "In retrospect, we were up against some formidable odds. It rained 15 out of 18 shooting days, the average age of our PA's was 15 and it was my directorial debut. Not to mention our budget of 200,000! I couldn't be more pleased with the team. My fellow producers Donald and René did a wonderful job bringing an independent Hollywood feel to our grassroots indie" Cognata added.

While many independent projects wallow through the post-production process, or are often never completed, "The Putt Putt Syndrome’s" post-production team quickly ushered the film through its final stages to completion less than 7 months after wrapping principal photography. The film is being submitted to festivals and producers are now working on the distribution plan.

Watch our trailer at: http://theputtputtsyndrome.com/trailer.html

Find out more about The Putt Putt Syndrome at: www.theputtputtsyndrome.com

Join The Putt Putt Syndrome Facebook Fan Page and interact with the Actors and Filmmakers: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Putt-Putt-Syndrome/243731047560?ref=ts

And learn more about Verité Films at: http://www.veritefilms.net/

Verité Films can also be found on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Verite-Films/166325993524?ref=ts

Friday, March 5, 2010

Hooray For Hollywood!



Putt Putt L.A Screening Info

(c) Daniel Paul


Thursday, March 11, 2010 will be a thrilling evening for all involved with The Putt Putt Syndrome: the first West Coast screening! The film will be screened at the historic Majestic Crest Theatre in Los Angeles. This unique theatre is full of old Hollywood charm: the sparkling lights of the massive marquee, gorgeous murals on the walls in the theatre, and an ornate and charming lobby. Experiencing true Hollywood magic can only help to propel the film forward.


The theatre has a varied history, serving as venue for live theatre in the 40s, a newsreel house, and now is distinguished by its commitment to showing independent films as well as major motion pictures. The renovations done by Joseph Musil in 1987 have helped to preserve the history of the building while remaining relevant to current times, and on May 14, 2008 the Majestic Crest Theatre was officially made a historical monument of the City of Los Angeles. The distinctive setting for the L.A screening will only add to the excitement The Putt Putt Syndrome is generating, and will surely make for a fantastic event.

PRESS RELEASE – THE PUTT PUTT SYNDROME PUTT-PUTTING IT’S WAY FROM N.Y. TO L.A.

THE LITTLE “INDIE” MOVIE THAT CAN!

MARCH 3, 2010 - Berry Pond Productions, in association with Verité Films is proud to announce the Los Angeles screening of Allen Cognata's independent film The Putt Putt Syndrome on March 11, 2010 at the Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood.

The film which was recently screened at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City has made its way to L.A. with its eclectic cast of actors such as Jason London from cult film “Dazed and Confused” to iconic “Baywatch” star David Chokachi and soap opera star Heather Tom from CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful” as well as Thea Gill from the popular gay themed TV series “Queer As Folk.” Robert Maschio from ABC’s “Scrubs” and actor Paul Diomede from independent film “The Messenger” are also part of the cast.

The Putt Putt Syndrome follows the life of two married men as they “Putt Putt” through their lives when they begin to realize their perceptions of suburban marital bliss is not as idyllic as it seems.

The main character Johnny, played brilliantly by Jason London, goes through an absurd journey of paranoia after his best friend, Tony (David Chokachi) Plants the seed of doubt about the rise in married women's infidelities. The result is an entertaining, witty and offbeat film about two couples trying to understand what has gone wrong in their relationships. The film, a dark, sexy comedy much in the vain of “American Beauty” is a profound commentary on the dangers of becoming complacent in married life. Thea Gill and Heather Tom play the bored, distraught and confused housewives.

The Film was shot in true independent nature in Cognata’s hometown of Winthrop, Maine. Locals there came together by offering their homes, businesses and volunteer services to make his dream a reality. "In retrospect, we were up against some formidable odds. It rained 15 out of 18 shooting days, the average age of our PA's was 15 and it was my directorial debut. Not to mention our budget of 200,000! I couldn't be more pleased with the team. My fellow producers Donald Roman Lopez and René Veilleux did a wonderful job bringing an independent Hollywood feel to our grassroots indie" Cognata added.

While many independent projects wallow through the post-production process, or are often never completed, The Putt Putt Syndrome’s post-production team quickly ushered the film through its final stages to completion less than 7 months after wrapping of principal photography. The film is being submitted to festivals and producers are now working on the distribution plan.

Watch our entertaining trailer:

http://www.theputtputtsyndrome.com/trailer.html

Facebook

We invite you to join our Facebook Fan Page to interact with the Actors and Filmmakers from the Putt Putt Syndrome at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Putt-Putt-Syndrome/243731047560?ref=ts

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Interview with Patrick Wanis PhD


Patrick Wanis PhD is a human behavior and relationship expert. He recently was interviewed by Joanie Winberg of the National Association of Divorced Women & Children. He discusses many of the the issues that the film brings up about relationships and marriage, as well as how the film can be used as a mirror to analyze one's own life. The full transcript can be found here, and the audio of the interview is here. His personal website is patrickwanis.com.



Be sure to keep up to date on all of The Putt Putt Syndrome developments by clicking the "Follow" button for the blog!

Friday, February 19, 2010

NYC RED CARPET SCREENING AT TRIBECA CINEMAS


Tribeca Cinemas, NYC


The evening of Friday, February 12th was an exciting event for all involved with The Putt Putt Syndrome. The film was screened at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City, complete with a red carpet arrival and many special guests. Photographer Paul Morigi of WireImage captured the exciting energy of the evening as everyone arrived. Principal actors, Jason London, David Chokachi, Thea Gill, Heather Tom and Paul Diomede were in attendance, as well as supporting actors Mary Looram, Budd Stafford and the four Cognata children, Dominick, Joy, Violet and James.

Thea Gill (Sam), Jason London (Johnny), Heather Tom (Vicki), David Chokachi (Tony)


So many guests supported director/writer/producer Allen Cognata, producers Donald Roman Lopez and Rene Veilleux, and the
talented cast that an extra screening room was reserved to have a simultaneous broadcast of the film.
Donald Roman Lopez, Allen Cognata, Rene Veilleux


In the lobby after the screening, it was clear that the film was a hit among the audience members. There was a lively and dynamic feel as the months of hard work had finally come to fruition. The vibrant energy continued at an after party held at Club Libation, where the cast and crew received excellent comments and many congratulations. It was a special night for all involved. The next screening of The Putt Putt Syndrome will be held in Los Angeles, California in mid-March. The little film that could is putt putting it’s way to Hollywood!

To find out more about The Putt Putt Syndrome go to www.theputtputtsyndrome.com or become a fan of the film on Facebook.


Monday, February 8, 2010

Allen Cognata's interview on Channel 6 Portland, ME

Watch interview with Director Allen Cognata on the eve of The Putt Putt Syndrome's screening in Maine.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

MEET THE CAST OF THE PUTT PUTT SYNDROME! - JASON LONDON

We are sharing with you all of the wonderfully talented actors who star in The Putt Putt Syndrome.

Next up is the talented and handsome Jason London who plays the role of Johnny and is also the Executive Producer for the Putt Putt Syndrome. Jason starred in The Man in the Moon, Dazed... and Confused,Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar just to name a few. Jason is an identical twin and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

MEET THE CAST OF THE PUTT PUTT SYNDROME! - DAVID CHOKACHI

We want to share with you the wonderfully, talented, actors from The Putt Putt Syndrome.

First up is David Chokachi - who plays the role of Tony. David is best known for his role as Cody Madison in the worldwide television phenomenon, Baywatch. David was also ...voted one of People magazines Most Beautiful People! Feel free to visit David's official website at: http://www.davidchokachi.net/ to read more about David's film and television work.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Putt Putt Syndrome Putts Back To Maine For Its First Screening

http://hollywoodeastconnection.com/?p=4514

By: Mary Pierce

Only seven months ago, the independent film directed by Allen Cognata, The Putt Putt Syndrome, wrapped up shooting in Winthrop, Maine and as of today, the film’s trailer has already received over 5,400 hits on Youtube. The film, which features Jason London, Thea Gill ,David Chokachi, Heather Tom and Robert Maschio, follows London’s character Johnny, a happily married man who decides to test his bitter friend’s theory about why marriages fail. Johnny, who doesn’t want to believe his friend’s ‘Putt Putt Syndrome’, suddenly realizes he has all the symptoms himself.

When Hollywood East Connection last spoke with the producers of The Putt Putt Syndrome, René Veilleux and Donald Roman-Lopez of Verité Films, they had just finished wrapping up the film and were very excited about the outcome. They are even more thrilled that the film is complete only 7 months after wrapping principal photography. “A lot of films can end up in post-production purgatory,” Veilleux and Lopez tell us, “but together with our director and producing partner Allen Cognata, we had a clear vision of how we would get the film to the finish line as quickly as possible.”

A few months ago, Veilleux and Lopez decided to test the screening of the film with friends and industry professionals. As they read the feedback, one of the viewers wrote, “I do trailers. I work at a trailer house in LA. I really love the film, and would be happy to help you guys with a trailer.” Later, trailer editor Stefanie Crisman took the rough cut of the film and produced an incredible trailer. Veilleux and Lopez are so grateful for Crisman’s work and were blown away by how fantastic it turned out. Watch the trailer below:

Both producers are very modest about the work they have done but had no problem raving about the cast and crew. “It takes a village to raise a child,” Veilleux tells us, “and we really could not have done this without all of the support from the community and our hard-working cast and crew.” Lopez and Veilleux feel very lucky that they got to work with such an “amazing” post-production team as well, including editor Dino Marc Pascarelli in New York City, and composer/sound designer Craig Jansson in Melbourne, Australia. “Both of these teams have gone above and beyond to make our indie film look and sound outstanding,” Lopez tells us. “Sound is a very important element, it could make or break the movie, and we got really a top notch mix!” Veilleux and Lopez are overwhelmed with the response the movie is receiving and are looking forward to the future of the film.

As the film, continues to putt putt along, its first screening will be on February 6th in Winthrop, ME at the Winthrop Performing Arts Center. “We are really looking forward to going back to Winthrop and sharing the film with the cast and crew,” Veilleux tells us. Check out director Allen Cognata’s live interview on 92 Moose Head, central Maine’s hit radio station, where you can hear him talk about the film and leak a red carpet appearance in Winthrop. Cognata will also be conducting an interview airing this Thursday night at 7pm on NBC’s WCSH6 in Portland, Maine.

The film will then continue to putt putt down the coast and into New York City on February 12th for the second screening at the Tribeca Theater, where they will meet up with more cast and crew. It will then head to Los Angeles for another cast, crew and industry screening before they continue submitting it to festivals.

Follow the latest news by becoming a fan of Verité Films and The Putt Putt Syndrome on Facebook and find out what’s next for the film and its producers.