Films & Events
Humpday
Lynn Shelton will be in attendance to present the film and a meal specially created in collaboration with Volterra's Chef Don Curtiss.
Settling into his marriage with Anna, Ben has a steady job and plans to start a family. But when his old college buddy Andrew shows up unannounced at 1:30am, the two quickly fall back into their old competitive ways.
A decade after college, they each see each other's lives very differently: Ben thinks Andrew has become an aimless ne'er-do-well, and Andrew thinks Ben has become emasculated by married life. To save Ben from further domestication, Andrew takes him to a party at a sex-positive commune where booze and drugs abound. When talk at the party turns to a local weekly’s amateur porn contest (based on a real competition sponsored by Seattle’s The Stranger), Andrew wants in.
With neither man willing to back down from a challenge, they decide that the most groundbreaking porn two heterosexual dudes can make would be having sex together—on camera. It’s beyond gay; it’s an art project, they tell themselves. But how exactly do they do this? And who’s going to tell Anna?
Lynn Shelton has created a hilarious film about the complexities and contradictions of the male ego, mixing knowing satire with profound emotional discoveries, and culminating in one of the most uproariously uncomfortable finales in recent memory.
Lynn Shelton
Raised in Seattle, Lynn Shelton studied acting and photography before attending the MFA Program in Photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She then devoted the next ten years to learning experimental and documentary filmmaking. Shelton’s previous film My Effortless Brilliance played at SIFF 2008.
Sponsors:
4Culture, Art Institute of Seattle, News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Washington State Arts Commission
Cast & Crew
Director: Lynn Shelton
Producer: Lynn Shelton
Editor: Nat Sanders
Screenwriter: Lynn Shelton
Cinematographer: Benjamin Kasulke
Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2009 (U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for the Spirit of Independence)
Music: Vinny Smith
Principal Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard
Filmography: My Effortless Brilliance (2008); We Go Way Back (2006)
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(4 reviews)
user reviews
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Great indie film, Jun 05, 2009
By Zheng Wang
“Despite the sensationalistic premise, Lynn Shelton and her two leading men handled the story with an admirable sense of honesty and subtlety, allowing you to connect with the characters and ultimately feel for them.”
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Funny and honest, Jun 07, 2009
By Dan Rosson
“Thankfully this film was directed by a woman, so it only hit juvenile a couple of times (it is after all about two juvenile straight guys), but ultimately it is one of the most honest films I have seen about sexuality, relationships, abd friendship. Well done!”
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A-MA-ZING!, Jun 08, 2009
By Jennifer Walters
“Superb acting, steller writing, talented director. Surprisingly subtle & nuanced, fresh & unexpected. It will be released nationally in July. I highly recommend it.”
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Meh. , Jun 26, 2009
By SIFF Lover
“An okay movie made better by two good improvisational actors. The female characters were weak and unconvincing, and seem to only be there at all as plot motivation for the frankly sociapathic husband and his shallow college buddy. The story works and is engaging, but ultately it's like the”
… full review
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This film is playing as a part of...
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120 min.
Tickets for the Centerpiece Gala featuring Seattle writer/director Lynn Shelton's acclaimed new film, Humpday, are $25 ($23 SIFF Supporters). Your ticket also includes the popular Centerpiece Gala party at the DAR Hall on Capitol Hill, with director Lynn Shelton scheduled to attend. Celebrate local filmmaking and northwest connections with live music and entertainment, catering by Boom Nood
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