We are very proud to announce that we “Sovereignty” will be awarded the honor of Best Narrative Short Film at the Peace on Earth Film Festival in Chicago this weekend! As a festival that dedicates itself to honoring quality films with a message of promotion peace and nonviolence, we are particularly proud to be singled out for quality and message. Please come see it at the beautiful Biograph Theater this Sunday at 6pm!

Come see why Greg Robson from ResidentMediaPundit.com raves “…equal parts comedic, sardonic and moving…gripping…a veritable call to arms. If only all fims could do such things.”

We are excited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be among the closing night film selection at this year’s Rhode Island International Film Festival. We will be playing at beautiful Cable Car Theater on August 10th at 9:30pm. Click here for directions. We’ll be playing along side the hilarious new Jonathan Winters film “Certifiably Jonathan” and we will be sitcking around for the awards cermony directly afterwards! If you are in the area please come by, if not we’ll see you in September in Canada!

Come see why Greg Robson from ResidentMediaPundit.com raves “…equal parts comedic, sardonic and moving…gripping…a veritable call to arms. If only all fims could do such things.”

We are so proud and excited to announce that Heather Dilly will be named Best Actress at the 2008 Long Island International Film Expo for her work in “Sovereignty”! She was in competition against all of the actresses in all of the short as well as feature films and walked away with the big prize for her stunning work.   As Rick Pender of City Beat said of “Sovereignty” “…the acting, especially Heather Dilly…was DELICIOUS.” Ms. Dilly previously took home the same award two years ago for her portrayal of the down-and-out April in the award-winning short film “The Look Away Life”. (Watch it now!)

So please come on out and support our film this Thursday, July 10th at 9:30pm at the Long Island International Film Expo. Click here for directions.

Next up…. Rhode Island!

Reach out beyond your garden.
Volunteer your money, time or resources.
Make a difference.

In conjunction with our soon to be released film “Sovereignty”, we at Laurel Films, Inc. want to help you reach out and help those in need in your community or around the world. To that end, we have constructed an ever-growing database of information and links in order to provide a bridge between your desire to reach out and those who need to be reached.

Additionally, if you know of or are affiliated with any organizations in your community who reach out to those in need and would be interested in being included on this website, please let us know. The more specific and targeted the cause, the better.

Good people reach out to help other good people. Together we can make a difference.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Sale
President
Laurel Films, Inc.

helpus@laurelfilmsinc.com

We are really rollin’ now! The prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival is coming up in August and “Sovereignty” will be there! The RIIFF is one of the few festivals in the country to which the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences gives automatic Oscar eligibility to the winners. So come see us Thursday 7/4 in Long Island or road trip with us in early August to Rhode Island!

We are excited to announce that “Sovereignty” will be making its New York area debut at the Hoboken International Film Festival on May 28th at 8:30pm at Pier A in scenic Hoboken, New Jersey! The festival was recently called “in the world’s top 10″ and “the nations hottest true film festival.”

Tickets are free and directions to Hoboken can be found here. There are cash awards for the audience vote, so please come out and support our film trying to entertain and make a difference!

“Sovereingty” is proud to have been so warmly received at the 2008 Cinequest Film Festival. We had a great week  of rubbing elbows with the likes of Michael Keaton, the beautiful Olivia Hussey, John Ratzenberger (yeah, Cliff from ‘Cheers’!), Danny Glover and many more. Lots of folks counted “Sovereignty” as their favorite film of the festival and  Neil Baker of Fest 21.com singled “Sovereignty” out saying “…most noticeably Sovereignty, a brilliant and damning portrayal of our reluctance to help our world neighbors by director Jonathan Sale.”

 We look forward to letting you know when “Sovereignty” is coming to a town near you! In the mean time, watch the trailer for “Sovereignty” and watch our previous film “The Look Away Life” right now on your computer for free!

Photos of Director Jonathan Sale and actress Heather Dilly at “Sovereingty” screenings and closing night  ceremonies of Cinequest 18 along with actor Joe Holt and Mike Zimmer who graciously allowed us to use his house for the most spectacular effect in the movie’s last scene! (Also famous for his emergency appendectomy during the original shoot.)

Thanks to a great effort from cast member John Dominici and his mother Dawn, “Sovereignty” played to a large and enthusiastic crowd at this year’s Gasparilla Film Festival. With star appearances by the likes of Shane West and “Hairspray’s” Brittany Snow (picture left with “Sovereignty” star John Dominici),  the festival and “Sovereignty” both had a fantastic weekend. Thanks to all of you who turned out in support!

Watch the video intro of the exciting Cinequest Film Festival 2008 and come join us and stars like Danny Glover, Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Tom Wilkinson, Peter Fonda, Jack Black, Minnie Driver and many more this weekend!

After a great run at Cinequest 16 and signing an exclusive disribution deal for our last award-winning short film, “The Look Away Life,” we are back for Cinequest 2008! ”Sovereignty” will be playing 2/29/08 at 4:00 PM and again on 3/2/08 at 2:15 PM at the beautiful Camera 12 Theater in exciting downtown San Jose, CA!

Click here for directions!

Click here for tickets!

So if you are in the Bay Area, give yourself a treat and come see the new short film written by Pulitzer Prize nominated author Rolin Jones, producer and writer of Showtime’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, “Weeds.”

 Oh, “Sovereignty.” What a long, strange journey it has been. And we’re just getting started! To cut to the heart of it, FedEx lost our movie. The entire original. No kidding. The film canisters disappeared into the abyss, never to be heard from again. As if surviving an on-set hurricane and emergency appendectomy wasn’t enough already! Undeterred and completely out of money, we shot it again nine months later . You know what they say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you a filmmaker.”

All you folks in the Bay Area get ready the rare, once-in-a-four-year event of the “Sovereignty” World Premiere on February 29, 2008, leap year day! After all the strange ups and downs, lost films, hurricanes, emergency appendectomies and the like, they had to carve and extra day out of the year to show a film this exciting, this entertaining, this moving and this meaningful! The Cinequest Film Festival screening venue is yet to be announced, but “Sovereignty” will be showing on Friday 2/29/08 at 4pm and again on Sunday 3/2/08 at 2:15pm. We can’t wait to see you there!

 Laurel Films, Inc. is proud to announce that our latest film, “Sovereignty” will be premiering at prestigious 2008 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA! Cinequest has long been a supporter of our endeavors, screening our last award-winning short film, “The Look Away Life” at the 2006 Cinequest Film Festival.

Distinguished honorees at last years’ event included Maverick Spirit Award Winners Minnie Driver, Stewart Copeland, Christine Vachon, J.J. Abrams and Christopher McQuarrie!

Screening dates and times will soon be announced and we hope that anyone who is anywhere close will take this opportunity to see our exciting new dark comedy with a conscience.

Come on down to our “Sovereignty” premiere party on Sunday, December 9th from 5-7:30 at Dip Bar and Lounge. (416 3rd Ave. between 29th and 30th St.) Enjoy fondue, open bar, great raffle prizes and watch the film projected on a big 8 foot screen! Film screening at 7pm. $25 at the door.So come check out the latest from Rolin Jones, the Pulitzer Prize nominated writer and producer of Showtime’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, “Weeds.”

Our first film, “The Look Away Life” was shot for just a few hundred dollars and won Best Short Film at the Big Fish Film Festival and Best Actress (Heather Dilly) at the Long Island International Film Expo.

What is “The Look Away Life?” What does that mean? Well, you’ll just have to watch it and decide for yourself.  But here’s a quick idea of the treat you’re in for!

When Ben’s marital problems spiral too far out of his control, he enlists the help of the down-and-out April to serve as an unorthodox marriage counselor. Through their unique interactions, he gains relief from the stresses of his marriage, but quickly finds that he has a fresh set of problems with his new acquaintance, April. The growing disparity between each of their desires and expectations leads to a climactic conflict, a break through, and a broken heart.