IFC used part of Chingaso’s Teaser Film Contest 30 second TV spot, Check it out on revver.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We’ve recently re-posted our trailer online, and we wanted to share it here with you again ( cause we’re just so proud of it )!

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Anticipation was high for my first venture into the snowy peaks of Park City, Utah, the ski resort that is home to the Sundance Film Festival and this year Chingaso the Clown. How would audiences respond to the vengeful whiteface and his violent quest to bring down the evil clown army? Would I return to Los Angeles with a custard pie in my face?

But before the screening of Chingaso The Clown at Tromadance later in the week, Lloyd Kaufman’s independent festival rival with its claim to ‘bring art back to the people’, nothing could have prepared for my delight in meeting one of my all-time cinematic heroes – Luc Besson, director of The Fifth Element and Leon. I was in attendance for the US premiere of his new black and white fantasy film Angel-A. The film itself was incredibly moving visual treat and one that I found very personal since it’s main character was a short, French Arab who had to overcome self-doubt in his late twenties. A stunning actress called Rie Rasmussen played a leggy, mini-skirt clad angel sent to help him discover himself.

One of the journalists whom I was sharing my condominium had arranged to interview the famous French director and his star Rie Rasmussen, hiring me as an impromptu photographer. I happily took control of the camera and listened intently as Luc Besson spoke about filmmaking not being about fame but about one’s personal journey, sentiments I certainly share. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in success it seems and forget the reasons why one expresses oneself in the cinematic art form. After all the big-budget movies in recent years, it was fantastic to see Luc shooting an art film once again and speaking with his own unique voice.

I was also thoroughly impressed with the incredible energy of the Danish Rie Rasmussen, a filmmaker, model and now actress. After the interview, I handed her a DVD of Chingaso The Clown.

During the week there were a number of other films that I managed to catch at Sundance and Slamdance, another independent rival to Robert Redford’s giant festival. Some were better than others. The short that preceded American Fork, spoiled my appreciation of what seemed a pretty reasonable film, though the third act fell apart. The Saddest Boy In The World was one of the most pointless shorts I have ever seen; nihilistic and nasty too. Homo Erectus, a caveman comedy with David Carradine was simply awful and at times dismally embarrassing - the Kill Bill star spent the premiere completely sloshed too, slumped over a chair.

On the Wednesday evening, I made the treacherous mountain drive from Park City to Salt Lake, for the screening of Chingaso The Clown at Tromadance. The event was held at Brewvies Cinema Pub, a fantastic 400-seater theatre with a bar and restaurant attached. Most Hollywood big shots have an entourage of personal assistants, bodyguards, a swarm of ass-lickers and a gaggle of ‘yes’ men. Lloyd Kaufman greeted me with a scantily-clad nymphoid female film obsessive and a man in a rubber monster mask brandishing a janitor’s mop. Both Lloyd and Tromadance programmer Jonathan Lees commented on how much they loved the film and after the screening in front of a packed auditorium, a number of attendees spoke at length at how they thought Chingaso would make a great feature. This was one of the very best showings of the film, and left me with great confidence about future feature-length endeavors.

The Park City festival experience was certainly a fascinating mixture of highs and lows. While some of the films weren’t the greatest, I met a hero and my film went down a storm. My lesson learnt? Next year, I’m going to bring a pair of skis.

Elias

CHINGASO will be showing at TROMADANCE FILM FESTIVAL Jan 22-27, I’ll be out there freezing my ASS OFF. So come out and support and let do the …DANCE

CLOWNS

CHINGASO STILL GOING STRONG…

The Night Gallery Film Festival will be playing CHINGASO THE CLOWN. This festival has had screenings across the United States including Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, and now it’ll be screened at the University of Guelph, Ontario CANADA on Jan 20-21, for more info go to NIGHT GALLERY FILM FESTIVAL

the film will also will play in the US and Europe in the next few months, I will keep you posted…

Elias

Happy Holidays to all you CLOWN out there…Thank you for all your support in 06, it has been a great journey…and I’m looking forward to making CHINGASO THE CLOWN the feature in 07.
Elias

CHINGASO THE CLOWN wins big at the IFFYNTX film festival, 5 awards were given: SCRIPT, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING, DIRECTING and BEST PICTURE in the SHORT FILM Category.

Check it out CLOWNS

Go to myspace for all the new updates on this project, add me as a friend…

my might just get lucky and see the AWARD WINNING SHORT FILM “CHINGSAO THE CLOWN”…

Elias CHINGASO Matar

This is the end of my tour with CHINGASO THE CLOWN short film, I have travel around the world with this short, it has played over 30 VENUS, and still playing in few places, and I have meet so many FANS. I was nominated for 10 awards and won FIVE…It is little diffiult to let go…but I must. I just finished the full feature screen play with my two writers Paul Taegel and Ed Romero and looking for funding…The story of CHINGASO must be told in FULL.

Elias

What a great weekend, so many people came out to see the movie, and I’m so grateful for all the support I have gotten from everyone…I will post more pictures in the next few days from all the screenings from around the world.

THE CLOWN ARMY IS GROWING

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