Austin filmmaker and MMW alum Ben Foster traveled to Colorado in June for the world premier of his debut feature film Strings at the Breckenridge Festival of Film. The East Coast premier took place July 11 at the Long Island International Film Expo.
In Colorado, Strings received a 3rd place Audience Award, and Best Song. The film’s actors have won Best Cast Ensemble for their performances at the San Francisco Best Actors Film Festival.
Strings tells the story of a troubled musician who seeks out an experimental therapist to turn his life around. When the therapist calls for him to leave everything behind and take on a new identity, the musician realizes his new life isn't what it seems and his therapist is manipulating patients to commit vigilante crimes.
Foster, who comes from a family of filmmakers and musicians, began experimenting with cameras in early childhood. He first attended Maine Media as a Young Filmmaker and returned during his University of Texas at Austin years to take directing workshops.
He recalls his experience in class with Barry Primus “He told us that he would teach us to direct by making us all act. Suddenly people who were used to being safely hidden behind the camera were being cast in scenes and memorizing lines as actors. The next day, scenes were presented in front of the class while Barry directed us from the side of the room. All of his interjections and his starts and stops made me realize at a young age what it's like for an actor to prepare a scene the way they feel is right, and then have a director tell them to do it completely different in the middle of the performance. It's a very vulnerable feeling. It's something that I've taken into account since then when directing actors.”
Best of luck to Ben his cast and crew as they continue their festival journey! Let us know your news by posting to our Facebook page.