ICE NINE or WHEN BAD WEATHER HAPPENS TO GOOD PEOPLE
a whiskey outpost production
SYNOPSIS | BIOGRAPHIES | CAST
SYNOPSIS and GENERAL INFORMATION
A suspense-thriller
and rustic adventure, ICE-NINE pits two hapless New Yorkers against an unfa-thomable
mountain blizzard, a frozen corpse, menacing locals, and their own personal
demons.
JACK and WILL wa nt a simple weekend escape from their muddled city lives, but
an odd series of obstacles blocks their quest for leisure. Nuisance turns to
terror when an unexpected storm dumps three feet of snow in their path and they
literally stumble on a dead body - a frozen hand clutching a bottle of whiskey.
As the storm rages and the mystery unfolds, Will discovers a hero inside himself,
while Jack comes face-to-face with life and death. Both of them are changed
forever, as is KATE, an enigmatic beauty who may or may not be at the center
of a sinister plot.
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ICE-NINE was honored with the IFP North's Minnesota Independent Film Award,
a $25,000 grant to be used for screenplay development and preliminary production
expenses.
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JOSH APTER - WRITER, DIRECTOR
Josh and
co-director Peter Olsen were nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards for
their first feature film Kaaterskill Falls: The John Cassavetes Award and Best
Debut Performance. Kaaterskill Falls was also awarded the Critic's Jury Prize
at the 2001 IFP/West Los Angeles film Festival. It is currently screening on
the Sundance Channel, and is available on DVD through Wellspring Media.
Josh’s second feature film, an urban love story titled Delivery Method,
received the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at Film Fest New Haven. The
film screened at the IFP Market as an emerging narrative work in progress and
premiered at this year's Cinequest Film Festival. The film also screened in
competition at Methodfest, the Lake Placid Film Festival and the Atlanta Film
Festival.
As a writer, Josh has completed four feature screenplays. He recently completed
a treatment for producer Marty Richards (Chicago, The Shining, Fort Apache:
The Bronx, The Boys From Brazil) about a Nazi counterfeiting scheme in WWII,
and will be writing the screenplay in late 2005.
Josh has served as editor on over eight feature films including The Holy Land
(winner Slamdance 2002/Cavu Pictures Distributor), Kaaterskill Falls and The
Tavern (Winstar Distributor).
In addition to his work as a director, writer and editor, Josh owns and operates
Manhattan Edit Workshop, an Avid and Apple Authorized Training Center specializing
in classes in the art and technique of film editing.
PETER OLSEN - WRITER, DIRECTOR
Peter has served as director of photography on over twenty films, including documentaries, television series, shorts, and ten features. His work has been seen on PBS, ABC, A & E, Showtime, The Sundance Channel, and in theatrical distribution.
Peter taught a four-week workshop on documentary filmmaking at the distinguished International Film & Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine, and a six-week course in cinematography at the Kochi University of Technology in Japan.
Peter brings an invaluable distinction to the projects he shoots since he is also a writer, producer, and director. His debut feature, KAATERSKILL FALLS (co-directed with Josh Apter), on which he also served as director of photography, received the Critic’s Jury Prize for Best Feature at the 2001 IFP/West Los Angeles Film Festival, and was nominated for two 2002 Independent Spirit Awards. It can be seen on The Sundance Channel and was released by Wellspring Media on DVD and video.
RICHARD EGAN - WILL
San-Francisco native Richard Egan recently played Gus in Josh Apter’s second feature film, Delivery Method, which Variety called, “Quietly touching.” His most recent theater roles include young Leonard Bernstein in a presentation of Master Class, written by Fay Dunaway with Ms. Dunaway and Alan Cumming, Bob in Capital by Van Badham at the Belt Theater, Victor (the lead) in Connections at the Theater for the New City, the Fan in Throwing Smoke by Keith Redin and Mr. Hand in Dream Girl by Elmer Rice both at The Zipper Theater. Richard worked with Al Pacino, Dianne Wiest and David Strathairn in Oedipus the King, at the Actors Studio. Richard has two Masters Degrees from The New School in acting and writing and is an active member of The Actors Studio. In the fall he will be acting in the feature film Virgil written and directed by Steven Schmidt (The Truth About Charlie.) Richard’s original play, The Box: Love and Lies was recently produced at the Raw Space.
CHRIS MESSINA - JACK
Chris joined the cast of Six Feet Under in its final season to play Claire’s love interest, Ted Fairwell, for which he continues to receive critical praise. He recently played Ira in Jennifer Westfeldt’s (Kissing Jessica Stein) new comedy, Alex and Ira, set to open in late 2006. Chris has appeared in episodes of Law & Order, Third Watch and in numerous feature films such as Rounders, You’ve Got Mail, Ordinary Sinner and Bittersweet Palace. His theater credits include Far Away, directed by Stephen Daldry (The Hours), Salome, directed by Estelle Parsons and co-starring Al Pacino and Marisa Tomei, and The Cherry Orchard, directed by Michael Greif (Rent) and co-starring Michelle Williams.