LOS ANGELES, CA — FRIENDED TO DEATH –a dark comedy bro-mance marking the feature film debut of director/writer/producer Sarah Smick and starring Ryan Hansen (“Veronica Mars”), Zach McGowan (“Black Sails”) and James Immekus (“Once Upon a Time”)– will open theatrically in select cities on May 2, 2014, with a Video On Demand release on May 9th. The film also stars veteran actors Richard Riehle, Angela Bullock and Bobby Ray Shafer and is being distributed by Green Step Productions and Gravitas Ventures.
FRIENDED TO DEATH charts the extremes to which a desperate Facebook junkie will go in order to figure out who his true friends are. Laced with satire, this tongue-in-cheek bro-mantic comedy tells the story of obnoxious Los Angeles parking enforcement officer Michael Harris (Hansen). After being fired from his dream job and ditched by his best friend (McGowan), Michael begins to question whether anyone would care if he died. So with the help of his pushover ex-coworker Emile (Immekus), Michael does what any social media-obsessed loner would do: He fakes his death online to see who will show up at his funeral. In just hours, Michael’s fake death post attracts a promising 22 ‘Likes.’ Giddy and eager to milk the prank, Michael convinces Emile to help him stage a faux memorial service. But as plans start taking shape, Michael’s reality gradually implodes, forcing him to reconsider what it means to be a “friend” in today’s hyper-connected world of social media.
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About the Filmmakers
Smick, a Columbia University honors graduate, began her film career as an actor, having trained at the British American Drama Academy and Stella Adler Studios and with renowned acting coaches Margie Haber, Scott Sedita and others. While working as an actor in theatre, film, TV, commercials and voiceovers, she found herself more drawn to writing and directing and during the past few years has spent more time behind the camera than in front of it. The comedy web series “Old Souls,” which she directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in with Honora Talbott, was named “Best of Fest” at the 2013 Independent Television Festival. “Old Souls” will be released on SnagFilms.com this year.
Smick co-wrote and produced with Ian Michaels. Peter Smick also produced; Jimmy Jung Lu served as Director of Photography; and Randy Carter edited. Nathan Whitehead composed the score and Andrea von Foerster was Music Supervisor. Production design was by Susannah Lowber; Casting was by Nicole Arbusto; and Traci Carlson was Line Producer.
