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 Dominic Monaghan stars as the celebrity narrator for RINGERS. |
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA --TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2004 -- The Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, will launch its 2005 slate with the world premiere of RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS on its opening Friday night (January 21, 2005). The producers also announce the final addition to their remarkable project, the voice of Dominic Monaghan (Merry Brandybuck from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, now starring on ABC’s Lost) will be heard as the film’s Narrator, relaying the dynamic story of J.R.R. Tolkien’s pop-culture legacy.
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS is a feature-length documentary that explores how "The Lord of the Rings" has influenced Western popular culture for the past 50 years. The film reveals many layers of history and artistic inspiration behind Tolkien’s books, while reveling in the pop frenzy carried forward by the Hippie movement, the rockers, the fantasists, the activists, and legions of adoring fans. Produced in association with TheOneRing.net, RINGERS is executive produced by Tom DeSanto (Apt Pupil, X-Men, Transformers), and directed by first-time writer/director Carlene Cordova. The film is repped by the William Morris Agency.
Monaghan gained worldwide fame starring as fun-loving hobbit Merry Brandybuck in the “Rings” Trilogy, which has won a total of 17 Academy Awards, including a Best Picture win for the final installment, “The Return of the King.” Monaghan is a recipient of the Screen Actor’s Guild Award (Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture) for his work in the “Rings” Trilogy.Monaghan currently stars on ABC’s smash hit drama “Lost,” as drug-addicted rock musician Charlie. The show follows a group of survivors stranded on an island after a devastating plane crash in the Pacific. “Lost” recently received nominations for the 2005 Golden Globe and People’s Choice Awards.
Started in 1995 by a group of independent filmmakers, SLAMDANCE is a year-round organization dedicated to new filmmakers and their vision. Slamdance Film Festival has established a unique reputation for premiering independent films by first-time directors working with limited budgets; the festival continues to be true to its roots and is organized and programmed by active filmmakers. Past Slamdance films have been picked up for distribution, invited to festivals around the world, and have won Independent Spirit Awards, the Palm d'Or and an Oscar among other awards.
Click Here for the Slamdance Film Festival Official Site
Slamdance Film Festival Alumni include Memento director Christopher Nolan ('99 festival award winner Following); the Russo Brothers ('97 Pieces) and Monster’s Ball director Marc Forster ('96 festival audience award winner Loungers).
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS serves as a remarkable dénouement to the past 50 years of the worldwide following of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”
ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows how, after 50 years, “The Lord of the Rings” continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions. RINGERS explores the real foundations of Middle-earth; a community of true fans who share a common bond. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths countless people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer’ -- academics, musicians, movie stars, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies. Celebrity interviewees include Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Clive Barker, and David Carradine.
RINGERS features a dynamic rock-driven score with musicians who were influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien. Several indie recording artists have provided new covers of songs from previous “Rings” adaptations. Produced in association with the popular fan-site TheOneRing.net, RINGERS stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom of “The Lord of the Rings.”
From the hippie counter-culture to the electronic age; from the Bakshi animated film to Jackson’s epic trilogy; this documentary brings together extensive footage collected over 21 months -- across three continents. Our cameras have captured the most energetic “Lord of the Rings” events.
What began as the private amusement of a tweedy Oxford professor has now
become a new mythology for the 21st century. RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS
shows how an adventure story published in 1954 has had dynamic ripple-effects
through Western pop-culture. RINGERS carefully pulls away the veil
between Tolkien’s book and the creations of art, music, and community
that have been inspired by it.
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS spent 21 months shooting on three continents.
Produced in association with the popular Tolkien fan-site TheOneRing.net,
Ringers stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom
of "The Lord of the Rings."
Current “Ringers” Interviewees include:
Writer/Director/Producer - Peter Jackson, Actor - Elijah Wood, Actor - Sir
Ian McKellen, Actor - Viggo Mortensen, Actor - Sean Astin, Actor - Dominic
Monaghan, Actor - Billy Boyd, Actor - Andy Serkis, Screenwriter - Philippa
Boyens, Author/Interviewer - Cliff Broadway, Author/Filmmaker - Clive Barker,
Writer/Director/Producer - Cameron Crowe, Actor - David Carradine, Author
- Terry Pratchett, Author - Peter S. Beagle, Author - Terry Brooks, Musician
- Lemmy Kilmister, Musician - Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar - Dr. Jane Chance,
Chairperson of the Tolkien Society - Christine Crawshaw, Author - Colin
Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic - Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher - Forrest J. Ackerman,
Actor - Sala Baker, Actor - Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster - Brian Sibley,
Illustrator/Author - Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author - Jill Thompson,
and hundreds of Tolkien fans!
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Ringers: Lord of the Fans will be screening at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this January. Ticket prices are unknown at the time. But, the location and screening times for all screenings in Salt Lake have been released. All Salt Lake screenings will take place at the Murray Theater, located at:
4959 South State St.
Murray, UT 84107
(801) 506-0060
Screenings in Park City will be at The Treasure Mountain Inn, located at:
255 Main St.
Park City, Utah
Screenings at the above venue will be:
Friday January 21st (World Premiere) at 11:30pm
Screening Dates/Times for the Murray Theater in Salt Lake:
Sunday January 23rd at 8:30pm
Monday January 24th at 5:00pm
Thursday January 27th at 9:00pm
Join the Salt Lake City Line party HERE!
Join the Park City Line Party HERE!
Box office and ticket Information on Park City screenings should be available
through the Slamdance
official website. For all inquires pertaining to where and when Ringers
will appear in other theaters around the world, and on dvd, the filmmakers
have absolutely no idea of such information at the time. They anticipate
picking up distribution for the film at Slamdance, and would expect that
a theatrical release will follow some time after that. One way of expediting
the release of Ringers to the world could be for fans of the film
to submit requests to all of the major Motion Picture Distributors, both
Foreign and Domestic, asking to bring Ringers to its world wide
audience as soon as possible.
