Buster's Mal Heart
| Buster's Mal Heart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sarah Adina Smith |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Sarah Adina Smith |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mister Squinter |
| Cinematography | Shaheen Seth |
| Edited by | Sarah Adina Smith |
Production company |
|
| Distributed by | Well Go USA Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
|
Buster's Mal Heart is a 2016 surreal mystery film written and directed by Sarah Adina Smith. It stars Rami Malek, DJ Qualls, and Kate Lyn Sheil. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2016.
Plot
The film follows a mountain man on the run from authorities who survives the winter by breaking into empty vacation homes. He is haunted by a recurring dream of being lost at sea only to discover that the dream is real: He is one man in two bodies.
Cast
- Rami Malek
- DJ Qualls as Brown
- Kate Lyn Sheil as Marty
- Lin Shaye as Pauline
- Toby Huss as Deputy Winston
- Mark Kelly as Oscar
- Teresa Yenque as Adelita
- Bruce Bundy as Ranger Meg
- Jared Larson as Dale
- Sandra Ellis as Mrs. Bowery
- Nicholas Pryor as Mr. Bowery
- Lily Gladstone as Morning Shift Concierge
Production
After producing her first feature film The Midnight Swim, Smith knew that she wanted to create a story about a man and a mountain. She wrote the script at the Screenwriters Colony in Nantucket, MA. It was a non-traditional script, that combined illustrations with scene descriptions so that it almost read like a short story.
While finding financing came surprisingly easily for such an unusual script, the biggest challenge was finding someone to cast as the lead. Originally planning to cast a Latino actor due to the bilingual nature of the main character Jonah, Smith widened the search to expedite the casting process, eventually deciding on Rami Malek who she had seen in Short Term 12 and The Pacific. A tarot-card reading confirmed her casting choice.
Buster's Mal Heart was filmed near Glacier National Park and in Kalispell, MT, as well as on the ocean in open water. Originally, Smith planned to film in her home-state of Colorado but, in the end, decided to shoot in Montana for the available state grant as well as the unique and dramatic landscape. The film was shot in 18 days.[1]
Release
Buster's Mal Heart premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2016.[2] Shortly after, Well Go USA Entertainment acquired U.S distribution rights to the film.[3]
References
- ↑ O'Falt, Chris. "Where I Shot It: Finding the Right Backdrop for a Character's Spiritual Quest in 'Buster's Mal Heart'". Indiewire. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
- ↑ "Buster's Mal Heart". www.tiff.net. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (October 26, 2016). "Rami Malek's Thriller 'Buster's Mal Heart' Sells to Well Go USA". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2016.