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a MALIK ISASIS film

the ELEGANT CLOCKWORK of the UNIVERSE

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CONTENTS

Synopsis .............................................................................................................................. 3Director’s Statement ......................................................................................................... 4Cast & Crew ........................................................................................................................ 5Cast & Crew ........................................................................................................................ 6

a TALENTED TENTH and OVPFILMS Contact: 206.437.5158 info @ clockwork.com

Written, Produced and Directed by Malik IsasisProducer: Olga VazquezExecutive Producer: Malik Isasis

http://www.elegantclockwork.comhttp://www.facebook.com/clockworkhttp://malikisasis.tumblr.com/

115 min/Red/2:35/USA/2013

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Log LineTime travel will not be

impossible...forever.Short Synopsis

When Muhammad's lover, Mala, abruptly disappears, he finds himself the unexpected target of a criminal investigation. Muhammad's desperate search for answers propels him into the heart of bizarre mystery whose truths lead him to question not only the sanity of the woman he loved but his own.

Long Synopsis Set in New York City, The Elegant Clockwork of the Universe chronicles the immediate days following Mala Adou’s disappearance, and her boyfriend Muhammad’s dogged drive to find her. Muhammad Masood is a middle school teacher whose life is turned upside down when he awakens one morning to find Mala Adou, his lover of six years, gone—having left behind everything. After waiting several days, he reports her missing, only to become to the prime suspect in her disappearance. While under investigation,

Muhammad embarks on a journey to search for Mala; he discovers a deeper mystery in the woman he thought he knew. After finding her journal, which he hides from the police, he begins to uncover some of Mala’s life, and unravel the delicately woven history he’d shared with a woman he knew almost nothing about. Muhammad and the police conduct their parallel searches, but both are unprepared for the answers they find. Set against the backdrop of the Long Island murders, nothing in this story is what it seems.

SYNOPSIS

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DIRECTOR’S NOTESIt was reported that

Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall, felt physically sick at the prospect of making another Bond film. I certainly understand what he meant—the anguish and emotional toll a film production takes on its maker.

The reality is that films don’t want to be made. If given a chance a film will self abort. While the financial stakes are high for someone like Mendes, the

independent

filmmaker has the pleasure of enduring similar physical and emotional anguish, but without the budget and resources to help the medicine go down.

I knew when Clockwork seeded itself into my imagination that it would be the fish that kept leaping out of the fish bowl. The first leap was a failed Kickstarter campaign, but I put that flopper back into the bowl by self-financing the film. While developing financing, I lost three actors. During all the phases of

production, the film was at risk of falling apart. Each

day of ushering it into existence was fraught with setback, after setback. With a crew of five, we scheduled eighteen shooting days (filming only on the weekends). During the second week of filming, the sound recordist fell asleep on the train and had his laptop and hard drive stolen with—of course—that weekend’s sound

capture. We caught 48 cabs from Manhattan to

Brooklyn, hauling film

equipment and actors

from location to location. I injured my back carrying equipment up a three-story walk up Brownstone, and was in great deal of pain for the remainder of production.

Each day of production was accompanied by the fear that it would all fall apart. I was more than willing to walk away from it all. By the end of eighteen shooting days, six weeks in total, the Clockwork production had taken a huge emotional toll. Hemingway once said, “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” After this production, I am strong in the broken places. -M.I., 4.29.13

Writer/Director Malik Isasis

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CAST AND CREW

Nikhil Melnechuk asMuhammad Masood

Nikhil Melnechuk grew up in Amherst, Mass., and was educated at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. He has called New York City home for the past five years. When not acting and filmmaking, he spends his time writing poetry—performing annually at the HOWL Festival, New York Poetry Festival, at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival—and running the BOWWOW Poetry series at the Bowery Poetry Club. Nikhil's film production company, the Melnechuk Company, works on international and domestic documentaries and features, and collaborates with such acclaimed directors as Israel's Amos Kollek and Denmark's Flemming Fynsk. Nikhil is currently producing Lena & Marilyn (working title), the untold true story of the life-changing friendship between Marilyn Monroe and her seamstress, Lena Pepitone.

Patricia Gil de Rubio asMala Adou

Patricia Gil de Rubio was born and raised in the city of San Juan in Puerto Rico. Patricia currently lives in New York City where she divides her time between acting and working. Although she loves the energy of New York City she tries to visit her island as much as possible to spend time with her family and friends. Patricia first got bitten by the acting bug while studying theatre with her high school Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas.

Those four years were enough to let her know that acting was her future. Although she has a passion for acting Patricia always had a strong interest in biological sciences. After graduating from high school, she decided to pursue a BA in Biology/Pre med from Manhattanville College in Westchester, NY. Patricia currently holds a BA in biological sciences while still pursuing an acting career in NYC.

Teresa Stephenson asDetective SavvidesTeresa was born and raised in New Orleans, La. She attended the New Orleans School for Creative Arts, rushing between rehearsals and soccer practice. She attended Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and holds an MFA in Acting from Rutgers University. Her theatre credit consists of Up With Some People (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Race Music (Diverse City/Theatre). Teresa co-stared in a Comedy Central pilot, Evan and Gareth Are Trying to Get Laid (Comedy Central).

Vern Tremble asDetective MiguelVern began his career as a musician at the Savannah Arts Academy, a nationally accredited visual and performing arts high school. Vern honed his skills as a stage performer at Georgia State University (GSU), where he studied Classical Voice and Opera. During his time at GSU, Vern earned the incredible opportunity to sing background vocals for the Grammy-Award winning, George Benson. This is Vern’s first feature film.

Sade Namei asSurrey Masood Sade is a native of Tehran, Iran. She studied theatre at JMU and has trained at Shakespeare and Co. and with the SITI Company. She is also a member of the BATS, resident acting company at the Flea Theater and has worked with Write Act Theatre Co. and New Fangled Theater. She first performed at the U.N. as a response to The Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's campaign to end violence against women. Sade is currently working to expand her one-woman show, In Medias Res, conceived in a workshop with Tim Miller and performed at PS 122 and The Brick Theatre in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Co-StarsLidia Sek (Sherbahno Krish)Lucia Grillo (Chief Gillispie)David L. Carson (David Mueller)Artan Telqui (Gabriel)Kenneth Browning (Jesse Arturro)Chris Holliday (Principal Anna)Jared Szafman (Gary)Matt Rosario (Camera Man)Dwayne Gott (Detective Gott)Maria Kadais (Neighbor)Jennifer Burry (Francesca Mueller)

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Malik IsasisWriter/Director/ProducerMalik Isasis is an award-winning filmmaker, and Clockwork marks his sixth feature. His film Urbanworld won for best picture and director in the Black International Berlin Film Festival 2009. Malik grew up in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in Social Work before migrating to New York City. After September 11, 2001 he served as producer, cinematographer and editor on an award-winning feature documentary film, Nazrah, which dealt with the perspective of Muslim women after the September 11th attacks. Nazrah won best documentary at the Other Worlds are Breathing Film Festival 2003. In 2010, Malik produced and directed a narrative film, New York Decalogue, and his second documentary, Stomping on the Devil’s Head, about the effects of slavery and American apartheid on African Americans’ relationship with their hair. Malik lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Olga VazquezCinematographer/ProducerOlga is from Madrid, Spain. She attended the New York Film Academy, completing her degree in cinematography. She has shot and produced numerous short films. Clockwork marks the first time that she lensed a feature film, and also served as its producer.

Tiffany Laine De MottVisual EffectsSince the first time she tripped a shutter at age four, Tiffany has been translating her visual

thoughts into realizations. She is continually experimenting with different forms of media in order to express her ideas. She has exhibited as a photographer, graphic designer, book artist, sculptor and filmmaker. In 2004 she founded her dual design studio, consisting of Nibblemark Design, which focuses on photography and print design, and Font Films, a production company that focuses on multiple aspects of filmmaking. Tiffany has worked in the arts professionally as a teacher, photographer, print designer, jewelry designer, interior designer, exhibition designer, online editor, film director, cinematographer, production designer, screenwriter, film score composer and motion graphics artist. She holds a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. At the Rhode Island School of Design she earned her MFA in graphic design with an emphasis on digital media. She has earned a Collegiate Teaching Certification from Brown University. Tiffany teaches design and digital media at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

Topher FarrellSound DesignTopher holds a degree with an emphasis on sound design and audio production. He has worked on five features, two documentaries, and multiple shorts. Clockwork, marks his fifth collaboration with Malik. He is the sole proprietor of Profound Sounds/Left Hand Productions.

Benjamin EricksonComposerThis is Ben’s third collaboration with Malik. He graduated from Monatana University with a degree in filmmaking and in music composition. Ben lives and works in Seattle.

Production Manager: Jonathan Dimaio

Sound Recorder:Nicolas Behncke

First Assistant Director: Daniel Melnechuk

First Assistant Camera/Digital Image Technician:Mariya Suranova

Second Assistant Camera:Tim Klein

Third Assistant Camera:Ines Portugal

Fourth Assistant Camera: Lala Juraver

Gaffer: Anna Franquesa