Actor, writer, director and all-round funny man Josh Lawson will see his debut feature film, THE LITTLE DEATH, have its international premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). A truly original comedy about sex, love, relationships and taboo, THE LITTLE DEATH will screen in TIFF’s Discovery section – devoted to first or second features.
THE LITTLE DEATH explores the strange, hilarious and sometimes disastrous places our desires can take us in pursuit of that fleeting moment of sexual ecstasy; a moment the French call ‘la petite mort’ – the little death. Featuring an ensemble cast of Australia’s finest talent, including Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Lachy Hulme and Lisa McCune, writer and director Josh Lawson has cleverly constructed a film that all at once defies expectations, continually surprises and is genuinely charming.
A laugh-out-loud funny, honest and ultimately moving film, THE LITTLE DEATH looks at the secret sex lives of five ordinary couples. It tells the story of Maeve, who has a dangerous sexual fantasy that her boyfriend Paul struggles to fulfil; Evie and Dan, who reignite their spark with role-play; Rowena, who discovers she finds pleasure in her husband Richard’s pain; Phil, who finds a newfound love for his wife Maureen in her quieter moments; and Monica and Sam, who become caught up in a dirty and chaotic phone call.
Premiering at this year’s Sydney Film Festival (SFF) where it was voted second in SFF’s Audience Award for Best Feature, Lawson’s directorial debut has struck a chord with audiences and critics alike, with the Hollywood Reporter calling it “a deviant antipodean version of Love Actually, actor Josh Lawson’s writing and directing debut shows both his funny bone and his heart are in the right place.”
To say Lawson is excited about his debut feature screening at TIFF is an understatement. Upon hearing the announcement, Lawson said, “When I heard that THE LITTLE DEATH had been accepted in the Toronto International Film Festival I honestly punched the air like Judd Nelson at the end of The Breakfast Club, but less cool. I couldn’t have been more excited. I’m thrilled and proud to have our film in one of the world’s most illustrious film festivals. I think we’ve done something really original and funny and bold with THE LITTLE DEATH, and I can’t wait for people to finally see it.”
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4-14, 2014.
I’ll be sure to get myself down to the theatres for this one! I’ve been looking forward to an ORIGINAL romantic comedy for some time, as the ones made at the moment seem to be the same plot, with slightly different characters.