Midnight Delight (film)

Last updated
Midnight Delight
Midnight Delight Film Poster.jpg
Movie Poster
Directed by Rohit Gupta
Written byRohit Gupta
Produced byRohit Gupta
Saumin Mehta
Starring
Cinematography
  • Joshua Echevarria
  • Monika Kolodziej
Edited by
  • Rohit Gupta
  • Saumin Mehta
  • Michael Lester
Music byZaher Akahshli
Production
company
Dot & Feather Entertainment
Release date
  • 21 July 2016 (2016-07-21)
United States
Running time
85 minutes
Country
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Midnight Delight is an American absurdist anthology film written and directed by Rohit Gupta. It is composed of nine vignettes of characters at a smoking lounge and their antics with people they have never met before. It stars an ensemble cast and produced by Gupta and Saumin Mehta under the production company Dot & Feather Entertainment. [1] [2] The film is the second feature directed by Gupta, best known for Life! Camera Action... and Another Day Another Life . [3]

Contents

Midnight Delight premiered at the Cannabis Film Festival in Garberville, Humboldt County, California, where it won the "Judges Choice film of the festival" award followed by garnering various accolades and acclaim at several international film festivals. [4] [5] The film is considered part of the mumblecore movement. [6] It was released on July 21, 2016, via video on demand (VOD) on various platforms including iTunes, Amazon.com, Google Play, Sony, Hoopla, Vimeo, Microsoft Movies & TV, Xbox. [7] [8] Midnight Delight is noted for its realism, concept and narrative style. [9] On October 31, 2016, the film premiered at The Cannabis College in Amsterdam, Netherlands. [10] [11]

Plot

Vignettes composition as follows:

High how are you

Features Michael Laguerre, John Crann (topics include hats, moisturizer). [3]

Awakening

Features Dipti Mehta, Rachel Myers (topics include maths, infinity). [3] [12]

Epiphanation

Features Shaheed Woods, Michele Ann Suttile (topics include Why do we talk, What do models eat, If water makes us fat, dolphins). [3]

Alone Together

Features Adit Dileep, Sofia Siva (topics include courting insights)

Still here?

Features Michael Laguerre, John Crann. [3]

Hi...?

Features Bill McCrea, Maggie Alexander (as personal trainers.) [3]

How high are you

Features Michael Laguerre, John Crann. [3]

Introspecting

Features Joshua E. [3]

illusion or Reality

Features Michael Laguerre, Alexandra Hellquist as an aspiring actress. [3] [13]

Cast

Production

Filming

Midnight Delight has been shot as an improvisatory movie with minimalist techniques and only few pages of treatment for a script. Instead of a script, the actors received outlines, which covered the plot points and were told what had to happen. The film was shot over a period of two nights with multi-camera setup and rehearsals by all actors prior to the filming. It is considered part of the mumblecore movement. [2] [6]

Marketing

The first official poster and teaser-trailer was released on the film's Facebook page on February 21, 2015. The extended version of the trailer was released on September 16, 2015. [14] [15]

Soundtrack

The score for Midnight Delight features two original songs.

No.TitleWriter(s)Artist(s)Length
1."I Get High" (Theme Song)FiloFilo4:07
2."I Hold"SivuSivu featuring Marika Hackman3:46

Release

The film was released on July 21, 2016, through video on demand.

Reception

The film opened at the Cannabis Film Festival in Humboldt county, California where the jury stated "Watching Midnight Delight is like smoking a cinematic joint". [16] At its Washington State premiere at the Hempapalooza Music & Film Festival it was stated, "Midnight Delight is a pure cinematic aphrodisiac that brings a completely new and fresh take on cannabis-based movies and culture”. [2] [17] [18]

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews.

Daniel Libby of DopeChef was enthusiastic, rating the film four stars out of four. Libby suggested "Midnight Delight might be called a part stoner comedy, part philosophical dialogue on life. Through a series of vignettes featuring interwoven conversations, the characters have cannabis sessions and real stuff comes out" and that the film has something for everyone: "Viewers are sure to relate to at least one of the various characters or stoner-types. There’s something for everyone in the cannabis community. This movie is sure to delight audiences". [19]

Awards and nominations

LocationFestival/AwardCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
USA Accolade Film Awards [20] [21] Award of Merit for Feature Film [22] Midnight DelightWon
Award of Merit for Best Lead ActorMichael LaguerreWon
USA Buffalo Dreams Film Festival Best Comedy feature [23] Midnight DelightNominated
USACannabis Film FestivalJudges Choice Film of the FestivalMidnight DelightWon
United StatesCamp Cult Classics Film Festival [24] Classics award [25] [26] Midnight DelightWon
Manila, Philippines iChill International Film Festival 2016Most Controversial Film [27] Midnight DelightWon
USA 21st Indie Gathering international Film Festival Drama-Comedy feature [2] [28] Midnight DelightWon
Milan, ItalyInternational Filmmaker Festival of World CinemaBest Lead Actress [29] Alexandra HellquistNominated
Best Supporting Actress Dipti Mehta [12] Nominated

Selected Official Selection & Screening

See also

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References

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