Where We're Meant to Be

Last updated
Where We're Meant to Be
Where We're Meant to Be Official Poster.jpg
Official poster
Directed by Michael Howard
Written by Michael Howard
Starring
  • Blayne Weaver
  • Tate Hanyok
  • Sarah Bousquet
  • Tracey Coppedge
  • Tim Ross
  • Anna Nalepka
  • Seth Nicholas Gore
CinematographyChris Medico
Edited by Michael Howard
Production
company
Invisible Productions
Distributed byTurnKey Films
Release dates
  • April 8, 2016 (2016-04-08)(Vail Film Festival)
  • July 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35,000

Where We're Meant to Be is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Michael Howard. The film travels in and out of the lives of a number of different characters as each one connects to the next during their most pivotal moments.

Contents

The film won multiple awards during its film festival run and was picked up for distribution by TurnKey Films in 2017. It was released via Flix Premiere in July 2017.

Plot

The film consists of multiple storylines and each story has a character or incident that changes the life of another character in a variety of ways. Some interactions are very direct while others may be small, seemingly inconsequential, moments that have just as large of an impact. The film explores these moments and more as we see into various lives during certain vital moments. [1]

The stories broadly consist of:

Primary cast

Production

Where We're Meant to Be was filmed on a budget of $25,000 over 23 days between May and July 2015. The film was shot on location in North Carolina with filming taking place in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Roxboro, Cary and Fuquay-Varina. [2]

Music

The score was written by Steven Grove and the soundtrack consists of songs from Greg Laswell, Cary Brothers, Jack the Radio, Day at the Fair, Buddy (band), Tom Rosenthal (musician), Butterfly Boucher, and other indie artists from around the world. [3]

Themes

The central theme of the film is connection and how small moments that seem inconsequential can make a huge difference in a life. And since you don't know what moments can make the difference, there's no point in stressing out about it. Howard says of the theme that "one of the most important aspects is to just live your life regardless of what's happening around you. If you're worried or stressed out about something, it's not going to do any good to shut down and not keep moving on. And whether the situation turns out good or bad, there was still so much wasted time in that interim. It's not how much time you have; it's how you use that time that makes all the difference. [4]

Reception

The film had its world premiere on April 8, 2016 at the Vail Film Festival and continued on with a successful film festival run. It garnered more than a dozen award wins and nominations throughout the festival circuit and was picked up for distribution by TurnKey Films in 2017. [5]

Critical reception

Where We're Meant to Be received positive reviews from critics.

Reel Honest Reviews: "A thoughtful, beautiful film full of love and emotion. Creating such a philosophical and entertaining film on this budget should be lauded as a true accomplishment. Be sure to catch this film...it might just change how you see the world." [6]

Indie Spotlight Network: "...bravely written script with heartfelt dialogue as well as compelling character development." [7]

The Independent Critic: "Where We're Meant to be is an indie gem" and "emotionally honest story and performances along with an uncommon intelligence that permeates through every digital cell of the film." [8]

Accolades

FestivalYearAward Category[ citation needed ]RecipientResult
filmSPARK Film Festival2016Best Film (Best of Fest)Where We're Meant to BeWon
Raleigh Film Festival2016Best Feature FilmWhere We're Meant to BeWon
Los Angeles Cinefest2016Audience Award Best FilmWhere We're Meant to BeWon
Best Feature FilmWhere We're Meant to BeNominated
North Carolina Film Awards2016President's Award Michael Howard Won
Cape Fear Independent Film Festival2017Best Screenplay - "Don Award" Michael Howard Won
Best Feature FilmWhere We're Meant to BeNominated
Eastern NC Film Festival2016Best FilmWhere We're Meant to BeWon
Audience - "Distance Award"Where We're Meant to BeWon
Best Supporting ActorSeth Nicholas GoreWon
Best ActressTracey CoppedgeNominated
Best Supporting ActressAnna NalepkaNominated
Best Supporting Actor Blayne Weaver Nominated
GardenCity International Film Festival2017Best Feature FilmWhere We're Meant to BeNominated
Asheville Film Festival2016Best Supporting ActressAnna NalepkaWon
Best FilmWhere We're Meant to BeNominated
Best Supporting ActorJack HarrisonNominated

Release

TurnKey Films released the film via Flix Premiere in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2017 and the United States on 7 July 2017. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Short Cuts</i> 1993 film by Robert Altman

Short Cuts is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film is set in Los Angeles, in contrast to the original Pacific Northwest backdrop of Carver's stories. Short Cuts traces the actions of 22 principal characters, both in parallel and at occasional loose points of connection.

<i>Guncrazy</i> 1992 American film

Guncrazy is a 1992 American crime drama film inspired by the 1950 film Gun Crazy. It was directed by Tamra Davis in her feature film directorial debut, written by Matthew Bright and starring Drew Barrymore. Davis had read the script in 1985, but filming did not begin until November 1991. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 1992, and aired on Showtime beginning later that year. The film had a limited theatrical release in January 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Winding Refn</span> Danish filmmaker

Nicolas Winding Refn is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer.

<i>500 Days of Summer</i> 2009 film directed by Marc Webb

(500) Days of Summer is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Marc Webb, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and produced by Mark Waters. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as Tom and Summer respectively, and in a nonlinear narrative structure, Tom chronicles the story of his relationship with Summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Warner</span>

Martin Warner is a British technology entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known as the chief executive officer and founder of botObjects, Flix Premiere and Autonomous Flight.

<i>Rubber</i> (2010 film) Film by Quentin Dupieux

Rubber is a 2010 English-language French independent horror comedy film written and directed by Quentin Dupieux. The film is about a tire that comes to life and kills people with psychokinetic powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Howard (filmmaker)</span> American actor and filmmaker

Michael Howard is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and founder of the film company Invisible Productions.

<i>Middle of Nowhere</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by Ava DuVernay

Middle of Nowhere is a 2012 American independent drama film written and directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick and Lorraine Toussaint. The film was the winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic Film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Howard Cantour.com</i> 2012 American film

Howard Cantour.com is a 2012 American short film directed by actor Shia LaBeouf. The short was shown at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2012, followed by an online premiere on December 17, 2013. The short film follows the eponymous internet film critic Howard Cantour, who was played by Jim Gaffigan. Howard Cantour.com was plagiarized from Justin M. Damiano, a comic by Dan Clowes, as the premise and much of the dialog is identical, and LaBeouf took credit for the film but did not seek permission from Clowes or acknowledge Clowes in the film's credits.

<i>Hustle & Flow</i> 2005 film directed by Craig Brewer

Hustle & Flow is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer. The film stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who dreams of becoming a rapper. The ensemble cast includes Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, Paula Jai Parker, Elise Neal, DJ Qualls and Ludacris. Produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain, the film tells the story of one man's struggle to turn his life around through music.

<i>Be My Cat: A Film for Anne</i> 2015 film by Adrian Țofei

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne is a 2015 Romanian found footage psychological horror film directed, produced, written, and starring Adrian Țofei, about an aspiring filmmaker who goes to extreme levels to convince actress Anne Hathaway to star in his film. It is the first entry in Țofei's planned indie trilogy which includes We Put the World to Sleep and Pure. It is also Țofei's first film and Romania's first found footage horror movie.

<i>It</i> (2017 film) 2017 supernatural horror film by Andy Muschietti

It is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, primarily covering the first chronological half of the book. It is the first film in the It film series as well as being the second adaptation following Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries. Starring Jack Dylan Grazer and Bill Skarsgård, the film was produced by New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment. The film, set in Derry, Maine, tells the story of The Losers' Club, a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by the eponymous being which emerges from the sewer and appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Skarsgård), only to face their own personal demons in the process.

<i>The Beguiled</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Sofia Coppola

The Beguiled is a 2017 American Southern Gothic thriller film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullinan. It stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning. It is the second film adaptation of Cullinan's novel, following Don Siegel's 1971 film of the same name.

<i>The Frame</i> (film) 2014 American film

The Frame is a 2014 American science fiction film, written and directed by Jamin Winans and starring David Carranza and Tiffany Mualem. It was produced by Winans's own independent production company, Double Edge Films, with Kiowa K. Winans, and shot by cinematographer Robert Muratore in locations around Denver, Colorado. It is the follow-up to the 2009 science fiction fantasy film Ink, also written and directed by Jamin Winans. The Frame played at the 2015 Sitges Film Festival in Spain, the 2015 Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam and the 2015 Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil.

Flix Premiere is a British media-services provider founded in 2015 by Martin Warner. The company's primary business is its subscription-based streaming OTT service, which offers online streaming of films, including some produced in-house. Two months after its UK opening, it premiered in the United States. The Guardian described the site as a supermarket for indie cinema, noting that it were few familiar titles available on the site, but that those available were the "best of the bunch" from film festivals and not available on other platforms.

<i>Causeway</i> (film) 2022 film by Lila Neugebauer

Causeway is a 2022 American drama film directed by Lila Neugebauer and written by Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Russell Harvard. It follows a soldier struggling to adjust to her life after returning home to New Orleans.

<i>Flee</i> (film) 2021 animated documentary film

Flee is a 2021 independent adult animated documentary film directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. An international co-production with Denmark, France, Norway, and Sweden, it follows the story of a man under the alias Amin Nawabi, who shares his hidden past of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan to Denmark for the first time. Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau serve as executive producers and narrators for the English-language dub version.

<i>Summer of Soul</i> 2021 documentary film by Questlove

Summer of Soul is a 2021 American independent documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories. It had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. by Searchlight Pictures on June 25, 2021, before expanding and being released for streaming on Hulu the next weekend.

<i>Friend of the World</i> 2020 American film by Brian Patrick Butler

Friend of the World is a 2020 American independent black-and-white film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler in his feature film debut, starring Nick Young and Alexandra Slade. The surreal experimental film takes place post-apocalypse and tells the story of a young filmmaker and a military general trapped in a bunker with a mysterious threat.

<i>Pearl</i> (2022 film) American film by Ti West

Pearl is a 2022 American horror film directed, produced, and edited by Ti West, and co-written by West and Mia Goth. It is the second installment in West's X film series and a prequel to X (2022). Goth reprises her role as the title character, with a supporting cast featuring David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, and Emma Jenkins-Purro. Pearl serves as an origin story for the title villain, whose fervent aspiration to become a movie star led to her committing violent acts on her family's Texas homestead in 1918.

References

  1. "An Inside Look at Where We're Meant to Be - KSKE Ski Country". KSKE Ski Country. 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  2. "10th Anniversary Carrboro Film Festival | Chapel Hill Recorder". www.chapelhillrecorder.com. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  3. Where We're Meant to Be (2016) , retrieved 2017-08-20
  4. "ARRAY - November 2016". Array Magazine. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  5. "Turn Key Films". Turn Key Films. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  6. "Reel Honest Reviews  » Blog Archive  » "Where We're Meant To Be" A True Example of an Indie Film by Pamela Powell". www.reelhonestreviews.com. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  7. "Film Review – Where We're Meant To Be". Indie Spotlight Network. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  8. "The Independent Critic - "Where We're Meant to Be" Winning Awards on Festival Circuit". theindependentcritic.com. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  9. Where We're Meant to Be , retrieved 2017-08-20