all content copyright 2003-2011 christopher michael beer / all rights reserved / falling up sky does not exist on myface, twatter, or any other mode of interface besides this one.
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An old man is fading in and out of his memories, and quietly contemplating how his life will end in assisted living care. Just as he begins to feel as though he has become a burden to his family, his young grandson comes to him.
'Metronome' is a postulative short film that pays attention to the passage and monotony of time at the end of our life. I was invited to contribute a film to the Remodernist feature collaboration 'In Passing.' This is the result.
It had its world premiere at Cinekinosis in Bristol, UK, and a North American premiere at the Quad Cinema in Manhattan.
A young pickpocket in Prague, preying on old ladies and American students, gets a taste of her own medicine when she comes across an old tourist.
Shot as part of my stay at FAMU in Prague, 'Liska' (or: 'Fox') is heavily inspired by, and paying grand homage to, Czech and French New Wave cinemas.
It has since played to audiences of all ages at festivals and screenings all over the world, and has been used in classrooms in New York, Prague, and Bordeaux.
The lead, Ingrid Diaz, will melt you.
A young man comes home one night to find his family dead...murdered. He enlists the help of his girlfriend in figuring out who is responsible, only to find out more than he bargained for.
'Anthill' was shot immediately after high school, while I was finishing off my first internship on a feature film that was shooting in Minnesota. I was able to coerce some of the actors to appear in this, as well as borrow some of the equipment to shoot it. I ended up using it as a film school submission, where it was praised for its film noir style and calculated camera work, and subsequently used in a classroom at NYU.
FRAY is the final piece in the 'F stop trilogy,' which I started in 2006, bringing the themes of freedom, choice, nature vs. nurture, GLBT relations, and the transcendental aspect of death to a climax. While FADE was a quiet prelude and FAUX was a thoughtful dialogue, FRAY is the dark crescendo.
The story will revolve around a surrealized version of a military prison, lifting heavily from incidents at Abu Ghraib.
Caleb, a prolific writer, is involved in a hit-and-run accident, where he loses his wife and is left with a fading memory. He decides to take up life in a new city to aide his grieving, and in doing so, meets a filmmaker named Rin. The two inspire each other's work, and eventually their relationship blooms into something more. But that's when new details about Caleb's accident surface.
FAUX is four storylines, shot in four different film styles, intertwining to create a snapshot of the current human rights debate, and illuminate the best and worst of the human character. The film is about sex, cinema, and hope.
The film premiered in Minneapolis, presented by Twin Cities Pride 2010. It oversold.
'Groundbreaking...blurs the
lines between gay, straight,
and even bisexual...how image
and words play off one another
in FAUX simply astonishes.'
-John Townsend, Lavender Magazine
Deep within an Orwellian compound, Chloe leads a bland and meaningless existence, working monotonous tasks without question. One day, she is given charge of a disobedient resident, who ignites Chloe's curioisity to leave the compound. It is in the quiet outside wilderness that Chloe discovers the beauty, loneliness, and transcendental quality of existence.
FADE was my first feature, shot when I was 19, and I ended up using it as my college thesis film. It is a no-budget project that succeeds because of the talented lead, Adia Morris. It draws heavily from the philosophical writings of Louis Althusser, as well as the films of Robert Bresson, Gus Van Sant, Bela Tarr, and Andrei Tarkovsky.
In addition to other public screenings, it has since been used in philosophy and film classrooms in Minneapolis, Boston, and Istanbul.
'Explores the philosophical side
of human existence.'
-Euan Kerr, MPR
v
35mm and 120mm photography.
I'm in the process of making all my films free to watch online at either youtube or vimeo. However, I do have them available for purchase on DVD, and the money goes towards whatever project I'm currently working on. Your support is greatly appreciated, and the fact that people are watching my work is what matters.
The links above will take you to a little self-distribution page for each DVD. Or, if you wish, they may also be found at Amazon.com.
My name is Christopher Michael Beer. I studied film theory and criticism at the University of Minnesota, where my thesis feature film (suprisingly) went on to showings around the world. I also studied film and video production at FAMU in Prague, CZ, under the guidance of Academy Award winning Czech filmmakers.
My work has been screened all over the globe, including Palm Springs, New York City, Bristol, Prague, Bordeaux, and Istanbul. In addition to festival and public showings, my films have been used as part of college curriculums at the Universities of Minnesota, Boston, New York, and classrooms in Prague and Istanbul.
Professionally, I have had the privelege of finding myself on the sets of The Dark Knight Rises, Captain America, Men in Black 3, and A Late Quartet to name a few (the most exciting point that I still like to brag about was working closely with Industrial Light and Magic while they were shooting VFX for The Avengers). In additon to freelancing for BET, Apple, NPR, Marvel Entertainment, and CollegeHumor, I have been asked to guest lecture at NYU on screenwriting. (I also do lots of editing - CBeerEdit.com)
I currently live in Brooklyn, NY, where I continue to bounce around a variety of film and television productions, finding the time to craft my own projects whenever possible. I have my friends and family to thank for all the support they have given me in pursuing my passions (as well as any last minute acting jobs I put them through).
