SHOOTING FOR THE PHANTOM FATHER GETS UNDERWAY IN BUCOVINA, ROMANIA

• Road movie from Lucian Georgescu, based on a story by legendary American author and screenwriter Barry Gifford, starring Marcel Iures and Mihaela Sarbu

Bucharest / Berlin, November 3rd 2008 - Generic Audiovizual (GAV) - Romania - and Von Vietinghoff Film Productions - Germany - are thrilled to announce the start of principal photography for The Phantom Father feature production. The Phantom Father is a contemporary road-movie based on a Barry Gifford story, starring Marcel Iures as Robert Botto. The film is the first part of The Phantom Trilogy (The Phantom Father, Ghost House Memories and Back to Transylvania) - a Romanian-German-Swiss independent co-production. The shooting period is scheduled until the end of the year in various locations in Bucovina (Northern Romania), Braila (South Danube/Romania), Bucharest, Budapest and US. Release is due Fall 2009.

The Phantom Father: Synopsis
Robert Botto, professor at Stanford University, is researching the biography of the famous Traum brothers: Rudolph, the recently deceased novelist, and Samuel, who once made his living as a racketeer in Chicago. Adrift in his personal life, Robert decides to look for adventure traveling first to Vienna and Budapest, then to Transylvania and Bucovina, former Austro Hungarian Empire provinces. It is in the Bucovina that he encounters Tanya, a government archivist, who agrees to help him in his search. On the road they encounter not only persons who help or hinder their search, but each other's true being. The world into which they enter is filled with danger, romance, weird past stories and dark secrets of a social and historical nature, events that were and are apocalyptic in scope. Robert Botto finds himself embroiled in a world he never knew existed, an Old World that, ultimately, portends renewal of spirit and place. (Barry Gifford/Lucian Georgescu)

The Phantom Trilogy: Project Info
A series of three Eastern Europe set-up feature road movies (The Phantom Father, Ghost House Memories and Back to Transylvania): bitter comedies and fantasy tales of foreigners visiting a mysterious land with which they share love and hate past stories, memories or ghosts.

The Trilogy is written and produced by Lucian Georgescu (In fiecare zi e noapte/Night within a day, Fii cu ochii pe fericire). Notable auteur contributions from Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart: The wild life of Sailor and Lula, Lost Highway, Perdita Durango, City of Ghosts) for The Phantom Father - the first episode of the Trilogy -, Robert Ralston (Drum Bun, Jew by Choice, Mittendrin) and Tudor Voican (California Dreamin') for Ghost House Memories.

Trilogy credits also include co-producer Joachim von Vietinghoff (The Man from London, Commercial Men, Dear Mr. Wonderful/Ruby's Dream) and DOP Liviu Marghidan (California Dreamin'). The Phantom Father, the Trilogy first episode casts - for the main role of Robert Botto - Marcel Iures (Youth without Youth, Amen, Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End, Isolation, Hart's War, Goal!, The Cave, The Tulse Luper Suitcases - Part 2: Vaux to the Sea, The Peacemaker, Interview with the Vampire, Mission: Impossible).

The movie represents the debut of Mihaela Sarbu (Tanya), well known for her prestigious independent theatre activity and outstanding Neil LaBute interpretations. Credits include Valer Dellakeza (Sami) - the infamous Albu from Dan Pita's Hotel de Lux (Silver Lion, Venice - 1992) and Mihai Constantin (Une ete inoubliable) as Mayor Codrescu.

Centrul National al Cinematografiei (CNC) – Romania – and the EU Media Program support the production.

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