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Nothing is Truer than Truth
TYPE: Documentary
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: In Distribution
LOGLINE
An A-list party boy on the continental circuit travels throughout Italy and Europe from his home base in Venice and becomes the worlds greatest writer.
SYNOPSIS
Nothing is Truer than Truth looks at the process of writing, where life experience, imitation of the masters, and relentless revision come together to create genius, as the key to discovering Edward de Vere as the true author of the works attributed to William Shakespeare. The film reveals De Vere's epic life story and introduces a brilliant, troubled, charming man.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
I began my career as a writer. At Goddard College, I wrote poetry and studied Shakespeare. I wrote screenplays and took master classes with Whit Stillman, Maria Maggenti, Rose Troche, Christine Vachon, and John Pierson, then worked as publicist for several independent films. I am committed to providing opportunities for new writers to find their voices and explore new media. My first film, All Kindsa Girls, documents the life of a talented songwriter, whose inability to communicate except through lyrics and music thwarted his striving for commercial success. As a writer, I was drawn to the depth and complexity of the character and the conflict between his aspirations and reality. Nothing is Truer than Truth addresses the question of genius and personality on a larger scale, exploring the universal appeal of Shakespeares work in the context of what it means to be a writer. By bringing De Vere to students in classrooms, in theater workshops and at historical sites traditionally associated with Shakespeare and his work, Nothing is Truer than Truth provides an interactive experience for the next generation of Shakespeare scholars. Nothing is Truer than Truth integrates my skills as a writer, filmmaker, publicist, teacher, and entrepreneur
Filmmaker Bio:
Cheryl studied Shakespeare and wrote poetry as a literature major at Goddard College, has a BS in Finance & Business Administration from Boston University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. Her debut documentary, All Kindsa Girls, screened at art house theaters and film festivals in London, Toronto, and throughout the US, is featured in Paul Sherman’s book Big Screen Boston, and was short-listed for the PBS series POV. The film’s theatrical screenings included the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston.
She served as President of Women in Film & Video/New England for several years, and as the 2012 Judge for the Annual Screenwriting Competition. She serves on the Advisory Committee for Women in Film, and on the Board of Directors of The Next Door Theater in Winchester, Massachusetts. Her credits as publicist include the award-winning features All the Rage (Roland Tec 1996) and Could Be Worse! (Zack Stratis 2000). Cheryl has been curator of film series at the Brattle Theatre, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Next Door Theater.
In addition to poetry, she has written narrative screenplays, stage plays, and short stories, and published articles about Shakespeare, screenwriting, and film. She currently teaches English, drama, cinema, screenwriting and filmmaking at Lesley University, Northeastern University, and Grub Street Center for Creative Writing. Cheryl is a frequent lecturer at Shakespeare conferences around the country. Her ten-minute play, Veritas, a send-up of Shakespeare academia, had its first staged reading at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
She has received grants from the De Vere Society and the Shakespeare Fellowship Foundation to support the production of her new film, Nothing is Truer than Truth, based on Mark Anderson’s book Shakespeare By Another Name. The film focuses on the writer Edward de Vere and his travels in Italy, was just relesased by Gavotas Ventures on February 12, 2019 and is currently available on iTunes: https://apple.co/2FAWxVU Amazo: https://amzn.to/2GF6Fwp and several other platforms.
KEY CREW
TRINA RODRIGUEZ - EDITOR
Rodriguez works as a freelance editor and producer in New York City. Her work has appeared in festivals and museums and her documentary Our Lady Queen of Harlem screened in 2009 at MoMA's Documentary Fortnight and is being distributed by Third World Newsreel. She holds a BA in Anthropology and did graduate work in Documentary Studies at The New School.
MEREDITH CROWLEY - CO-PRODUCER
Crowley’s credits include 40 Million Strong, about children affected by HIV/AIDS in Durban, South Africa, and a documentary for the non-profit organization “Tremendous Hearts,” about housing for children affected by AIDS in Capetown, South Africa. Meredith has edited programs including Lessons From Little Rock: a National Report Card; Knock First, a reality series on ABC Family; and Au Revoir Expos. Her recent locations department credits include television programs Rescue Me (FX), Person of Interest (CBS), and Ringer (CW); and feature films Arthur (Warner Bros), Friends With Kids, and Rabbit Hole.
STEPHEN MAING - CO-PRODUCER
Co-producer of Controversy Films documentary All Kindsa Girls, Stephen Maing is a New York based filmmaker. He edited and co-produced the award-winning documentary Lioness. He is a fellow of the Sundance Institutea^s Documentary Storytelling and Edit Lab and the Independent Feature Project Labs program. He is a grant recipient of the MacArthur Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and the Independent Television Service. Stephen has worked as a director, shooter, and editor on numerous documentary and narrative films and teaches classes in documentary cinematography at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. His new film, High Tech, Low Life, premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, has screened at festivals around the world, and will air on PBS in 2013.
CHERYL EAGAN-DONOVAN - WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Cheryl's debut documentary, All Kindsa Girls, screened at festivals and art house theaters in London, Toronto, and throughout the U.S., is featured in Paul Sherman's book Big Screen Boston, and was short-listed for the PBS series POV. She studied Shakespeare and wrote poetry at Goddard College, has a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. She has published articles on Shakespeare and film in literary journals and magazines, and teaches literature, cinema, screenwriting and filmmaking at Northeastern University, Lesley University, and Grub Street Center for Creative Writing.
PAUL SHARPE - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Paul Sharpe is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer whose work includes corporate videos and documentaries about social issues in third world countries. He has traveled extensively throughout the world. Paul shot footage and interrviews for NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH in Italy and in Ashland, Oregon.
MIKE PATTERSON - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Producer/Director Mike Patterson founded PFILM in 2008, a London-based documentary production company. Mike shot footage and interview for NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH in the United Kingdom.
RACHEL RINKESMITH - EDITOR
VICKI OLESKEY - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Vicki began her career in film as an editor in New York, where she worked with pioneers like Sidney Pink. After graduating from NYU, she worked in Morocco as a PA (hired because she spoke French) on a film which may not have seen much light of day in the USA, OUR MAN IN MARRAKESH. When that gig ended, Vicki read and evaluated scripts for a producer and worked as an apprentice film editor. Today she serves on the Board of The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, where she heads the Membership Committee.
BEN AUGUST - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
CHRISTOPHER PAUL - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
JOHN KUSIAK - ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Kusiak has written music for many award-winning documentaries, including programs for PBS and the Sundance Channel. John's score for Errol Morris' film Tabloid won the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors award for Best Original Music Score.
ZIMO HUANG - POST PRODUCTION EDITOR
Zimo was born and raised in Beijing, China. He moved to the States when he was 15 and went to high school in Texas, college in New England, then finally came to Los Angeles to start his creative life. Taking advantage of having lived in both China and the States, Zimo's creative process is a mixture of traditional Eastern culture and modern Western style.
He recently completed work on the documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me which is already gaining Oscar buzz, and he is currently working on the feature film Dominion, starring Rhys Ifans and John Malkovich. Zimo is also a classically trained pianist.
Connect With The Filmmakers:
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ACCOLADES
UPDATE - February 21, 2019
We are thrilled to announce that NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH was released in the U.S. and Canada on February 12, 2019. We did a special screening and reception to celebrate the release at Anthology Film Archives in New York on February 9th, and have screenings scheduled at Southern Oregon University in Ashland on March 29th and in London on April 27th.
Here's the iTunes link:
https://apple.co/2A9zRI4
UPDATE - April 08, 2018
We are thrilled to announce the NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH will have its festival premire at the Independent Film Festival Boston on April 29th at 1 pm at the Brattle Theatre. Independent Film Festival Boston brings the best new films and filmmakers to Boston year-round.
UPDATE - May 23, 2016
We have reached a major milestone with the film project. We added the new interview with Derek Jacobi and the footage shot at Westminster Abbey and locked picture. The project is now being prepared for broadcast and theatrical. Our wonderful composer, Katy Jarzebowski, has been working on the original score, and the graphics, color correction, and audio mix are being completed. We will be meeting with festival programmers, distributors, and broadcasters at the Sheffield Documentary Film Market next month.
UPDATE - September 13, 2015
We are really looking forward to the upcoming Shakespeare Authorship Conference in Ashland, Oregon where will be doing a private screening of the film on Thursday, September 24th.
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