BOXCAR

A Short film by Coen Haver

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Project Information

About the project

LOCKLINEUnable to go to their high school dance together, two gay teenagers seek refuge in a boxcar. There, they dream of escaping their conservative town.

BOXCAR takes you back to 1987, the same year Margaret Thatcher held her famous Tory Speech. In this period, new anti gay laws were abided across the entire Western World. At the same time, the two gay teenagers Austin and Harley dream of finding a safe haven.

THE FILM
The multi award winning script BOXCAR is written by David-Matthew Barnes (1970) an American author and screenwriter. The film will mark Haver's international debut and brings us to rural California. Unable to attend their high school dance together, Austin and Harley decide to skip Homecoming and seek refuge in an abandoned boxcar. There, they dream of escaping the ultra conservative small town they live in, hoping to discover a place where they can exist and love without fear.

The script already won numerous international awards, including Best Script at the Los Angeles Television, Script and Film Festival and Best Script at New Renaissance Film Festival. It was at this festival that Barnes and Haver met. Haver was there to screen MY PIECE OF HAPPINESS, a film that eventually won “Best Actress”(Hetty Heyting).

Click on the image to watch a scene from MY PIECE OF HAPPINESS.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES
“I was immediately touched by Barnes’ script. It has great dialogue with lots of emotional subtext. It allows me to create a magical realistic film that will touch many viewers. But BOXCAR is also perflectly timed. It offers hope and teaches us that no matter where you’re from, you can always overcome your greatest struggles with love.”

“After careful consideration I have decided to set the story in 1987. Lately, the 80’s have celebrated a revival in television series and movies. And mainly they capture the optimism, the innocence and the excitement of this period of time. But the 80's also show a lot of similarities to the darker sides of our time. On the one hand there was economical growth and low unemployment. On the other hand there was, due to immigration, a growing social discomfort. Churches and other social institutes started to spread a conservative moral actively defending traditional family values and condemning homosexuality and pornography. In that perspective, it's more than just aesthetically interesting to travel back to this period.”

“The film will be shot at night, under an almost full moon, causing an uncomfortable and surreal look. Coyotes are howling in the background, while city lights dance in the distance. Actors are filmed up close, creating an intense feeling.”

WHY WE NEED YOU?
The 15-minutes short film will be produced by Kupenda Films and Revolver Amsterdam. Raymond van der Kaaij (co-producer of LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, starring Kate Beckinsale) and Coen Haver will act as Producers, with Haver also taking the director’s chair.

BOXCAR is planned to be shot November 2017. Its premiere is planned for March 2018. But to make it really happen we need you! So donate, share this project with your friends, family and business relations and become a part of this unique co-operation between Dutch and American film makers.

De motivatie van bkkc bij dit project:
Boxcar wordt opgenomen in Californië, waarbij de Brabantse filmmaker Coen Haver zowel producer als director zal zijn. Zijn passie en toewijding aan het project werkt aanstekelijk. Samen met zijn team zal hij hard werken om een mooie film in elkaar te zetten. Een bijzondere samenwerking tussen Brabant en de Verenigde Staten. Bkkc steunt dit project graag!

Dit project wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door het VSB fonds.

Quote that inspired the maker

"They'll tear your heart out."

Austin (from the script BOXCAR)

Cast & crew

DAVID-MATTHEW BARNES – WRITER

David-Matthew Barnes (born September 3, 1970) is an American author, playwright, poet, and screenwriter. He wrote 10 novels, two of which got recognized by the American Library Association for their diversity. Barnes also wrote several short stories and over fifty stage plays that have been performed in three languages in eight countries.

Barnes is the writer and director of the coming-of-age film Frozen Stars (starring Lana Parrilla of ABC's Once Upon a Time), which received worldwide distribution. His screenplays and teleplays have been official selections in the Hollywood Screenplay Contest, the StoryMode Independent Short Film Awards, the Queer Hippo International LGBT Film Festival in Houston, the Shore Scripts Screenwriting Competition in London and the Film Makers TV Writing Competition in Los Angeles. For his screenplay Boxcar, Barnes received the award for Best Short Screenplay at the 2017 New Renaissance Film Festival in Amsterdam. For his screenplay Tagged, Barnes received a 2017 Los Angeles Film Award for Best Screenplay Short and the award for Best Short Screenplay at the 2017 Universe Multicultural Film Festival.

David-Matthew Barnes lives in Denver, Colorado with his husband, Edward C. Ortiz.

RAYMOND VAN DER KAAIJ - PRODUCER (REVOLVER AMSTERDAM)

As CEO, Raymond van der Kaaij has made Revolver Amsterdam an award-winning, independent hybrid studio encompassing the development, production, financing and distribution of exceptional content for audiences worldwide. Stories that matter, that provoke, that have impact. To earn true attention and deep engagement.

Well-known and well-received films (co)produced by Revolver are LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, directed by Whit Stillman, starring Kate Beckinsale and BODKIN RAS, directed by Kaweh Midiri and winner of the Fipresci Award of the international film critics (IFFR2016).

COEN HAVER – DIRECTOR and PRODUCER (KUPENDA FILMS)

Coen Haver studied Theatre & Film Studies and American History & Culture (minor) at Utrecht University. Since 2010, he is the owner of Kupenda Films. This production company, based in Den Bosch, aims to develop and produce original, moving and engaging films that deserve attention. Previous productions include the multi Award winning short MY PIECE OF HAPPINESS and the Hendrik Valk Award winning documentary PROGRAMMING THE BODY.

Haver debuted at a film festival with UNDER MY BED, a short children’s film screened at Cinekid 2015. In 2016 he directed MY PIECE OF HAPPINESS, starring Marloes van den Heuvel and Hetty Heyting. This short romantic story tells the story of two women, who have been secretly in love for quite some time. The film has already been screened at more than 10 festivals spread over 4 continents. BOXCAR will be his first short shot overseas.

Comments

Unknown

heel veel succes met het realiseren van de film en je droom

Karel

Succes Coen!

Patricia

Heel veel succes! Jullie gaan dit fixen!!

Unknown

De droom en de jacht. De rest is bijzaak. Geniet.

Unknown

Heel veel succes Coen! Ik ben benieuwd! Groeten, Stan

Unknown

Lieve Coen, Ik hoop dat je er echt een parel van kan maken en dat het je ver gaat brengen :) Liefs!

Unknown

Heel veel succes en alvast een diepe buiging!!

Unknown

Ik hoop echt dat het zal lukken om het benodigde bedrag bij elkaar te krijgen, want dit is een heel waardevol project dat alle steun verdient. Heel veel succes, Coen!!

Unknown

Ik hoop dat je het haalt maat, want nu wil ik deze film 100% zien! Duim voor je :-D!

Unknown

maak er godverdomme wat moois van...!

Marjoes

Hi Coen, succes! We wachten met spanning op het resultaat. groet Nieuwe Filmers Marcus en Marjoes

Jef

Zet hem op Coen!

Unknown

Ha Coen! Natúúrlijk doneer ik aan iemand die zijn dromen najaagt! Op de premièreavond van Mijn Stuk Geluk tijdens NFF zag ik wat je in petto hebt. I was impressed and entertained. Ga zo door! Gr. Ruben

Lars

Heel veel succes Coen!

Babs

Kick some ass!

Unknown

Succes Coen. Mooie stap!!!

Frits

Succes met de crowdfunding!

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Updates

Interview David-Matthew Barnes and Coen Haver

Director Coen Haver: "When D Matthew Barnes told me about his script BOXCAR, that was in competition at NRFF, I was intrigued immediately. A few days after the festival I received an email from David-Matthew, containing the script. I read it and I knew: this is the film I’m going to make next. Luckily, he shared my enthusiasm.”

Read the entire interview that Barnes and Coen Haver had with NRFF on here.

5 September 2017 12:40

Door

BOXCAR screened at Roze Filmdagen

Amazing news: BOXCAR will celebrate its World Premiere at Roze Filmdagen; Amsterdam LGBTQ Film Festival in March 2018.

The festival writes: " It is my pleasure to write and sign this letter of intent for the screening of the new short film BOXCAR at the film festival in 2018 (...).

Just like My Piece of Happiness, BOXCAR is using its LGBT theme to show that true love will always overcome even the strongest forces. And that is exactly what we want to share with our festival visitors."