Small Town Murder Songs
Encyclopedia
Small Town Murder Songs is a 2010 Canadian crime-thriller directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly
. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
September 14, 2010. The film is directed and written by Ed Gass-Donnelly
, produced by Ed Gass-Donnelly
and Lee Kim, and stars Peter Stormare
, Jill Hennessy
, and Martha Plimpton
.
Small Town Murder Songs was shot in Conestoga Lake, Listowel, and Palmerston in Ontario Canada.
The film will be given a limited theatrical release in the United States beginning on May 26, 2011.
on July 19, 2011.
reports that 79% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 19 reviews, with an average score of 6.1/10. Stephen Cole from The Globe and Mail
wrote a positive review saying "STMS succeeds as an Ontario Gothic mood piece". Michael Rechtshafen of The Hollywood Reporter
said Small Town Murder Songs is "An effective ensemble backed by a bracingly haunting soundtrack" after its screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
. Dustin Hucks with Ain't It Cool News
also saw the film at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival
saying "Small Town Murder Songs is definitely a winner in the stable of films showing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year". Shannon from Movie Moxie had wonderful things to say about the film stating that "The powerful score sets an impressive and all-encompassing atmosphere to the film". Robert Bell from Exclaim!
had pleasant things to say about the film stating that there was "some impressive cinematography and an understanding of tone through stillness and minor stylization make for a pleasant experience aesthetically". Howard Feinstein from Screen Daily praised Ed Gass-Donnelly
with his review saying "Ed Gass-Donnelly makes appropriate, unpretentiously artful, stylistic choices in this tale of redemption".
Superscript text
Whistler International Film Festival
Torino International Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival
Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly is an award-winning Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work often explores themes of death, colliding worlds and the darker sides of human nature. His characters are every-day people who are put in extraordinary situations and left to fend for themselves...
. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
September 14, 2010. The film is directed and written by Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly is an award-winning Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work often explores themes of death, colliding worlds and the darker sides of human nature. His characters are every-day people who are put in extraordinary situations and left to fend for themselves...
, produced by Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly is an award-winning Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work often explores themes of death, colliding worlds and the darker sides of human nature. His characters are every-day people who are put in extraordinary situations and left to fend for themselves...
and Lee Kim, and stars Peter Stormare
Peter Stormare
is a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
, Jill Hennessy
Jill Hennessy
Jillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
, and Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton
Martha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
.
Small Town Murder Songs was shot in Conestoga Lake, Listowel, and Palmerston in Ontario Canada.
The film will be given a limited theatrical release in the United States beginning on May 26, 2011.
Cast
- Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Walter - Martha PlimptonMartha PlimptonMartha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
as Sam - Aaron PooleAaron PooleAaron Poole is a Canadian actor. His credits include the films Killing Zelda Sparks, Adoration and This Beautiful City, and the television series Strange Days at Blake Holsey High and ZOS: Zone of Separation. He was nominated for Best Actor at the 29th Genie Awards for his performance in This...
as Jim - Jill HennessyJill HennessyJillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
as Rita - Jackie BurroughsJackie BurroughsJacqueline "Jackie" Burroughs was an English-born Canadian actress.-Life and career:Born in Lancashire, England, Burroughs acted in live theatre at Ontario's Stratford Festival...
as Olive - Ari Cohen as Washington
- Stephen Eric McIntyre as Steve
- Trent McMullenTrent McMullenTrent McMullen is a Canadian actor known for his portrayal of freelance detective Orrie Cather in the A&E TV original series, A Nero Wolfe Mystery , and the series pilot, The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery . In 2010 McMullen starred in Ed Gass-Donnelly's second feature film Small Town Murder...
as Officer Kevin - Alexandria Benoit as Sarah
Release
In March 2011 it was announced that Monterey Media had acquired the United States distribution rights. The limited United States theatrical release began May 26, 2011 at the O-Cinema in Miami, Florida. Monterey Media is set to release the film on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on July 19, 2011.
Festivals
Small Town Murder Songs has been selected to screen at the following film festivals:- Santa Catalina Film Festival - Winner Best Feature
- Phoenix Film FestivalPhoenix Film FestivalPhoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
- World Cinema Director - Whistler Film FestivalWhistler Film FestivalThe Whistler Film Festival is an annual film festival in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 2001. The festival, which is held the first weekend in December, includes six juried competitive sections and one audience award...
- WINNER Best Actress - Torino Film FestivalTorino Film FestivalThe Torino Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival...
- WINNER Fipresci Critic’s Prize Best Film - International Film Festival RotterdamInternational Film Festival RotterdamThe International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
- Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalThe Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
- Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
- Cucalorus Film Festival
- Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
- Santa Barbara International Film FestivalSanta Barbara International Film FestivalThe Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
- Cinequest Film FestivalCinequest Film FestivalThe Cinequest Film Festival is an annual independent film festival held in San Jose, California. The festival highlights the work of new film makers....
- Miami International Film FestivalMiami International Film FestivalThe Miami International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Miami, Florida in the late winter. The film festival is sponsored by the Miami Film Society, which has been around since 1983....
- Cleveland International Film FestivalCleveland International Film FestivalThe Cleveland International Film Festival, first held in 1977, is the largest film festival in Ohio. The 2010 festival featured over 300 films. Since 1991 the festival has been held at Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland.-Roxanne T...
- Vail Film FestivalVail Film FestivalThe Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
- Dallas International Film FestivalDallas International Film FestivalThe DALLAS International Film Festival, presented by DALLAS Film Society, is a film festival that takes place annually in the state of Texas, in the United States. It takes place in April of every year. The 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival will be held March 31-April 10, 2011...
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film FestivalMinneapolis-St. Paul International Film FestivalThe Minneapolis–St. Paul International Film Festival is a springtime film festival in the U.S. state of Minnesota that has been held since the early 1980s. Known as the largest film event in the Upper Midwest, the festival invites numerous films from all corners of the globe, and attracts a large...
- Reel Dakota Film Society/Film Festival
- Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
- Indianapolis International Film FestivalIndianapolis International Film Festival-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...
Critical reception
Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 79% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 19 reviews, with an average score of 6.1/10. Stephen Cole from The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
wrote a positive review saying "STMS succeeds as an Ontario Gothic mood piece". Michael Rechtshafen of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said Small Town Murder Songs is "An effective ensemble backed by a bracingly haunting soundtrack" after its screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
. Dustin Hucks with Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
also saw the film at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
saying "Small Town Murder Songs is definitely a winner in the stable of films showing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year". Shannon from Movie Moxie had wonderful things to say about the film stating that "The powerful score sets an impressive and all-encompassing atmosphere to the film". Robert Bell from Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
had pleasant things to say about the film stating that there was "some impressive cinematography and an understanding of tone through stillness and minor stylization make for a pleasant experience aesthetically". Howard Feinstein from Screen Daily praised Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly is an award-winning Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work often explores themes of death, colliding worlds and the darker sides of human nature. His characters are every-day people who are put in extraordinary situations and left to fend for themselves...
with his review saying "Ed Gass-Donnelly makes appropriate, unpretentiously artful, stylistic choices in this tale of redemption".
Superscript text
Awards
Santa Catalina Film Festival- 2011: won Best Feature
Whistler International Film Festival
- 2010: won Best Actress — Martha PlimptonMartha PlimptonMartha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
Torino International Film Festival
- 2010: won Fipresci Critic’s Prize Best Film
Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
- 2011: won World Cinema Director — Ed Gass-DonnellyEd Gass-DonnellyEd Gass-Donnelly is an award-winning Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work often explores themes of death, colliding worlds and the darker sides of human nature. His characters are every-day people who are put in extraordinary situations and left to fend for themselves...