:: Spotlight :: A chance to be at the FIX Premiere in New York

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

FIX takes you from Beverly Hills to Watts, and places in between, in one day, as documentary filmmakers Bella and Milo race to get Milo's brother Leo from jail to rehab before 8.00pm, or Leo goes to prison for three years. Inspired by true events, we follow the trio as they document their trip from a suburban police station in Calabasas through mansions in Beverly Hills, East LA chop-shops, rural wastelands, and housing projects in Watts as they attempt to raise the $5,000 required to get Leo into the rehab clinic.

Along the way the audience meets dozens of colourful characters, each with their own perspective on Leo's larger than life personality and style, and each with their own excuse for why they cannot help out. In the end, it may take a drug deal to get the necessary funds for rehab.

Here are words from director Tao Ruspoli:
FIX is inspired by a true story: My brother, a very charming, larger than life character in real life, was struggling with drug addiction. The law caught up with him, and he was offered a deal by the judge: if he didn't check himself into rehab in 10 days, he would be sent to prison for 3 years. On the 8th day, he was arrested again, for something else. His lawyer called me, while I was working on a documentary in San Francisco, and said, “If someone doesn't bail him out of jail and get him to rehab by 8.00pm tomorrow, he is going to prison for 3 years.” So I drove overnight to bail him out and soon found out that the rehab wouldn't accept him without a nonrefundable $5000 deposit. Since we didn't have the money, the day turned into a race to get the funds before the 8 o'clock deadline.

Four years later, my wife Olivia Wilde and I had the idea of turning this premise into my first narrative feature film. I knew it was time for me to move into scripted features and I was also dying to work with Olivia, who was developing into an incredible actress. We always joked that while we had gotten married after only knowing each other for 6 months, the real commitment (and risk) it takes to make a film together required four years.

Given my background in guerilla style documentary filmmaking, I wanted to use the language I had developed in that medium and apply it to my first narrative project. In that way, I hoped to get the best of both worlds: the immediacy and realism of documentary and the structure and story arc of scripted, fictional work. Given advances in digital media, I was also excited by the fact that we could do this without sacrificing my love of photography and “cinematic” imagery.

The process and result turned out to be more gratifying than I ever could have imagined. Seeing Shawn bring his own vision and spirit to the Leo character was delightful. Shooting was adventurous and fun, and bringing the film to festivals around the world and seeing how the film touched people from so many walks of life was more than I ever dreamed of. I am excited for the film to now reach an even larger audience with this fall's release.

Now, if that isn't gripping enough, here is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the FIX New York Premiere on November 14, 2009.

The winner of the special online contest receives two round trip airfare tickets to New York City for the premiere of the film, two nights hotel stay in Manhattan, a digital camera, autographed FIX merchandise, including an autographed script of the movie, and press and photo opportunities on the red carpet. Since this is a viral video contest, the winner will also have their viral video screened in front of the entire audience during the premiere.

The main prize is available to US residents only, but some of the minor prizes can be won by people outside of the US - please read the conditions of entry.

For your chance to win, click here