by Jesse Klein
A bold but bittersweet drama about a teenager and a manic single dad who connect over the course of a wild night in Montreal.
We’re Still Together started with a phone call. I was in Montreal, my brother Joey was in Toronto.
Jesse: I want to write a script with you in one of the lead roles.
Joey: I’ll be in anything you write.
(Several years later.)
The film is having its World Premiere in Competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic!
Since that phone call, I’ve worked on the script tirelessly, we cast the film all over Canada, crewed up with the most wonderful group of people, shot it in Montreal overnight for a month, edited it for many months after that, and now it is finally ready to share.
This has been possible because of the amazing support from the cast and crew, from everyone who worked on this film and believed in it from the beginning. And now it’s time to share the film with the world and have its world premiere as the only Canadian film in competition at a festival – the largest in Central and Eastern Europe – we could not be more thrilled about!
Chris can’t get along with anyone. When he’s attacked in the street Bobby, a manic single dad, jumps in. The two set out into the Montreal night together crashing parties, meeting girls, and eventually seeing Bobby’s estranged daughter – Chris soon discovers that the underside to Bobby’s charm is a self-destructive streak. Over the course of the night, as they come to know each other they try not to lose themselves.
This film is about what it’s like to be alone, what it means for strangers to connect, how showing love can teach you how to live. The two main characters do not know how to be themselves, do not know how to be around those they love and who love them, and so they are cast out.
This is when they find each other.
We’re Still Together is about family in all its many shapes and sizes. It’s about that despite the fact that our families can drive us close to the brink, it’s our families that keep us afloat, that show us what it means to love, and how, in the end, that that is all there is.
I made this film to show that connecting with people, strangers and family alike, reaffirms what it means to be alive. I love the characters in the film and the people who play them, and I think that is reflected on screen. I am so proud of the work each and every person put into this film and I cannot wait to share it with the world!
This film has been possible because of the determination and generosity of a group of people who dedicated themselves because they believed in the project and that has been priceless – it has gotten us to this point.
And now we need your help!
We are seeking finishing funds to get our little film out into the world. Your contribution will help us with making deliverables, obtaining music rights, festival submissions, travel, accommodations – all of the final things needed to start to share our film with an audience.
I am so proud of and excited about the film but more so the work we all put in together to get it here. We are now asking you for one last push to help get our film We’re Still Together out to festival audiences and beyond!
Jesse Klein is a filmmaker from Montréal. Klein holds an MFA in Film and Video Production from the University of Texas at Austin and for the past three years was an Assistant Professor of Film and New Media at Middle Georgia State University. He has written film criticism for Hammer To Nail, ION Cinema and No Budge among other publications. In early 2016, Klein was selected to the Berlinale Talents program as a director. His film We’re Still Together is set to have its World Premiere at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Jesse Camacho plays Chris. He has been an ACTRA member since he was 8 years old. Jesse recently completed filming on the fourth season of the Gemini winning, HBO Canada series, Less Than Kind for which he was nominated for a CSA (Canadian Screen Award) for outstanding performance by an actor in a leading role in a television comedy. Jesse can next be seen in a leading role in the hilarious Kids Vs. Monsters, in a leading role in the thriller Lost After Dark, in a major recurring role on the television series Insomnia and in Jesse Klein’s We’re Still Together.
Joey Klein plays Bobby. He is a Canadian actor/filmmaker whose credits include The Animal Project (TIFF 2013), Girl in the White Coat (Jutra Nomination Best Supporting Actor 2013), American Gangster (dir. Ridley Scott), On The Road (dir. Walter Salles), among many others. As filmmaker Klein’s debut feature The Other Half, starring Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and Tom Cullen (Weekend), premiered in competition at SXSW in 2016. Presently he has recurring roles on Twelve Monkeys (SyFy) and This Life (CBC), and has collaborated with his brother director Jesse Klein for the first time in We’re Still Together.
Brielle Robillard plays Olivia. She has accomplished much for a 12-year-old. After finishing as a recurring character on the YTV series “Zoink’d”, she tackled her first professional play starring alongside David Ferry and Sarah Booth in “Blackbird”. This past fall, Brielle played the character Young Agatha on the FOX TV series “Minority Report”. She was also part of the ensemble cast for Blast Theories’ interactive film “My One Demand”, in which the film’s single continuous shot was streamed live online and to the cinema during the 2015 Luminato Festival. She can next be seen in the feature film “We’re Still Together” and on the new TV series “Taken” on NBC.
Eve Harlow plays Claire. She is a Russian-born Canadian actress known for her work in film and television on shows such as FX’s Fargo, The Killing and Lost Girl. Harlow won a Leo award and was nominated for a Gemini for her work in the series The Guard and in 2015, she was cast in the recurring role of Taylor Kravid on the reboot hit series Heroes Reborn. Most recently Harlow can be seen playing Bethany on the Lifetime series UnREAL.
Pawel Pogorzelski is an award-winning cinematographer whose narrative work has been screened at the New York Film Festival, AFI fest, and Slamdance among others. His commercial clients include Mazda, Bose, Capital One, MTV, PETA and Vonage. In the music industry, Pawel has done videos for numerous bands and artists such as the indie band Broken Social Scene or for the hip-hop star Karl Wolf.
Evren Boisjoli is a movie producer, executive and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Achromatic Media Inc, a production house that owns high-end camera equipment. Boisjoli produces international content with Romeo & Fils, including ad campaigns and music videos. His filmography includes award-winning titles such as “The Chaperone 3D” (TIFF Top Ten, Slamdance), “Lovers Lost” (Best Feature Film at Trinity International Festival) among many others.
Marley Sniatowsky produces films in Montréal. His film I’ve Seen the Unicorn (2014) a dramatic documentary premiered in competition at Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival 2014 and Chicago International Film Festival 2014, it is now in the archive of the National Film Board of Canada. Sniatowsky directed a documentary short film for the National Film Board, Stride to Succeed (2012), which aired on the CBC. His most recent production We’re Still Together (2016) is set to have its World Premiere in competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Our film We’re Still Together is already finished and has been accepted for its world premiere so there’s not too much risk involved!
We are so proud and thrilled to share our film on a global stage and are so grateful for any help you can offer.
The whole We’re Still Together team would like to thank you for your support!