The digital revolution has now put high quality video/sound tools in the hands of anyone who wishes to make a film.

Yet, despite the democratization of the Art form, cinema is still plagued by sameness, repetitions, ready-made scripts, and potent moral filters. Everything Art should not be.

 Ivan Noel, director and producer. His 100% fan-funded films are regularly selected by the finest world festivals including Tokyo, Vancouver, Palm Springs, Seattle, etc.)

We saw some years back a surge in a new kind of business:  Boutique Hotels. These cater primarily to specific clients wanting a more personal approach. Well, I feel like I am one of the first 'Boutique film directors', serving films to a discerning audience, who prefer a personal and heartfelt experience rather than suffering a safe product made for the masses.

'Ivan Noel is somewhat of a pioneer in this film 'revolution'. He is by no means the first to create extremely low-budget independent movies, but possibly one of the first to bring it to such a very high level of Art and professionalism, and undoubtedly one of the very few in the last two decades that actually dares to break new thematic and moral ground in his movies'.  from La Revista Del Indie.

Yet, despite my experience, and my five past feature movies, I am not able to put my cinematic abilities into practice, were it not for my fans' support. Unlike directors such as Spike Lee, myself and my team truly have no other resources at all. Very few production companies dare to invest in films that don't follow a safe and repeated pattern, and none at all that dare to support films that challenge socially correct taboos. 

These considerations should not impede film makers to create films with their own distinct voice, this is why I would be delighted if you could support not just the creation of my next film, but also move away from the current trends, open up a new avenue, and help change the course of the 7th Art into a more democratic form.

Director Ivan Noel shoots with the eye of a painter, showing his expertise at playing with audience expectations. It is this sure-handed way with what turns out to be a surprising narrative, the naturalism of the local townspeople in their first acting roles, and the almost dangerous sensuality of the cinematography that makes for very impressive films’  Alan Franey, Director Vancouver International Film Festival.

THE FILM ITSELF

(READ THE FIRST PAGES OF THE SCRIPT IN THE 'GALLERY' SECTION)

Genre: Supernatural thriller

Length:100mins

Locations:Sierras de Cordoba, North Argentina.

Cast: 20 children (6 to 14 years), 20 adults.

Targeted audience: Teens, adults.

Format: HD RAW video 16:9

Budget: 40,000US$ (of which 20,000$ already secured)

Date of shoot: December 2013-February 2014

Completion date: April 2014.

LOGLINE

The kidnapping and mutilation of three young children creates violent ripples through their small community.

SYNOPSIS

‘They Returned’ is a beautifully touching and unnerving story about the unexplained disappearance of three children, two boys and one girl, and their reappearance three days later in a semi-autistic state. Not even the children themselves are able to help anyone understand what happened. No clues or signs are left, other than the fact that, as we discover later, two of them were mutilated.

As the police carry out their investigation, and the town slowly sinks into a deep state of suspiciousness, small community of children - classroom colleagues of the missing three - run their own parallel search.

Only one person is a potential suspect: the children’s own classroom teacher, recently arrived from another town. He does not help his case when he attempts to make the school psychologist understand that the children were in fact murdered...

A FEATURE FILM FOR 20,000$, CAN THAT BE SERIOUS?

Yes. And here are some of the reasons how, for such a small amount of money, people often mistake these works for a million-dollar budget film.

- We already have 20,000$ of our money put into the film (total budget 40,000$).

- The value of the US dollar has more than doubled in the past year in Argentina where the film will be made (therefore it is an equivalent budget of 80,000$). Also local salaries are half United States, thus giving this budget an equivalent value of about 150,000$.

- I am multifaceted: over 20 years I have  honed skills in film music (I hold a degree in music/composition), in script writing (I've written novels, short stories, and now my sixth feature film script), directing, photography (I won an important photography prize in France), editing, sound mixing (I run my own recording studio at home), etc. The work of about 10 people are done by one, totally dedicated, person (me!). This supposes big savings.

 - At Noel Films we already own ALL the high quality sound/video/editing equipment necessary for a shoot, nothing needs to be rented. 

- I've made serious and well respected films for less than this. 

THE CAST

As per my other films, I will be working part with non-actors (giving a feeling of realism to certain roles) and also high-level professional actors. In all, the cast will consists of 20 children and 20 adults this time.

Some of the actors will be:

Romina Pinto (who beautifully played 'Sofía' in my film 'Vuelve)

Lauro Veron (who played 'The Count' in Limbo - yet to be released).

And the particularly talented and intense 10 year-old Sol Vicari

LOCATIONS

All locations are within the province of Cordoba, Northern Argentina, specifically in a real-life abandoned hospital built by Germans who had strong Nazi ties in the 1920's and 30's.

BACKGROUND ON IVAN'S FILM MUSIC