Sundance ’17: Short Film ‘Night Shift’ by Marshall Tyler
For a short film, “Night Shift” has a backstory of its own which gives more than the film’s glimpse into a day in the life of a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub.
Filmmaker Marshall Tyler’s “Night Shift”, stars Tunde Adebimpe and is executive produced by JuVee Productions, the company founded by Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon established to empower diverse voices and emerging artists. It is produced by Moira Griffin, Efuru Flowers and Roberta Marie Munroe.
Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/198757828
Marshall and I had a long conversation at the Yarrow in Sundance the day of the premiere of his film.
Let’s start with who you are…
Well, I was born in Philadelphia and raised in Hawaii and then moved to San Diego. I went to Howard University. Now I am based in LA. My first documentary, “Skid Row”, followed Pras Michél, disguised as a homeless man on LA’s Skid Row. I am in development on several narrative projects, including one based on a popular novel by legendary author, Iceberg Slim.
How did you get started?
That is a long story, but I was a great admirer of Michael Mann’s movies. I knew no one when I came to LA but I tried and finally succeeded in becoming his PA on “Ali” and then became his assistant on “Collateral”. On the set of “Collateral” he gave me a camera and said, “Shoot”, so I did. I shot behind the scenes and then became his official “behind the scenes” videographer. And so the legendary Michael Mann became my mentor.
How did you decide on this subject for a film?
I have a friend who is a bathroom attendant on the side and he tells great stories about the people he meets there. I did many interviews and my research found so many different experiences. Some attendants are mistreated by patrons; others offer a support system; others have to pick up drunks off the floor. I thought it would be interesting to show their interactions and also to make one a human being, all in one night.
How did you find your location?
The club The Fix is fictitious but in fact the character, Ali Jeffers is dealing with his own personal issues and literally trying to fix his life.
It was shot in the bathroom at the ACE in downtown LA. I scoured LA for the perfect bathroom. This one has the greatest character. It is in the theater that was built the 1920s by United Artists.
How did you get to Viola Davis?
It’s funny, I first saw Viola Davis in “Syriana” and I wrote her name on a post-it note thinking maybe I would work with her one day. When my script was done, we ran into Viola at a party for “Fences” on the 4th of July. She is a fan of another script of mine and she and Julian invited me to talk at their office. They loved the project and helped to shape it.
Johnny Evangelista, another exec producer on the project, and I are doing another project, an Iceberg Slim adaptation.
And the other EP, Bryan H. Carroll, worked with Michael Mann over the years and brought a lot to the film, like the Oscar winning sound mixer and the editor Sam Restivo.
And the producers? I know Efuru from her Paramount acquisitions days, and I know Moira is involved with Sundance’s Diversity Program…
They were in this from the very beginning and continually pushed and pushed this project up the hill. Moira in fact is also my fiancée and Efuru is her business partner.
What about the lead?
The character Ali Jeffers is played by Tunde Adebimpe, a Nigerian born, Pittsburgh-raised graduate of NYU’s film school. Moira and he were roomates in New York. He has a background in animation. He also directs music videos and is on the music scene as a member of NY based band TV on the Radio. He has written 12 soundtracks including “Grand Theft Auto V” and acted in “Rachel Getting Married” and “Jump Tomorrow”.
The actress, China Shavers, who just played Shirley Simpson in the TV series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”and was in the short film “Mulignans”, brought great energy and really complemented Tunde. Christopher Gray did the casting and worked on Michael Mann movies as well.
You have gathered together a great team.
Yes, and Michael Uzowuru, another Nigerian American who produced albums of Frank Ocean (the new Stevie Wonder) and others, did all the music in the club and Timo Chen, a Sundance alumnus, created the emotional score.
Do you have a sales agent or distribution?
Efuru Flowers is doing the sales and we’ll do more festivals. Vimeo is interested, Fox Digital loves it; and of course Sundance loves it.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Flourishing Films is a boutique film sales outfit founded in January 2016. The company made its debut at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival and European Film Market (EFM). Previously having worked in feature acquisitions at Paramount Pictures, the experience inspired its founder to begin a film rights and sales business specifically to market and sell multi-genre films. Flourishing films will sell, represent and distribute international and domestic films of Africa and the Black Diaspora originating from the United States, Africa, UK, Caribbean, Latin America and wherever the African Diaspora exists.
The company looks to identify strong, well-written and well-directed stories, target and market to specific global audiences in their respective territories, and offer all available rights to well-established, as well as new distribution companies and outlets with creative and innovative distribution structures.
“Night Shift”
https://www.sundance.org/www.nightshiftshort.com
http://www.nightshiftshort.com
Director Marshall Tyler
Screenwriter Marshall Tyler
Producers
- Moira Griffin
- Efuru Flowers
- Marshall Tyler
Executive Producers
- Viola Davis
- Julius Tennon
- John Evangelista
- Bryan H Carroll
Co Producer Kaylon Hunt
Consulting Producer Roberta Marie Munroe
Cinematographer Eric Branco
Editor Sam Restivo
Composers
- Timo Chen
- Michael Uzowuru
Costume Designer Sami Martin Sarmiento
Production Designer Amy Jo Diaz
Sound
- Ashley Maria
- Michael Holcolmb
- Adisa Septuri
- Kennard Morris
Casting
- Christopher Gray
PRINCIPAL CAST
- Tunde Adebimpe
- China Shavers
- Cisco Reyes
- Red Grant
- Cairos Heinen
- Paul James Jordan
