Russell Brown

by MovieMaker Staff | Published January 2, 2007

At the age of 30, writer-director Russell Brown has had a short film premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and his feature debut, Race You to the Bottom, is already receiving acclaim from critics across the nation. ”Race You to the Bottom started as an exploration of how certain personal needs are played out in relationships,” explains Brown when asked about the origins of the film. “Initially the script consisted of a series of conversations over the course of a driving trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco about what characterizes the dynamic between a straight woman and a gay man."Starring Amber Benson (of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame) and Cole Williams (North Country), the film has been lauded for its insightful exploration of complex emotional relationships and won Benson the Best Actress Award at the 2006 Outfest. In discussing his attraction to the unusual love story that unfolds within the film, Brown says, “I like writing films about people who are negotiating thorny internal moral grey zones: I like to see what happens when a character is facing contradictory pulls inside himself or herself, and how that impacts his or her interaction with the outside world. These situations are both funny and painful, and I attempt to tread that line in my writing.”

In addition to gearing up for the January release of Race You to the Bottom (recently acquired by Regent Releasing), Brown has also finished principal photography on his second feature, The Bluetooth Virgin. For more information on Russell and his upcoming projects, visit www.raceyoutothebottom.com.

SOUND OFF QUESTION: Are there other indie newcomers you think we should know about? Talk back in the comments section!