FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In the mood for a tiny romance? The Moth and the Firefly, a short film about a little moth’s journey to find new light during a citywide blackout, will have its New York premiere at the Anthology Film Archives on April 5th as part of their NewFilmmakers Short Film Program. Written and directed by cousins Aron Epstein and Daniel Stedman, and shot in Brooklyn and Central Park, The Moth and the Firefly is possibly the first non-illustrated romantic-tragedy about bugs.
"We aren't animators," says Stedman, "so instead of putting human actors in bug costumes, we ordered moth larvae from North Carolina State University and built a little set for them in my apartment."
"It was convenient because we had 25 virtually identical moths," adds Epstein. "If a moth got tired there was always another one ready to fly in and take over.”
The fireflies proved harder to domesticate so Epstein and Stedman filmed them safari-style in the wilds of Central Park. “It took some editing room alchemy to bring our star-crossed bugs together,” says Epstein, “but the result is pretty sizzling."
Stedman, who won the prestigious Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival for his film Celebration, is excited about premiering The Moth and the Firefly in New York City. “We drew a lot of inspiration from the city,” he says, “and we couldn't be more proud to have our New York premiere at the Anthology Film Archives.”
Director Biographies:
DANIEL STEDMAN is a filmmaker and a founder and president of The L Magazine. He received a degree in Physics from Bates College in Maine and lives in New York City. His short film Celebration won the Teddy Award at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and played at over 100 international film festivals. He also directed the films K (1999), Maldoror (2001), and Mother (2006).
ARON EPSTEIN is a playwright living in New York City.
Synopsis:
A little moth loses its lamplight in a citywide blackout and journeys into the dark city in search of new light. Soon it finds a firefly and together they light up the night—until the blackout ends and they lose track of each other in the bright city.
Technical Credits:
Writers/Directors: Aron Epstein & Daniel Stedman
Editing and Compositing: Dillon de Give
Original Music: Jamshied Sharifi
Title Card Illustrations: Crystalle Lacouture
Tobacco Budworms and Corn Earworms kindly provided by Beverley Pagura at North Carolina State University