"If we are lucky we will be looking forward to many new films by this fresh voice."
(Rusty White, Entertainment Insiders.com)
Anthony Flessas
Director, Producer, Writer and Editor
Critically acclaimed filmmaker, Anthony Flessas, has been called a filmmaker with "a vision" and "refreshing."
(Rusty White, Entertainment Insiders.com) "I'm grateful there are artists like
Anthony Flessas out there examining our world and recreating it on film for our
enjoyment and enlightenment." (Rusty White, Entertainment Insiders.com) Award
winning filmmaker M. David Lee, III calls Flessas, "the dark, gay Spielberg."
Audiences have praised his films as "amazing," "touching," "incredible," and "extremely
powerful!"
Anthony Flessas began his film career shortly after stepping out of a darkened theatre in Memphis,
TN., and turning to his father saying, That's what I want to do with my life.
Make people feel like that. The film was E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, and Anthony
was a mere 14 years old.
Almost immediately he began to learn the techniques of screenwriting and
began work on his first script. Although it was a script he would not want anyone
to read today, that experience started him on the journey to becoming what he
knew he was meant to be a filmmaker.
Over the next few years, Anthony attended college eventually graduating with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Production and Direction from the University
of Memphis. For his senior thesis project he completed his first 15 minute short
film, THE RUNAWAY, which received much acclaim locally. Although it was shot on
16mm film, THE RUNAWAY was not eligible at the time for entry into most film festivals
due to the fact that post-production was done in video. Things have changed much
since then. And only recently, Anthony Flessas has completed a Director's Cut
from the only remaining VHS copy of THE RUNAWAY which will be available on the SILENCE
OF MIND DVD.
Following completion of THE RUNAWAY, Anthony moved to Orlando, FL., and began
to pursue his career through screenwriting. Even though he came close to selling
two screenplays at various times which eventually did not pan out, he did receive
much acclaim for his works from several industry veterans, including many higher-ups
at Kevin Costner's, Tig Productions. His screenplay, GREY, was called by industry
experts, "One of the most passionate screenplays [they had] read in years."
He eventually returned to Memphis to act as Associate Producer on a film
inspired by Gladys Knight's classic song, Midnight Train to Georgia. When this film fell through at the last minute, Anthony found himself back
in Memphis with little to no funding, so he threw himself back into his writing,
completing now a total of seven feature screenplays.
At last, when nothing seemed to be moving forward any longer, Anthony decided
to begin his dream on his own, and thus gathered a small amount of capital and
started SP Pictures, a new independent film company based in Memphis, TN.
Since then Mr. Flessas has completed JUMPER, his second short, and SILENCE
OF MIND, his first feature film. Both JUMPER and SILENCE OF MIND have now been
screened to critical and audience acclaim! SILENCE OF MIND will now begin its
festival runs throughout 2005 and onward, with the fully loaded special DVD of
SILENCE OF MIND coming in 2006, which will contain the JUMPER: Extended Edition
(with 5 never before seen scenes that conclude the Tommy Saga) as well as THE
RUNAWAY: Director's Cut, Featurette, Outtakes and the acclaimed Original Score
for SILENCE OF MIND by Australian composer Stuart Spoard.
With so much praise and a star on the rise that one time statement made to
his father so many years ago has now found its way into reality.