Writer, producer, director, DAX PHELAN, “THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND” and “JASMINE” Helms Hitchcokian Thriller "KIRKWOOD"

DAX PHELAN TO RETURN HOME 

TO DIRECT “KIRKWOOD” FEATURE FILM

Writer, producer, and director whose credits include “THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND”and “JASMINE” to helm Hitchcockian thriller to be filmed in St. Louis during the fall and winter of 2019


ST LOUIS (July 25, 2019) -- Los Angeles-based writer/producer/director Dax Phelan (“The Other Side of the Wind”) will return home to St. Louis to direct his sophomore feature film, “Kirkwood,” this fall and winter.

The film is a Hitchcockian suspense thriller about former police detective Joe Dolan and his estranged teenage son, Max, who grow closer as they work together to cover up an accidental murder.  But, when the family of the deceased hires a ruthless private investigator to re-examine the evidence in the case and the investigator begins to suspect the Dolans, Max’s sanity is pushed to the breaking point and Joe must take extreme measures to keep their secret safe.

Phelan wrote the story with his father, Joe Phelan, a former City of St. Louis policeman. 

Phelan wrote the screenplay and will produce with Stratton Leopold (“Mission: Impossible III”) and Eric M. Klein (“Jasmine”). 

“Although I’ve made films all over the world, I’ve always dreamed of one day coming home to Missouri to make something personal with my family and friends,” Phelan said.  “I’m grateful to the Missouri Film Office, which has been working with me to turn that dream into a reality, and I look forward to teaming up with other local partners.” 
 
In 2015, Phelan wrote, produced, and directed his feature directorial debut, “Jasmine.”  Shot in Hong Kong, the thriller played in 75 film festivals worldwide and won nearly 100 awards, including 17 for Best Picture, 10 for Best Director, and 5 for Best Screenplay.  The film was acquired by Lionsgate and released theatrically on June 16, 2017. 

In 2018, Phelan was included in the LA Film Awards’ list of “Thirty Filmmakers to Watch,” a celebration of the “inspiring, creative, and incredibly talented directors who are making indie filmmaking great right now.”

Phelan recently co-produced Orson Welles’s final film, “The Other Side of the Wind,” with Frank Marshall. The film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice Film Festival where it opened to strong reviews and was released theatrically by Netflix on November 2, 2018.  The National Board of Review honored the film with the prestigious and rarely given William K. Everson Film History Award.  It also received the Film Heritage Award from the National Society of Film Critics and appeared on over thirty year-end “Top 10” lists.

Phelan grew up in Kirkwood and is a graduate of Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School.