Final Remaining Tickets for NICKY’s Boston Premiere!
Jan 30
We’ve been informed that Kendall Square Cinema’s online box office is officially SOLD OUT of tickets for Nicky’s Boston Premiere!
However, we are able to offer the remaining seats that are currently available through our website!
Please note, tickets will not be available at the box office on the evening of the showing. If you have not already purchased tickets, you must do so here! These tickets will be available for pick-up at Door Eleven’s merchandise table on the night of the event (please bring a valid I.D.)
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their tremendous show of support and look forward to seeing you all at the movies!
"Nicky" Boston Premiere | Official Press Release
Jan 23
Door Eleven Productions Announces Premiere of Latest Film, “Nicky”
Boston-based production company to premiere dramatic thriller “Nicky” on Thursday, February 7 at Landmark Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge
BOSTON, Mass. – January 23, 2013 Door Eleven Productions, one of Boston’s leading independent film and video production companies, today announced its latest dramatic thriller, “Nicky,” will premiere Thursday, February 7 at the Landmark Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge. The 32-minute short film marks the third time Door Eleven has used Boston as the backdrop for an emotionally gripping tale, further solidifying the production company’s rising star amongst Boston’s burgeoning film scene.
“Nicky” tells the visceral tale of an emotionally damaged man seeking retribution for his young brother’s kidnapping and the toll his obsession takes on him and those around him. A project in the works for more than six years, “Nicky” marks the third collaboration between director/cinematographer Dom Portalla and lead actor/producer Ken Flott. The film was shot on location across Greater Boston and features a cast comprised exclusively of area actors.
“What really drew me to adapt ‘Nicky’ for the big screen was the profound sense of sadness in the narration,” said Portalla, founder of Door Eleven, who adapted the screenplay from Flott’s original short story. “For ‘Nicky’s’ main character — his entire world sort of ended the day his brother disappeared and from that moment on, he became disconnected from everyone and everything around him. While the circumstances may certainly differ, I feel that what’s at the heart of the film is an experience many can relate to.”
WHAT: Premiere of Door Eleven Production’s dramatic thriller, “Nicky.” Cost of admission: $10. Q&A session with cast and crew to follow screening.
WHERE: Landmark Kendall Square Cinema, 355 Binney Street, Cambridge, Mass., 02142
WHEN: Thursday, February 7 from 7 – 8 p.m.
To purchase tickets for the premiere of “Nicky,” please visit DoorElevenProductions.com . Follow the event on Twitter at #WeMissYouNicky
About Door Eleven Productions
Door Eleven Productions is an independent film and video production company based in Boston specializing in grassroots projects, features and short film. Features include 2007’s crime-comedy, “Duality,” & 2009’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller, “The Darkness Within,” among several award winning short films.
Purchase tickets for “NICKY” below!
Rogue Cinema review of “Nicky”
Jan 06
Film Reviews: Nicky (2012) – By Cary Conley
Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2013
The mind is a wonderful creation, and imagination is one of its greatest gifts. But in some cases, the imagination can be torturous. In the case of Nicky, our unnamed protagonist (simply called The Narrator in the credits) has been tortured for many years by his own imagination. Saying goodbye to his baby brother, Nicky, on his wedding day, The Narrator had no idea it would be the last time he would ever see his little brother, for just a few months later Nicky was kidnapped and disappeared without a trace. Since that time, The Narrator has never given up looking for little Nicky, hoping to discover what happened and who was responsible for his death. He has been utterly consumed with his search, even through the course of two marriages, neither of which worked out. And now, with the help of an underground network, The Narrator has discovered who stole his little brother all those years ago. Now it is his turn to put the wheels into motion as he seeks vengeance for his little brother.
As a parent I cannot think of a single thing worse than the death or disappearance of a child. Each time a child is lost and the details of the crime pour forth from the television, my heart breaks for the child and their family. I often wonder what would be worse: knowing the details of what happened after the disappearance of the child, or not knowing anything at all. As horrific as some details may be, not knowing allows the imagination to run wild–certain torture for any parent of a missing child. This is the misery our Narrator goes through as he first has no idea what happened to Nicky, then learns the details of what happened after the kidnapping. Along with this, add the burden of guilt The Narrator feels at not being there to protect his little brother, and it is no wonder his life has been consumed with seeking vengeance for Nicky.
Based upon an original short story by Ken Flott, who also wrote the screenplay and stars as The Narrator, Nicky is a haunting 30-minute short film. As a writer, Flott tackles some tough questions about child exploitation as well as the concept of revenge versus forgiveness. In situations like these, there is never a simple answer. While some would seek vengeance, as does The Narrator, others would argue that forgiveness is the only answer. In this particular instance, the protagonist enacts his revenge which allows him some peace of mind. It is an imperfect solution to a very complicated problem, and one that opens itself to a great deal of analysis from both sides of the discussion. The reality is that people are different and some can forgive more easily than others. By inserting guilt into the equation, Flott makes the argument even more difficult.
Director Dom Portalla also makes some classy choices with the material. Instead of detailing the specifics of the crime that occurred against Nicky, Portalla only allows a brief hint of what might have happened to be exposed as the story unfolds. Portalla avoids the pitfall of using the prurient details, which might be a total turn-off for the audience, instead opting to allow the imagination to fill in those details. Later, as The Narrator captures the kidnappers and exacts his revenge, Portalla again wisely chooses to merely hint at things to come, thus avoiding an Eli Roth Hostel-inspired ending. Once more, the viewer is allowed to fill in the blanks. These two crucial choices elevate the film and keep it from being a simple story of revenge, allowing the audience to address the tough questions being asked–questions no one ever wants to have to answer for real.
Production value is superb, as is the acting. Most actors have only small parts in this film short; Flott is the real star as The Narrator. Flott is excellent as he pours his heart out to his ex-wife about his fears, or as he yet again turns down the pretty office girl’s request for a date, instead opting to continue the search for his brother’s kidnappers.
In the end, Nicky asks many more questions than it answers, and the answers given will only satisfy a portion of the audience. Others will be faced with even more questions. The film is complicated, as is the situation represented in the film, but I found it a sensitive and tasteful production about an ugly truth that happens more often than we want to think about.
Nicky is making the festival circuit, so if you get a chance to see the film, it is recommended that you do so. Bonus: 10% of the fundraising money for the movie was donated to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), proving that these filmmakers put their money where their collective mouths are.
Brutal As Hell review of “Nicky”
Dec 21
By Keri O’Shea
As feature length movies grow increasingly longer, short films serve a purpose beyond themselves – and that is to remind the film-going world that a moving story can be told in a fraction of the time which many features feel they now need. This is the case with Nicky, the third film by director/writer Dom Portalla, whose own feature The Darkness Within was reviewed by Marc last year. In common with The Darkness Within, Nicky focuses on the psychological rather than the visceral, but the story at its core is no less disturbing. The film explores the enormity of personal tragedy, and the fact that Nicky focuses on the impact which this tragedy has on an individual makes it far more harrowing than even the nastiest horror could hope to express.
Our nameless lead character and narrator (played by Ken Flott) is a man living with the fallout from the disappearance of his little brother – the Nicky of the title – many years before. The unresolved sense of loss has cast a shadow over his life ever since, trapping him in a kind of stasis, unable to move on. He refuses invitations to socialise, two marriages have failed – and all the time, just out of his line of vision or when he’s between sleeping and waking, he sees Nicky, just as he was on the day of his disappearance. It’s clear that our lead has to do something, or something has to happen. His life is half-lived, and he can’t go on in this manner. So, when he finds out about something which could help him to find out what did happen to his brother, he takes the opportunity to try and get the closure he needs…
This is a strong effort from Portalla – who realises that it’s possible to balance tension with pathos when you get your focus right. Key here is the performance of Ken Flott, who developed the idea for the story and also collaborated on the screenplay; Nicky is in many ways a character study of our narrator, and he is kept in very close focus throughout, albeit at times obliquely. Flott’s character often appears in profile, for instance, which gives the impression that his state of mind is hidden and adds to the feeling of distance between him and the other characters he encounters. He’s present, but he’s also absent. The fact that he isn’t named is important here too, especially as someone else’s name hangs so heavily over the story; his own identity has been lost, as he tries to find out what happened to another person. His plight isn’t over-expressed, but yet we get a surprisingly complex character, someone whose inner life you can believe in.
As to if and when the narrator finds the answers he seeks, the pace of reveal here is effective and engaging, and it kept me guessing throughout. Coming in at just under thirty minutes, it’s testament to the film’s writing that it made such good use of the timescale it had, utilising ambitious editing and a script which manages to be sardonic in places, and genuinely moving in others. That said, there were a couple of moments where a brand of surreal, almost black comedy crept in, and I wasn’t so sure that this fitted with the general vibe of the film. Sure, it aided the distancing effect present throughout the film, but it did jar a little with me. It was the simply-expressed emotion which I thought made up the stronger aspect of the script: the line “they unfortunately live forever” summed up so much about what is at the heart of this film – the rawness of grief. In fact, the brief nod to horror which is present in the resolution – however necessary it is to the plot – is where the film is at its weakest, because here it is most easily-linked to horror tropes it exceeds elsewhere. As a psychological study with darkness at its heart however, it is a superb short film.
Here’s a sneak preview of Nicky, which is currently on the festival circuit.
“Nicky” – First Official Teaser
Jun 18The first official teaser to our upcoming short film, “Nicky”!
Meet The Cast of “NICKY”
Mar 24We have officially finished our casting process and are happy to introduce you to the cast of “Nicky”
Ken Flott as Narrator
Marianne Bayard as Karen
John Trent as Blake
Maria Natapov as Angela
Sean Pierce as Bartender
Joe Spallone as Hunter
Marty Seeger as The Voice
Vincent Parenti as Geof
Jordan Kelley as Alison
Charlie Tacker as Nicky
Production begins next month! For more updates, please take a moment to visit our IndieGoGo Campaign!
NICKY IndieGoGo Campaign Update #1!
Feb 29
So we are officially one full week in and have already raised $940! Thank you so much to everyone who has made a contribution and to all of those who have passed around the link! With your continued support we believe this will be a very successful campaign!
To show our sincere appreciation, we’ve decided to release some VERY early test footage that was shot a few weeks ago. The purpose of the footage was to properly time out part of the narration which will be taking place during a sequence in the first act of the film. We felt it would be great to share it with you to not only give you some greater insight into the story, but also so that you may compare what’s here to what will actually appear in the finished movie (you may even recognize a few shots that we were able to sneak into the teaser).
A few things to note:
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–This piece of narration belongs to a larger sequence, which begins with the main character leaving a bar. We pick up the scene as the Narrator is returning home.
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–At one point, the Narrator is watching television. We used the television in the shot just as a frame of reference; what he’ll actually be watching in the scene when it’s shot for production may play a large part in what happens later in the film.
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–Similarly, we also used a Polaroid in the scene just as a frame of reference. At this point, we hadn’t produced a print of the “Nicky” picture (which you’ll see often throughout the finished movie).
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–Lastly, the finished sequence will include the actor playing Nicky; albeit very, very briefly.
We hope you enjoy this test footage and please continue to help us spread the word about “Nicky”! Thanks so much stay tuned for more updates!
Nicky IndieGoGo Campaign has launched!
Feb 22We’re glad to announce that our IndieGoGo fundraising campaign for “Nicky” is now live! The above video contains an introduction by co-writer/producer, Ken Flott, and an exclusive ‘teaser’ that we created for the film!
Below, we’ll lay out the list of rewards that we’re offering for every level of contribution. We’re also planning to donate 10% of all funds raised to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
If you like what you see, please head on over HERE to find out more information, consider making a donation, or just pass along the word! Every little bit helps! Thank you so much in advance!
Rewards & Incentives
Our present!: $10
Thank you in credits & a personalized thank you postcard from Ken Flott (co-writer/producer) & Dom Portalla (co-writer/director)
Our past!: $20
A special edition DVD copy of our 2nd feature film “The Darkness Within” + all of the above.
Merch!: $50
A limited edition 13×19 poster of the film + all of the above.
Pre-order!: $75
A special edition DVD copy of the film upon it’s release (post festival run) + all of the above.
See it first!: $100
A link to a private streaming copy of the film before it’s release + all of the above
Pre-screening!: $150
An invitation +1 to the investor theatrical screening of the film before it’s release (travel & accommodations not provided) + all of the above.
Walk-on role!: $250
A featured walk-on role (travel & accommodations not provided) + all of the above.
You’re a producer!: $500
An executive producer credit in the film (end credits & IMDB) + all of the above.
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