Yesterday, writer/director Joseph Infantolino emailed me to talk about his first feature length film, HELENA FROM THE WEDDING, which features one of the most underused actresses of our time, Melanie Lynskey. The reason why Joe emailed me information about his film is because it's making its world premiere debut at this year's SXSW Film Festival, which GATW is no doubt attending. A little background on Joe, he wrote/directed JIMMY BLUE which was one of the official selections at the 2006 New York Film Festival. Joe also was a producer on David Schwimmer’s directorial debut, RUN, FATBOY, RUN, and Jim McKay’s OUR SONG.

I've uploaded eight more photos from the film and the official short and long synopses, which can be seen after the jump. Also, head to HELENA's official website, helenafromthewedding.com, to get more info. on the film. Once the festival kicks off, look for our interview with Joe.

Click on the image to see a high resolution size.

Short Synopsis

Having recently experienced a spectacular career failure, the last thing playwright Alex Javal (Lee Tergesen) wants to do is host a weekend long New Year’s Eve party for his successful friends at a small cabin in the mountains. Yet that is what he is on the way to do when we meet him and his new wife Alice (Melanie Lynskey). As the clock ticks away another year and a surprise guest, the very beautiful and very young Helena (Gillian Jacobs) arrives, facades begin to buckle.

Long Synopsis

As Alex and Alice Javal arrive at a remote cabin in the mountains to host a weekend long New Year’s Eve party and go through the routine of opening up the house, reminders of the past abound. Christmas decorations from the just passed holiday are still in evidence. Old pictures of Alex’s family are on display. Trophy mounts of animals long since killed stare down from every wall. On the surface, Alex and Alice seem like happy newlyweds, yet there is a subtle undercurrent of unease they are both fighting to control. Is it Alex’s failed play? The prospect of children that confronts the newlyweds on the brink of middle age? Whatever it is, it will have to wait as the guests begin to arrive.

Alex’s best friend Nick (Paul Fitzgerald), newly separated from his wife, is expected to arrive with his new girlfriend, the very beautiful and very young Lola. Nick arrives with only a cooler of meat to cook for dinner. Their childhood friend Don (Dominic Fumusa) arrives in his beloved classic jeep and in an argument with his wife Lynn (Jessica Hecht).

The final guests, Alice’s pregnant friend Eve (Dagmara Dominczyk) and her husband Steven (Corey Stoll), bring a surprise guest, Eve’s friend Helena, who was a bridesmaid with Alice at Eve’s wedding.

When Helena seems to ignore him, Alex’s formerly vague sense of discontent becomes acute. In fact, at first, there is almost no evidence that Helena and Alex spent time together at Eve’s wedding, a time in the past when Alex was feeling a lot better about himself.

As the weekend progresses towards New Year’s Eve, Alex becomes more and more unhinged as his effort to recreate the excitement of his earlier time with Helena falls flat. Seemingly oblivious to his new wife and the new life she represents and enables, it seems like suddenly nothing is going right in the life of Alex Javal. But it’s only when he finds himself in the woods on his back wearing camouflage, that Alex begins to realize just how lost he may be.