‘Confusions of an Unmarried Couple’ gets Indie for Indies

Looking for something different and hip(ster) to do this weekend that involves an Indie… Looking for something different and hip(ster) to do this weekend that involves an Indie movie, a retro venue and a BYOPBR (bring your own Pabst Blue Ribbon) policy?

No, I’m not talking about going to your indie friend Rich’s again, but rather making a trip to the Hollywood Theatre in Dormont where the multi-international award-winning feature film “Confusions of an Unmarried Couple,” by Jason and Brett Butler, is screening from March 27-30 as part of the Indies for Indies film series.

“‘Confusions of an Unmarried Couple’ is basically a raw, brutal and intimate personal look at a relationship gone wrong,” Brett Butler said.

The film’s plot playfully follows Dan (Brett Butler) and Lisa (Naomi Johnson) in a somewhat documentary-style narrative of investigating why their relationship failed. Don’t get too excited, tortured souls and emo kids alike, because although the story sounds sad and appropriate for quoting in gloomy Facebook statuses, it’s a comedy.

“It’s that uncomfortable humor that you can relate to,” Brett said, “and we wanted it to be as real as possible, sweat and everything … We want you to smell the characters — Smell-o-Vision.”

The idea for the film developed when Brett wrote a short script and began filming himself, “exercising demons in front of the camera,” by setting up and acting out such familiar emotions faced in relationships as jealousy and paranoia.

Brett sent the footage to his brother Jason, who ended up loving the idea. Thus, the Butler brother collaboration was hatched in a Substance Production of hilarious “off-beat comedy”, filmed on a “blazing hot weekend” in a Toronto apartment.

The Butler brothers have already nabbed the deserved film festival awards of, “best comedy,” “best feature” and “best direction”.

This realistic film is set to screen at The Hollywood Theatre in Dormont at 1449 Potomac Ave. along with Clay Liford’s short “My Mom Smokes Weed,” a comedy that played at Sundance this year.

“The Hollywood Theatre is an old theater that’s been restored. There are couches and a balcony, and the theater is BYOB, — so you can drink beer during the movie (assuming you’re old enough). It’s been called one of the best art-house theaters in the country,” said Lucas McNelly, a blogger and associate of the Hollywood Theatre and Indies for Indies program.

McNelly explained that the Indies for Indies weekly screenings show some of the best films from the festival and self-distribution circuits.

“We try to get the best and most interesting films that aren’t getting picked up by studios for distribution — either because they’re low-budget, or theyaren’t commercial or theyjust haven’t found a distributor yet. We’re playing films from Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, Cannes and even some World Premieres,” McNelly said.

Besides giving local filmmakers an opportunity to show their work, Indies for Indies brings Pittsburgh audiences types of films that normally don’t venue outside of the bigger cities, McNelly said.

“As far as I know, there’s only a couple of cities in the country that have a series like this (NYC, LA, Baltimore, San Diego and Austin), so it’s really a golden opportunity we have to show the country that a city like Pittsburgh can support independent film,” McNelly said.

Screenings are Saturday at 4:30 p.m., Monday at 7 p.m. and Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., with a $6 admission fee.

“We also do a deal where if you go see a film and then come back with new people for that same film, we’ll knock $2 off your ticket for every new person you bring,” he said. “So, if you go to the Saturday show and come back on Monday with three of your friends, you can see the film again for free.”