Athena and Alyssa Lobit of "The Things We Carry" Guest on Eye on Entertainment

“The Things We Carry” Was Selected As the Closing Film of the 2010 ID Film Fest

“The Things We Carry”, written by and starring Alyssa Lobit and produced by Athena Lobit, screened on Sunday, October 18 at 7:10 PM and Thursday, October 22 at 9:45 PM on the closing day of the 2010ID Film Fest. The film was directed by Ian McCrudden and cast by Freddy Luis.   Alexis Rhee appears as Sunny, Catherine Kresge is Eve, Johnny Whitworth plays Jeremiah, Daniel Zacapa is Leslie, Frank Merino is Jose and Ilene Graff plays Kim.  The Things We Carry has been well-received, playing at several festivals, including Boston, Hollywood, Atlanta and Wisconsin, winning several awards at the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival (Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay). It is being distributed by Lono Entertainment.

Alyssa Lobit is an Academy Nicholl Fellowships Quarterfinalist with The Things We Carry, placing in the top 5% of 5,050 entries in this prestigious competition. She graduated cum laude from U.C.L.A. with a B.A. in English.  The Things We Carry marked her debut as both writer and lead actress in a feature.  Alyssa made her debut as a director and producer with One Man's Trash, which won the 2004 Los Angeles Flickering Image Film Fest and was a finalist in the highly competitive IndieProducer Contest in 2005.

Alyssa has received critical acclaim for her stage performances, including recognition for a "standout performance" in the World Premiere of Slow Boat and an LA Weekly Nomination for her performance in Night Coil. She has appeared in several short films that have screened and won awards at festivals across the country, as well as several commercials.

"The Things We Carry" marks Athena Lobit's debut as a feature producer. She was instrumental in the development of the project, from the script stage. Prior to producing, Athena was a Post-Production Supervisor in the world of animation. Most of her years were spent at Nickelodeon Animation Studio overseeing the post-production of several hit shows, as well as a variety of other international and domestic projects. Athena served as Co-Producer and Assistant Director on the well-received short "One Man's Trash", produced and directed by her sister Alyssa Lobit, which won the 2004 Los Angeles Flickering Image Film Fest and was a finalist in the highly competitive IndieProducer Contest in 2005. She is a founding member of the Los Angeles-based filmmakers collective "GameOn", directing, producing and editing several shorts during the series. She enjoys honing her skills as a photographer and watching documentaries.

Says Alyssa, “One thing that I feel good about is that one of my favorite scenes in the movie is an exchange that really happened:   The last scene of Sunny, in the laundry room. A lot of people are really touched by that scene, and there's redemption for Sunny, the mother behind the addict. . Behind every addict there's a mother or daughter or sister or you know, a human being. I think that's also why I'm okay with our personal story being told, by way of this movie. In the end, there's a lot of love and compassion. “

Adds Athena, “One of the most memorable moments in making this movie is when my dad high-fived us after the final mix. It was a great moment and it made our sense of accomplishment that more sweet.”

To see the EOE interviews, please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cunX_ahwVYE

The ID Film Fest 

A program of the Japanese American National Museum, ID Film Fest was founded in 2008 by filmmakers Koji Steven Sakai and Quentin Lee to screen compelling Asian and Asian American works that have not yet had a chance to show in Los Angeles.   In its third year of running, ID Film Fest is a festival by filmmakers and for filmmakers who create Asian American content and/or of Asian descent.   Participated filmmakers have included Michael Aki, Merilyn M. Bilas, Ching Long, Vincent Chui, Chu Ka Yat, Michael Frank, Tony Huang, Ann Kaneko, Ming Lai, Christina Aujean Lee, Chris Chan Lee, Johnson Lee, Justin Lin, Wee Li Lin, Ling Woo Liu, Derek Loo, Eric Nakamura, Tad Nakamura, Kim Noonan, Ken Ochiai, Margaret Rhee, Neal Sickles, Suilma Rodriguez, Rea Tajiri, Jason Tobin, Jessey Tsang, and Aldo Velasco.

About Eye on Entertainment
"Eye on Entertainment", a division of Eye on Excellence™ Productions, is aired twice weekly on Time Warner Cable in Southern California and on Cox, Comcast and Verizon in Washington DC.  The EOE team covers entertainment and music events, film festivals, red carpets and award shows, and features interviews with successful people in all walks of life, exploring the traits they have in common. Dawna Lee Heising, EOE executive producer and host, is a member of SAG & AFTRA, has an MBA and PhD and is Ms. Universe 2010.  To schedule appearances or films, please contact Matt Chassin at matt@mattsmarketing.com. The EOE team includes Linda Maxwell of Time Warner Cable, producer John Cox, producer Jerry Moore, director Steve Van Wormer, editor Gordon Michael, music directors Dino Maddalone and Brett Jmusiz, PR guru Stan Goodrich and photographers David McNeil and Kevin Le.  Please visit www.eyeonentertainment.tv, www.dawnaleeheising.tv and www.youtube.com/eyeonentertainment.