Award-winning 'Silent Retreat' Punctuates Prolific Year for Canadian Casting Ace Justin Turner

29 Nov 2013 15:00 Africa/Lagos

Award-winning 'Silent Retreat' punctuates prolific year for Canadian casting ace Justin Turner

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - A Film Monkey Production's horror film "Silent Retreat" received this month the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 8th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The award underscored a banner 2013 for Justin Turner, a Toronto based casting department extraordinaire who has made a sterling impression in film and television, and who worked under Casting Director Jonathan Oliveira on the project.

Directed, written and produced by Tricia Lee, "Silent Retreat" is a creature indie feature shot entirely in Canada. It follows the story of Janey, who is sent to a silent rehab retreat in the middle of the woods. Upon arriving, she discovers the men who run the retreat are brainwashing women to be quiet and submissive. If Janey breaks the rules, she'll discover what evil lurks beyond the trees.

Toronto's Chelsea Jenish plays Janey. Sofia Banzhaf, Robert Nolan, Jen Pogue, Matthew Romantini and Mark Buck round out the film's supporting roles.

"Jonathan and I really tried to find actors who were unknowns," Turner says. "It meant initially going way out of our comfort zone. This is a credit to Tricia Lee as a filmmaker as her only priority was finding the best actors. Everyone was taking a leap of faith, but it was exciting to approach casting in a grassroots way. It gave actors who don't always get the opportunity to audition for such a meaty project a chance and also exposed us to exciting new talent."

For Turner, "Silent Retreat" was the latest of a string of achievements that evidence his aptitude with micro budget indie flicks, as well as major studio pictures and broadcast network television. He's part of the profound casting team at Toronto's RDC Casting.

Turner's casting credits this year include MGM's "Carrie" starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, CBS Films' "The F Word" starring Daniel Radcliffe and Adam Driver, the Warner Bros. distributed and Guillermo del Toro directed "Pacific Rim," Universal's "Mama" starring Jessica Chastain and Syfy's "Warehouse 13" starring Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly and Saul Rubinek.

In 2012, Turner helped cast Lionsgate's "Nurse 3-D," Columbia Pictures' "Total Recall" starring Colin Farrell, Hallmark's "Christmas with Holly," USA Network's "Covert Affairs" starring Piper Perabo, Syfy's "Alphas" with David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Warren Christie and Azita Ghanizada and NBC's "The Firm" starring Josh Lucas.

For more information, visit www.filmmonkey.ca/#!silent-retreat---feature-film/cb4

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For more information, visit www.filmmonkey.ca/#!silent-retreat---feature-film/cb4

Silent Retreat
​Feature Film
#silentretreatmovie

A creature feature. In this quiet horror film, Janey is sent to a silent retreat in the middle of the woods for rehabilitation, only to discover that the men who run it are brainwashing women to be quite and submissive, and if she breaks the rules, she'll discover what lurks beyond the trees ...


Director: Tricia Lee
Producer: Tricia Lee

Executive Producer: Chris Agoston

Line Producer: Chris Luckhardt
Writer: Corey Brown
Director of Photography: Christian Bielz
Production Designer: Jennifer Morden
Editor: Mike Reisacher
Composer: Aaron Gilhuis
SPFX: Shaun Hunter
VFX: Brodie MacNeil

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