Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer Return to Ringling College to Screen FREE RIDE

Ringling College of Art and Design today announced that actors and producers Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are returning to the College's Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab on November 23rd to screen 'Free Ride', the couple's new film shot entirely in Sarasota.

"Ringling College has a very unique and creative approach to art education," said Anna Paquin. "Ringling's support during the production of 'Free Ride' is something we will always be grateful for. We are very much looking forward to returning to find new ways to collaborate with them and to screen 'Free Ride.'"

'Free Ride' was shot entirely in Sarasota and is the first film from Anna Paquin and husband Stephen Moyer's production company, CASM Films, which they set up with Producers Cerise Hallam Larkin and Mark Larkin. Phase 4 Films has picked up all U.S. and Canadian rights to the Shana Betz-directed crime thriller based upon Betz's life story. In the film, Anna portrays a single mother who moves to Florida with her daughters in search of a better life and gets pulled into the drug-trade business.

'Free Ride' also stars Cam Gigandet, Drea de Matteo, Liana Liberato, Jeff Hephner, Brit Morgan and Ava Acres. Producers are Cerise Hallam Larkin, Anna Paquin and Susan Dynner; the executive producers are Mark Larkin and Stephen Moyer.

"Anna and Stephen's return to Ringling comes at an auspicious time as we gain traction with our efforts to attract entertainment production to our region," stated Ringling College president Dr. Larry R. Thompson. "Having our students involved in the production of 'Free Ride' while shooting on our campus and Sarasota Museum of Art locations was experiential education of the highest order. We welcome Anna and Stephen back to Sarasota and look forward to exploring further production opportunities with them."

"It brings us great pleasure to bring Anna and Stephen back to the Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab following the successful launch of 'Free Ride' on the festival circuit," said David Shapiro, director of the Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab and Future of Films co-founder. "Collaborative film projects bring great benefit to Ringling students and also to our community and we will continue to work to develop true collaborations with leading filmmakers."

In addition to the production of 'Free Ride', American Zoetrope shot the Aubrey Plaza and John C. Reilly's feature film 'Life After Beth' in Sarasota this past summer following Aubrey's stint as a guest lecturer at Ringling College. The benefit of these collaborative projects extends not just to Ringling Digital Film students - students from all Ringling disciplines have the opportunity to be involved, from initial set design to final marketing and advertising program development.

The fifth season of the Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab has begun apace with Justin Long and Roman Copolla both on campus in early November. Ringling's focus this season is to develop future engagements providing real-world production experience on various collaborative projects with visiting filmmakers. Mr. Long came to Ringling College last year with Sam Rockwell and is now returning to teach and collaborate with Ringling on a wide range of projects. Luke Wilson and Matt Dillon are scheduled for later this year and Werner Herzog and Forrest Whitaker are all also returning this season.

about Ringlng College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design is a private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offering the Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in 13 disciplines: Advertising Design, Computer Animation, Digital Filmmaking, Fine Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design Illustration, Interior Design, Motion Design, Painting, Photography & Digital Imaging, Printmaking and Sculpture, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Business of Art & Design. Located on Florida's Gulf Coast, the picturesque 48-acre campus now includes more than 100 buildings, and enrolls nearly 1,300 students from the United States and abroad. It is recognized as being among the best and most innovative visual arts colleges in the United States as well as a leader in the use of technology in the arts.http://www.ringling.edu.

About Future of Films, LLC.
Future of Films leverages unique opportunities in media production and content focusing on convergences between traditional and new media. Co-founders Sam Logan (Sarasota) and David Shapiro (New York) are leveraging their extensive relationships in the entertainment industry to grow the Ringling Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab, a groundbreaking project that combines education with film development. The Studio Lab is designed to provide Ringling College of Art and Design students with hands-on experience with top-tier directors, producers, writers, and cinematographers as well as to help Sarasota become a film industry destination.