THIS IS OURS

REVIEWS Uncomfortable Truths and Questions of the Soul
Mark Bell, Film Threat

"Kris and Lindy Boustedt's THIS IS OURS deals with the complexity of married life and, among other things, what happens when everything you did to live the life you wanted winds up disappointing you. It's a film full of uncomfortable truths and questions of the soul."

"You cannot deny that the film has a little something extra in the visual department. Landscape shots have an almost epic feel, and yet personal moments maintain their intimacy. The baseline bar has been rising in recent years regarding what an independent film looks like... and this overachieves."

"The acting is solid... the performances allow for subtlety and substance. The superficial is... transcended, and the audience is able to catch glimpses at what is really at the core of everyone's bluster, sadness or anger: fear."

"As a married man, I probably watched the film with a bit more 'please don't ever let this happen to me' dread than those without that touchstone, but you don't need that experience to relate to what's going on. Questions, fears and complications regarding expectations and potential universally abound, and the film will ring true."

In a Class of Its Own
Nic Baisley, FilmSnobbery

"Not many indie filmmakers capture the raw emotion of married life like writers and directors Kris and Lindy Boustedt. Subtle, yet telling glances, the feeling of being trapped in monotony, and the unspoken damage that couples have done to each other over years of matrimony may not paint the brightest of pictures... but Kris and Lindy tend to inject hope into each of their films."

"[The] small details, combined with excellent cinematography, the charisma of all of the actors and actresses, and the stunning locales... make THIS IS OURS a film to watch."

"The acting all around is stellar... There's no faking going on in this film, but genuine heart and feeling being put into every scene. The synergy between the actors and directors make this a piece of modern Americana."

"The audience is seeing reality unfold in front of them. The audio and soundtrack perfectly compliment the film, and the attention to detail overall puts THIS IS OURS in its own class."

Beautifully Shot and Emotionally Charged
Craig Kennedy, Living in Cinema

"THIS IS OURS, the self-assured second feature from writing/producing/directing team Kris and Lindy Boustedt... is beautifully shot and emotionally charged."

"[S]olid performances by leads Karie Gonia and Ernie Joseph... The roles of Karen and Will are difficult... we see them during some of the darkest most uncomfortable moments of their lives, but the actors keep their characters relatable and sympathetic even in their imperfections."

"The beautiful digital wide screen cinematography makes excellent use of the lovely Washington locations and Eric Goetz's contemplative score nicely compliments the additional tracks by The Brooke Lee Catastrophe and The Winter Migration."

"The emotional terrain it maps out is honest, heartfelt and powerful. It has a directness and a maturity and a willingness to probe the more uncomfortable aspects of a relationship without necessarily choosing sides in the conflict."

A Story That Could Be Yours, Mine or Ours
Debbie Lynn Elias, MovieSharkDeblore

"With the first frame of THIS IS OURS, one is swept up in the beauty and elegance of Jonathan Houser's cinematography and drawn into this slice of life character study of a fractured relationship hiding behind the trappings of responsibility and the American Dream."

"[Y]ou can't help but gravitate to Mark Carr... Sexy, nice, attentive with a carefree almost hippyish sensibility, Carr just sucks you in ever deeper, giving both Eric and the story unseen multiple layers, peeling them back like an onion."

"Wonder Russell... is always a welcome addition to any cast, and THIS IS OURS is no different. As Sandy, she is dichotomous. Confident, lost, naive and coquettish all rolled into one -- a girl trying to find her way and not afraid to admit her dreams or her trepidations."

Life Through Two Different Lenses
Allen Almachar, The MacGuffin

"Both couples are really searching for the same thing: the American dream, being content with what you are and what you have accomplished. The only difference is that they define that through two different lenses... The best scene of the film involves a conversation between Sandy [Wonder Russell] and Karen [Karie Gonia], where they share their hopes and regrets, and reveal deep down that they are much more alike than they are different."

"Kris and Lindy Boustedt have created a story that... seriously looks at relationships at varying degrees, and have captured that with an interesting visual skill... The way the filmmakers worked with the themes of 'Letting Go' and 'Breaking Free' showed that this was a project that they truly cared about."

ARTICLES UW TV's "Backstory: The Filmmaker's Vision", an interview with Prof. Andrew Tsao

Film Courage: "Metaphorical Horses & Facts About Great White Sharks", by Kris and Lindy Boustedt

A Year Without Rent: Behind the Scenes, by Lucas McNelly

KRIS & LINDY BOUSTEDT // WRITERS/DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS
firstsightproductions.com // @krisandlindy

Our goals are simple. Create quality, exportable, audience-centric experiences with great characters that inspire. Help build and sustain the vibrant Seattle film community. Find audiences through changing distribution channels. Continue to make films. Rinse & Repeat.

We live and dream cinema. If we could, we'd eat, drink and breathe it. We have devoted our lives to this art form, its study and creation, and we're not stopping anytime soon.

We create films that expose constructive truths, truths hidden just beneath the surface of entertainment – engrossing, emotional and engaging experiences.

We are tenacious, innovative and creative. We get the job done. We have been creating media in Seattle since 2004, from shorts to features to non-profit fundraisers to corporate promotions, with clients ranging from The Phoenix Suns to Allied Waste to PhRMA to FareStart to The World Cyber Games. We have inspired audiences to tears, to laughter, to philanthropic action.

Features (writers/directors/producers):
BRIDES TO BE (2015), THIS IS OURS (Dances with Films 2012), PERFECT 10 (Seattle International Film Festival 2010).

Shorts (writers/directors, producer or editor):
TEN YEARS LATER (2013), PRACTICAL THINGS (2013), THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE (Seattle International Film Festival 2013), REVELATION (Flyway 2012), THE SUMMER HOME (Best Drama, FirstGlance Hollywood 2012), SENIOR SHOWCASE (Seattle International Film Festival 2012), CONNECT TO (Dances with Films 2011), PHOTO BOOTH (IFP Spotlight 2011), COLLECT ALL FOUR (Seattle International Film Festival 2007).

DIRECTORS' STATEMENT The state of the world forces us to confront very fundamental questions. Who are we? What matters in life? What do we want? How did we get here? What does the future hold in store for us?

It is from these questions that This Is Ours was born.

This Is Ours is woven from characters who are real, who feel trapped, who yearn for more out of life, who ache to grow and change, who fumble and fail, who laugh and cry, who experience joy and pain. Characters like us. Like you.

And it is through these characters that we can extrapolate the DNA of the film: loss and love, sexual awakening, mortality, the definitions of Man and Woman, the meaning of family, hope, greed and The American Dream.

On the one hand, this film is the simple story of a married couple trying to sell their once-beloved summer home. On the other, it is a richly complex multi-protagonist narrative that is both entertaining and thought provoking.

While the film is universal, it is an intensely personal story. We are the various components of these characters, and the struggles they endure are distillations of our experiences and how we see the world.

We have three major goals for This Is Ours. We want our audience to believe it, to feel it and to be engulfed by it. We want people to not only say “this could happen”, but “this has happened”, “this is happening”. We are striving for realism, but we also want to utilize the full power of cinematic language.

This Is Ours is a film pulled directly from our hearts. It is a film that captures a vital, kinetic sense of realism. A film that both rings true and echoes truth. A film that embraces all the medium has to offer.

“No film is too personal. The image speaks. Sound amplifies and comments.”
(Anderson, Mazzetti, Reisz, Richardson. “Free Cinema Programme”, February, 1956)

KARIE GONIA // Karen
Karie has been performing since a very young age: she toured with a teen acting ensemble, won a playwright competition, and performed in Community Theater — all before her 18th birthday. Equally successful on stage and screen, she performed Shakespeare with GreenStage and has starred in Perfect 10 (SIFF, 2010) and 4:44 (2011).

ERNIE JOSEPH // Will
A singer and musician, Ernie moved to Seattle in ‘91 and embarked on a musical journey for the better part of that decade. In 2006, he began training as an actor and has since acted in over 40 films, starring in more than half of them. He has also worked extensively in commercial and print. The Catechism Cataclysm (Sundance, 2011), Perfect 10 (SIFF, 2010), 6:18 (Audience Award, NFFTY, 2010), "Family" (2008 - 2009). erniejoseph.com

WONDER RUSSELL // Sandy
Wonder Russell is a singer, actress and producer. As producer and actor, Connect To won nine film festival awards, including Best Drama, Best Film and Best Score; The Summer Home won Best Drama at the FirstGlance Film Festival in Hollywood; Revelation opened the 2012 Flyway Film Festival. Revelation (Flyway 2012), The Summer Home (Best Drama, FirstGlance Hollywood 2012), Connect To (Best Regional Film, Tacoma Film Festival 2011), Jagger Gravning Syndrome (Grand Jury Prize, Seattle True Independent Film Festival 2010), Perfect 10 (Seattle International Film Festival 2010). She is also the recipient of the prestigious 2012 Spirit of the Flyway Film Festival award for her contributions to the indie film community. wonderrussell.com

MARK CARR // Eric
A musician, writer, and actor, Mark performs onstage (Village Theatre, Seattle Rep, Intiman, Balagan, Artswest), lends his voice to video games (Metroid: Other M, Blacklight, Saw I & II, Professor Layton), and is known to unleash karaoke fury. 2011 will see Mark appear in releases of Bobby Ellis is Gonna Kick Your Ass (finalist, Slamdance Screenwriting Competition), Photo Booth (IFP Spotlight Award) and A Musing. He also produced the award-winning feature film BFE (2014). markjacobcarr.com

JONATHAN HOUSER // Cinematographer
An award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer, Jonathan Houser also created the iOS app Storyboard Composer, which is used in film and television productions, including the NBC series 30 Rock. Cinematography highlights: Promotional material for The American Institute of Architects; music videos for Brent Amaker and the Rodeo and Flyway Royalty; the short films Tape Recorder (2013), Icons Among Us (AFI 2009), Safe Passage (Seattle International Film Festival 2009), and A Night in the Sunlight (One Reel 2008); the features This Is Ours (Dances with Films 2012) and Bullets, Blood & A Fistful of Ca$h (2006).

MATT HARRISON // Production Design
Matt has produced several short films and worked on numerous Seattle projects. He is currently directing Citizen Heroes, a documentary about the city's superhero movement. Photo Booth (SIFF 2011), Luc Restaurant's Chef in the Hat commercial (2010), Shoreline Community College's 2010 commercial, director of video coverage for the 2010 Edmonds International Film Festival (2010), Easter Weekend, and Howard From Ohio (Special Jury Prize, SIFF 2011)

AMY ENSER // Editor
An Emmy-nominated filmmaker, Amy’s documentary experience will bring an innovative eye for authenticity to This Is Ours. Easter Weekend (2012), Busking Cadenza (SIFF 2011), Modern Views (2010), Walk Right In (DocMiami 2010), A Healing Art (PBS POV 2009), The Heart is What Remains (Best Short, Local Sightings 2009), Ars Magna (PBS Documentary Spirit Award 2008).

KARL GUSTAVSON // Editor
Karl has been experimenting with digital video since 1998. Editing everything from the JumboTron team intro for the Phoenix Suns to political ads to 35mm films, he lives and breathes post-production. The Only Time We Have (Seattle International Film Festival 2013), The Summer Home (Festivus 2012), Photo Booth (SIFF 2011), Tilting at Windmills (SIFF 2011), Connect To (Best Drama, First Glance 2011), Perfect 10 (SIFF 2010).

ERIC GOETZ // Composer
Eric is an award-winning composer. His recent credits include features, shorts and documentaries: The Summer Home (Festivus 2012), Heart Breaks Open (BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2011), Photo Booth (IFP Spotlight Award 2011), Walk Right In (DocMiami 2010), The Thomas Beale Cipher (Austin Film Festival 2010), Dishonesty (SIFF 2010) and Beyond Greenaway (Royal Reel Award, Canada International Film Festival 2009).

JON GOFF // Sound Designer
Jon is a musician, sound designer and engineer; he is the owner/operator of Self Adhesive Records in Seattle and has been producing music for over 17 years. The Summer Home (Festivus 2012), Scamp (STIFF 2011), Walk Right In (DocMiami 2010).

CHRIS TOMKINS // Colorist
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Chris Tomkins is a post-production specialist with extensive experience in editing, colour grading and visual effects. He has worked on countless short films, animations, music videos and corporate productions. His colour grading and visual effects work on the 2010 short Rain for Morgan has been highly praised at film festivals worldwide. Remake (Festivus 2012), Rain for Morgan (Best Narrative Film, Festivus 2011), Pisces, Arise! (SkyFest 2010)