Aug 2, 2022

Thom Browne's Queer Operatic Thriller "Christopher At Sea" World Premiere at Venice

Tom Brown's "Christopher at Sea" will have its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of this year's Venice International Film Festival in September.

The film is the only American short (co-produced with France and the UK) selected for this year's festival and the only animated film to be screened in the prestigious Orizzonti Competition.

"Christopher at Sea" follows the main character, voiced by James Potter, as he embarks on a transatlantic voyage as a passenger on a cargo ship. A chance encounter in the moonlight with Valentin, a third engineer played by Andrew Isard, leads him on a journey into solitude, fantasy, and obsession, as he hopes to find what leads so many men to the sea.

The film is directed by British filmmaker and advertising artist Tom C.J. Brown, best known for co-directing the short film "Teeth," Psyop co-produced with Temple Carrington & Brown and Miyu. This is the second non-commercial film to be released this year as Psyop continues to expand its production slate in the original category; at the 2022 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the studio premiered Marie Hyun and Marco Spear's Bottle Cap.

According to Brown, "'Christopher of the Sea' will be accompanied by contemporary music by Casey Spooner, Walt Disco, and the film's composers Brian Macomber and Judith Berkson, along with Schubert's 1823 song cycle Die scho? A gorgeous 20-minute hand-drawn animation awaits the audience. Thousands of hours, years of love, and an amazing team of artists and collaborators have brought Christopher to life on the big ocean.

Psyop's Amanda Miller said, "Tom is an exceptional filmmaker. Christopher at Sea is his unique vision and every frame is a work of art, and as part of Psyop's ongoing investment in creatively driven original projects, we are honored to have been part of the team that brought this project to life."