WELCOME TO THE MEN'S GROUP

EPK

PHOTOS

POSTER

TRAILER

WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP

PHOTOS

Password: mensgroup

FRONT

EPK

Download Hi-Res Photo Files

Hi-Res Poster File

Right or Option-Click to Download linked file

POSTERS

TIMOTHY BOTTOMS (“Larry”)Timothy Bottoms has forged a career as an actor now spanning five decades. He started out in the early 1970s and shot to fame with starring roles in now classic films such as Dalton Trumbo’s WWI drama Johnny Got His Gun, and the hit coming of age films The Last Picture Show by Peter Bogdonavitch, and The Paper Chase. He co- starred with Maggie Smith in Alan J. Pakula’s Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing. Throughout the 70’s and 80s he appeared in numerous film and television roles including The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder, Rollercoaster, The Story of David, The Moneychangers and East of Eden. Into the millennium Timothy showed a keen talent for parody with his uncanny impersonation of president George W. Bush in the dead-on spoof That’s My Bush created by South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He has appeared in over 70 feature films including, Gus Van Sant’s Elephant, The Girl Next Door, Call of the Wild, and the sequel to The Last Picture Show, Texasville. He inspired his brothers Ben, Joseph, and Sam, who all became actors. An avid rancher, Bottoms divides his time between his acting work and his other great love of training wild horses at his two ranches near Big Sur, California.

PRESENTS

Download PDF

STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY (“Carl”) Stephen Tobolowsky, is one of the leading character actors in entertainment today. He has appeared over 250 movies and television shows. He was nominated for a WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in 2002. He is best known for roles in Groundhog Day, Memento, Thelma and Louise, Silicon Valley, Californication, Glee, The Goldbergs, and Norman Lear’s new One Day at a Time for Netflix. He wrote and performed Stephen Tobolowsky’s Birthday Party that premiered at the HBO Comedy Festival. He wrote True Stories with David Byrne and Beth Henley. His storytelling concert film The Primary Instinct was released in 2016 on HULU and is available on iTunes. Stories from his notable podcast “The Tobolowsky Files” have been heard across the country on NPR and PRI radio stations, and can be heard anytime on Slashfilm.com and on iTunes. His first book of stories, The Dangerous Animals Club, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2012. His second book, My Adventures with God, was released April of 2017. Fun Facts: He played guitar with Stevie Ray Vaughn when Stevie was 14 and cut the first studio recording Stevie ever performed.

Directed by Joseph Culp Written and Produced by Scott Ben-Yashar and Joseph Culp   Feature Film 130 min

Press Contact: OCTOBER COAST office@octobercoast.net +1 (657) 999-7241

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS:OFFICIAL SELECTION NORDKAPP FILM FESTIVAL (Norway)TROMSØ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Norway - Critic’s Pick)NORWICH RADICAL FILM FESTIVAL (UK)SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (U.S.)MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (U.S.)REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL (U.S.)VERMONT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (U.S.)DURANGO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (U.S.) Special Preview Screenings (Panel discussions): REEL TALKS with Stephen Farber (former President LA Film Critic’s Association - Los Angeles, over 300 attendance)USC FILM SCHOOL (Dr. Michael Messner - Head of Department of Gender Studies, Dr. Stephen Johnson – Men’s Center LA)THE RAFAEL - San Rafael, CA (Dr. Warren Farrell panel discussion on Men’s Movement)VARSITY THEATER - Ashland OR -(Bill Kauth panel - Co-Founder of The Mankind Project) THE PALM THEATER – San Luis Obispo, CA (The Mankind Project)LIGHTHOUSE THEATER - Monterey, CA (Freedom Within Prison Project)VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL - Men’s and Women’s Organizations of VancouverTHE WHOLENESS CENTER - New York (Men’s & Women’s Groups)SAINT ANDRE DES ARTS CINEMA - Paris, France (The Mankind Project)UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON - London, U.K. (Department of Male Psychology) GRONINGER FORUM CINEMA - Groningen, NetherlandsCINEMANIE AUXERRE – Auxerre, France (Cinemanie)BEITIGHEIM-BISSINGEN KINO – Germany REVIEWS:"The Hangover this is not. Instead, it explores men trying to support each other but ending up triggering each other, escalating tensions as more and more secrets are revealed until the startling, cathartic climax. Like The Big Chill, it’s ensemble acting at its finest, and like Sideways, it’s an insightful exploration of men’s issues that will appeal to both men and women. The story is complex, beautifully written, deftly filmed.” - New Times "Welcome to the Men’s Group is full of surprises. It promised to be cutting-edge, but wow, Welcome to the Men’s Group was so much more than expected! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. This is a film that changes the rules.” - Agenda Magazine “It's hilarious. It's irreverent. It's poignant. It tackles men's issues that most movies these days won't touch, and in a way that you definitely won't see on the TV any time soon.” - The Mankind Project“The story dances through deep questions about spirituality and fatherhood, material wealth and sexual attraction, mental illness and homelessness, and on into ridiculousness and hilarity.” - The Good Men Project"A strong cast making the most of some sharp moments exposing the underside of male privilege and domination..showing that the sincere soul-searching of the 60s never entirely vanished." -The Hollywood Reporter “Saucily counters the majority of American films by presenting a larger dose of male nudity than Hollywood has ever displayed... spiced with humor as well as plentiful flesh.” - The Hollywood Reporter "Welcome to the Men's Group" has perhaps the most full-frontal male nudity ever in a mainstream movie!” - LA Times “Humorous and sobering..the film rips open Pandora’s Box.” - SM Observer ARTICLES ON THE FILM The Good Men Projecthttps://goodmenproject.com/arts/welcome-to-the-mens-group-timely-movie-for-turbulent-times/ NEW TIMES http://www.newtimesslo.com/art/15293/palm-theatre-hosts-sneak-previews-of-comedydrama-welcome-to-the-mens-group/SM OBSERVER – Expose Their True Selves http://www.smobserved.com/story/2018/05/20/entertainment/welcome-to-the-mens-group-eight-broken-middle-aged-men-expose-their-true-selves/3456.html Movie Opens the Window on Male Vulnerability: http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/open-window-male-vulnerability-dg/ A New Father Archetype? http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/movie-suggests-new-father-archetype-modern-man-dg/ Not Just for Men Only: http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/not-just-men-jhld/ How Do Men Show Care for Each Other? https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/how-do-men-show-care-for-each-other-dg/ Men Have the Same Emotions as Women: https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/another-example-of-men-having-the-same-emotions-as-women-dg/ THE HUFFINGTON POST http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-covy/10-ways-joining-a-support_b_10994038.html AGENDA MAGAZINE http://www.agendamag.com/welcome-mens-group-movie-review/

MEDIA LINKS PRESS-EPK WTTMG Official Trailer (2:38) YOUTUBE TRAILER FACEBOOK PAGE OFFICIAL WEBSITE TWITTER DISTRIBUTOR

PRODUCTION NOTES LOGLINE: In a world with changing attitudes on masculinity an odd-ball men’s support group descends into chaos when one member appears headed for a breakdown and long-standing conflicts threaten the trust between the men. SYNOPSIS: WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP takes us inside the intimate dynamic of an all-male support group when they gather one morning for a ritual breakfast and their unique form of male bonding. One Sunday a month, these eight men refrain from beer and football to sit in a circle where they share their personal issues, in the noble hope of becoming a bit more evolved than their fathers. On this particular Sunday things do not go as planned when one member appears headed for a breakdown. When stressed out corporate attorney, Larry (Timothy Bottoms), wakes to find his severely depressed wife missing, he’s in no mood to host the monthly “Men’s Group” at his newly built upscale home. But that doesn’t stop the oddball “band of brothers” from descending on his new house for their ritual breakfast and unique brand of male bonding. Business schemer, Carl, (Stephen Tobolowsky) recently separated from his wife, casually mentions plans for suicide, which puts everyone on alert. Latino ex-marine, Eddie, (Terence Rotolo) starts berating a young newcomer, Tom (Mackenzie Astin), for not standing up to his wife; while Michael (Joseph Culp), the passionate college professor, initiates a group exercise involving fathers, sons and Greek mythology that goes off the rails. Meanwhile uptight restaurateur, Mohammed (Ali Saam), accuses a New Age social worker, Neil (Phil Abrams), of trying to steal his wife, while the elder Fred (David Clennon), an ex-accountant turned poet, does his best to be the Zen-like voice of harmony. Against their best efforts to maintain a civilized therapeutic forum, the group descends into chaos, as long-standing conflicts and secrets come to the surface and threaten to destroy the group’s trust forever. The film delves frankly into themes of male identity, competition, sexuality, and grief.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENTWELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP is a comedy/drama that takes us on an emotional roller-coaster through the often bumpy inner terrain of the male psyche, as we watch men in a private support group open about their lives; sharing truth, telling lies, confronting denial and revealing secrets they dare not discuss in their daily lives. The film is largely inspired by the phenomenon of the “Men's Movement" of the past 30 years that was championed by writers like the poet Robert Bly and his bestselling book "Iron John" which explored the need for men to reconnect to their authenticity and grief, through storytelling, myth and ritualized gathering. My co-writer Scott Ben-Yashar and I personally spent many years in men’s groups and wanted to create a film that could bring an audience into this intimate space that we found so inspiring. We wanted to celebrate the light and dark sides of men, so this film is definitely a “dramedy.” Welcome to the Men’s Group is a challenging look at “male vulnerability” and soberly tackles issues of male shame, sex addiction, suicide, fatherhood, co-dependence, competition and grief. The men in this film are not perfect models of male integrity, but they are all engaged in the process of healing and recovery to varying degrees, stumbling towards the light to forge a community of trust that will give them spiritual sustenance. This is not an easy film and yes, it dares to “go there”, as we say today, but it also uses humor and irreverence to celebrate the zaniness and absurdity of men and supports the idea that “Irreverence is a doorway to the sacred.” We invite you to laugh, or shake your fists as you feel the spirit move you. Ultimately the film shows a group of flawed men in a noble, painful and outrageously funny struggle to find their authenticity, healing and a sense of sober community, and invites us, both men and women, to do the same. For the women in our audience, (who have turned out to be the film’s biggest supporters) here is the window you may have always wanted to peek through - to see men actually talk about their true feelings and their private struggles. From my experience, when men feel safe enough - they will open up in remarkable ways. So come take the ride with us. Welcome to the fight. Welcome to the healing. Welcome to the Men’s Group. - Director/co-writer Joseph Culp

PHIL ABRAMS (“Neil”) With over 140 episodic television and film credits, Phil Abrams has had recurring roles on: Strange Angel, The Mindy Project, Kingdom, You’re The Worst, WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP About a Boy, Parenthood, and Grey’s Anatomy - to name a few. He’s recently guest starred on: Designated Survivor, Grace & Frankie, NCIS LA and Lady Dynamite. Phil also has a plethora of co-star appearances under his belt. Film credits include Jersey Boys (dir. – Clint Eastwood), The Island (dir. - Michael Bay), and the soon to be released Alex and The List, among others. Phil is also a highly-regarded audition/ acting coach working under the moniker of “The Audition Physician”. Phil is married to Michelle Bitting (Poet Laureate of Pacific Palisades) and they have two children.

DAVID CLENNON (“Fred”) A tall, lean, and often bearded actor with a career lasting more than forty years, David Clennon is also an outspoken political activist. After participating in several years of anti-Vietnam War protests, he began to establish himself in off-Broadway theater (starting with Sam Shepard's "The Unseen Hand"). His first film role was alongside “Men’s Group” co-star Timothy Bottoms in The Paper Chase by James Bridges. He worked often with legendary director Hal Ashby appearing in Oscar- wining films Bound for Glory, Coming Home, and Being There. He had roles in two films by acclaimed director Costa Gavras, Missing and Hanna K. Other films include, The Right Stuff, Star 80 and Gone Girl. He tends to be cast as educated, white-collar characters, but he occasionally breaks that mold with working class characters like Palmer in John Carpenter's classic sci-fi The Thing. He made the leap to TV in 1977 in the CBS series Rafferty and followed up with Park Place, and has performed in numerous guest starring roles for decades. He is most famous for his role as Miles Dentrell, the acerbic boss on the acclaimed 80s drama Thirtysomething, which he reprised in the series Once and Again. David was a regular on the CBS series The Agency playing the computer and forgery expert Joshua Nankin. When he publicly criticized the show for its pro-CIA, pro-Iraq invasion slant, he was attacked by Sean Hannity and political consultant Dick Morris. He has been arrested for civil disobedience, and he has clashed with the Hollywood establishment, turning down roles because of his beliefs (such as, "Just Cause" and "24").

About the Cast

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Welcome to the Men’s Group came together because every person associated with the project felt passionate about the message; to present men in the process of seeking authenticity and support, and exposing their vulnerability. Stephen Tobolowsky was the first person who signed on, and what he does in the film gives new meaning to the words “brave actor”. Timothy Bottoms blessed the film with a shattering performance that shows the depth of his unique talent that made him an iconic star. The ensemble work of the cast is peerless and was forged through a rehearsal process where each actor gave their time selflessly. Shot on a tight schedule, it was rehearsed like a play, so the actors could be flawless in their delivery – a feat unheard of today. The cast, who had never met before, had a genuine desire to experience the phenomenon of a men’s group and the film had a transformative and bonding effect on all of them – they actually continue to meet as a “men’s group” on their own to support each other as artists and men – a case of life imitating art! Full nudity was always part of the script – and the actors did not shy away, feeling it might just be their duty to take the concept of “authenticity” to a new level, and which was completely aligned with the themes of the film. Iranian actor Ali Saam did have to ask permission from his wife, as he felt going full frontal might impact his ability to return to Iran – and his wife gave her blessing.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS JOSEPH CULP (“Michael” Actor/Writer-Director/Producer) Son of late iconic actor Robert Culp (I Spy, Greatest American Hero), Joseph has been working in theatre, film and television since 1982. He is a New York Theatre-trained actor and director having studied under Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, The Actor’s Studio, Arthur Sherman, Kenneth McMillan and John Lehne. His numerous =ilm credits include leading roles in Alan J. Pakula’s Dream Lover, The Arrival, The Fantastic Four, Monte Hellman’s Iguana, and Maria Novaro’s El Jardin del Eden. He was featured in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 and Mario Van Peebles’ Panther and Badassss and co-starred in Hallmark’s Wild Hearts and the comedy Cyxork 7. He is perhaps best known as “Archie Whitman” the father of “Don Draper” on the hit series Mad Men. Culp was the first actor to play Marvel super-villain “Doctor Doom” in the The Fantastic Four. Television credits in addition to his appearances on Mad Men include ER, Deep Space Nine, House, and The New Girl. As an actor and filmmaker he has won international critical acclaim for his performance as the starving writer in the award-winning film Hunger, an adaptation of Nobel winner Knut Hamsun’s 1890 existentialist masterpiece, which he also produced. Joseph produced and co-starred in the award-winning indie feature The WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP RePlecting Pool, the first investigative drama to challenge the official version of the 9/11 attacks. Joseph directed the short film TRACES , a drama about two desperate women on the run, an official selection at Nordkapp Film Festival in Norway, Palm Springs International, Tucson, and Hollywood Film Festival. He produced and co- starred in Voice of Life by Knut Erik Jensen, which won Grand Prix at Northern Character Festival in Murmansk, Russia. In addition to acting and filmmaking, Joseph is the artistic director of the Los Angeles-based Walking Theatre Group (since 1992). The Walking Theatre Group is a resident company at the Electric Lodge in Venice, California, where performers develop original work for theater and film. Joseph is the co-founder of the Walking- In-Your-Shoes® Body/Mind Process, widely used by therapists, life coaches and creative artists throughout the world. He is a Drama-Logue and SAG Award recipient. His godfather was maverick director Sam Peckinpah. Welcome to the Men’s Group is his feature film debut as a director. www.josephculp.com SCOTT BEN-YASHAR (Writer-Producer) Scott started as an actor at a young age, working with Producer/Director Stanley Kramer in Bless the Beasts and Children. He went on to do roles in television, film and theater - both in Los Angeles and New York. Always interested in the production side, Scott has produced theater in Los Angeles and later in New York, where he co-produced and acted in Ashes off-Broadway. Returning to Los Angeles, Scott wrote Saturday morning cartoons for children. He later joined his wife’s documentary film production company, Nostalgia Productions, where he learned editing and how the disparate elements of film/video are put together. After that, he went on to work in and develop businesses in other fields, including garment manufacturing in Italy and the healthcare field. “Welcome to the Men’s Group” marks Scott’s return to the film industry, where he started out. JACOB SILVER (Co-Producer/Line) Producer Jacob Silver comes to the "Welcome to the Men's Group" after producing multiple independent feature films and serving as Head of Production for Activision, the world's largest video game company, Senior Producer at TBWA Chiat Day, Executive Producer for PepsiCo and the Cimarron Group. Silver has a wide spectrum of experience in production and entertainment, producing content across a variety of mediums including feature films, commercials, branded entertainment, video games, and trailers. Through his innovative approach to producing and steadfast techniques for navigating the media content landscape, Silver’s unique style in seeding the stories and moving the masses has garnered breakthrough results in producing. Silver has his MBA from Pepperdine University, BA in Film Production and is the founder and president of the Media Cartel. MONTY ROWAN (Director of Photography) Monty Rowan is an accomplished cameraman and director of photography who has been working for many years with some of the industry’s top directors. His credits include The Lucky One (Scott Hicks), Bad Teacher (Jake Kasdan), The Blind Side (John Lee Hancock), The Gift (Sam Raimi), The Clearing (Pieter Jan Brugge), The Quick and The Dead (Sam Raimi), Single White Female (Barbet Schroeder)

TERENCE J. ROTOLO (“Eddie”) Terence J. Rotolo is an actor, as well as a stunt performer for several TV series, most notable as the voice of freelance reporter Frank West from the Dead Rising video game series by Capcom. He is also known for his work on The Scorpion King (2002), Dead Rising (2006) and The Rundown (2003).

JOSEPH CULP (“Michael” Actor/Writer-Director/Producer) See About the Filmmakers.

PRODUCTION NOTES LOGLINE: An odd-ball men’s support group descends into chaos when one member appears headed for a breakdown and long-standing conflicts threaten the trust between the men. SYNOPSIS: WELCOME TO THE MEN’S GROUP takes us inside the intimate dynamic of an all-male support group when they gather one morning for a ritual breakfast and their unique form of male bonding. One Sunday a month, these eight men refrain from beer and football to sit in a circle where they share their personal issues, in the noble hope of becoming a bit more evolved than their fathers. On this particular Sunday things do not go as planned when one member appears headed for a breakdown. When stressed out corporate attorney, Larry (Timothy Bottoms), wakes to find his severely depressed wife missing, he’s in no mood to host the monthly “Men’s Group” at his newly built upscale home. But that doesn’t stop the oddball “band of brothers” from descending on his new house for their ritual breakfast and unique brand of male bonding. Business schemer, Carl, (Stephen Tobolowsky) recently separated from his wife, casually mentions plans for suicide, which puts everyone on alert. Latino ex-marine, Eddie, (Terence Rotolo) starts berating a young newcomer, Tom (Mackenzie Astin), for not standing up to his wife; while Michael (Joseph Culp), the passionate college professor, initiates a group exercise involving fathers, sons and Greek mythology that goes off the rails. Meanwhile uptight restaurateur, Mohammed (Ali Saam), accuses a New Age social worker, Neil (Phil Abrams), of trying to steal his wife, while the elder Fred (David Clennon), an ex-accountant turned poet, does his best to be the Zen-like voice of harmony. Against their best efforts to maintain a civilized therapeutic forum, the group descends into chaos, as long-standing conflicts and secrets come to the surface and threaten to destroy the group’s trust forever. The film delves frankly into themes of male identity, competition, sexuality, and grief.

HOME

MACKENZIE ASTIN (“Tom”) Mackenzie Astin grew up with performance in his blood. The youngest son of actors Patty Duke and John Astin, he entered the family trade at the age of nine and found early success on the iconic 80's television show The Facts of Life, where he spent the better part of four seasons. As an adult, his work has broadened to include more complicated characters, including roles on some of today's most-watched and acclaimed programs - Scandal, Homeland, and The Magicians among them. Ever the eager participant in independent film, he appeared in The Last Days of Disco by Whit Stillman, and more recent work on the festival circuit with Do you take This Man?, Hell & Mr. Fudge, and roles in The Chickasaw Nation Productions of Te Ata and The Chickasaw Rancher. Mackenzie currently resides in Baltimore with his wife Jennifer, and when not employed elsewhere as an actor, he assists unofficially at Johns Hopkins University in the Theatre Arts & Studies Program, of which his father is Director.

ALI SAAM (“Mohammed”) Ali Saam was born in Tehran, Iran. He moved to the United States in the late 1970s to continue his education abroad. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems (CIS), and after living in different cities he decided to settle in Los Angeles to follow his passion of acting. He trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Theatre and continued on at the Actors Circle Theater where he studied under the direction of famed instructor, Arthur Mendoza, for several years. His lead role as Tony in The Big Picture directed by Penny Johnson was his debut in theater, and his supporting role as Joseph Dimarco, an Italian mobster, in Redemption was his film acting debut. Ali has performed in numerous plays from Shakespeare to contemporary American such as critically acclaimed, Aaron Kozak's The Birthday Boys, in Los Angeles and later in Dallas. He also played diverse characters for the big screen;, a sentimental transvestite, in Jew Tales, a thoughtful father in A Conversation to Remember, and Jack, a mysterious homeless man, in award winning film, $lowdown – receiving a nomination for Best Actor from the 4th Annual Noor Iranian Film Festival in Los Angeles. He recently appeared in Ben Affleck’s Best Picture Academy Award winning film Argo as Ali Khalkhali, the security head of the Revolutionary Guard in charge of finding the missing American diplomat.

PRINICIPAL CAST: (In order of appearance) Larry..................Timothy Bottoms Carl.....................Stephen Tobolowsky Eddie..................Terence J. Rotolo Tom....................Mackenzie Astin Michael...............Joseph Culp Mohammed........Ali Saam Neil.....................Phil Abrams Fred....................David Clennon RUNNING TIME 130 minutes ASPECT RATIO 1.78 (16x9 VIDEO) SHOOTING FORMAT HDV, 2K, COLOR SOUND: STEREO, 5.1 EXHIBITION FORMAT Blu Ray, DCP