kNOwBOX dance Film Festival 2023
Official Selection Film Spotlight
Topia
Topia / Texas Premiere / USA / 15:00
Topia investigates the complexity of emotions, specifically exploring individuals’ different manifestations of darkness – numbness, dissociation, depression, mania.
What do you hope to communicate with our audience through your work?
We hope to communicate the necessity of vulnerability, community, holding each other in pain and joy, and the effects that can have on the individual as well as a community at large.
Jessie Lee Thorne(she/they) is an LA-based performance artist, choreographer, and filmmaker that investigates the nature of the self and reality combining the mediums of dance and film. Post receiving a BFA at The Boston Conservatory, Jessie’s performance career has taken her across the globe to theaters and festivals such as The Tel Aviv Opera House, The Lincoln Center, Winter Theater (Russia), Jacobs Pillow, Springboard Danse Montreal, B12 Festival (Germany),and more. She has performed works by Micaela Taylor, Walter Matteini, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Doug Varone, etc and choreographed for various musical artists. Under her company, Poets In Motion, Jessie has created both films and stage works and intends to continue dedicating her life to creating and sharing art with others.
Justin Thorne has been working in entertainment for over 20 years. He started as a young teen acting and dancing, with small roles in Will & Grace, That’s So Raven, Dr. Dolittle 3 and more. He is best known as a member of the musical groups NLT and One Call, touring with the likes of The Pussycat Dolls and Britney Spears. Justin went on to produce music and write songs for various artists. Thorne, currently runs a production company “House of Giuseppe” producing, directing, and editing music videos and short films.
Jessie Lee Thorne - Director
Justin Thorne - Director & Editor
David Orr - Producer
Laja Field - Artistic Collaborator & Performer
Matt Luck - Artistic Collaborator & Performer
Annalise Gehling - Performer
Keilan Stafford - Performer
Jessie Lee Thorne - Performer
Ryan Maslyn - Director Of Photography
Tye Edwards - 1st AC
Trevan Meador - 1st AC
1st AD - Chris Moy
Michael Marcheson - Grip
Bryan Smaller - Colorist
Lauren Dessinger - Original Music Score
Distant Cowboy - Original Music Score