Bully (2017 film)

Bully (alternatively titled Bully: The Musical) is a 2017 musical featurette written and directed by Aaron Alon and produced by Thunderclap Productions. Bully is a dramatic musical about Sam Bradley, a young man who kills himself after being repeatedly bullied in school because others suspect he is gay. The story follows Sam in the days leading up to his death and the lives of those around him in the days following his suicide.[1]

This article is about the 2017 movie. For the 2011 documentary of the same name, see Bully (2011 film). For the 2001 drama of the same name, see Bully (2001 film).
Bully
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAaron Alon
Screenplay byAaron Alon
Music byAaron Alon
CinematographyOrlando Briones
Edited byEly Bams
Production
company
Thunderclap Productions
Release date
  • September 24, 2017 (2017-09-24) (Houston, TX, US)
Running time
58 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bully premiered in the United States on September 24, 2017, at Alamo Drafthouse – Mason Park in Houston, Texas.[2][3] The film had its film festival premiere in the 2018 Rainier Independent Film Festival in Ashford, Washington, on May 20, 2018.[4]

Synopsis

The film tells the story of Sam Bradley, a young man who commits suicide after being bullied in school.[5][6]

Cast
  • Edward Henrickson as Sam Bradley, a 14-year-old being bullied in school
  • Danica Dawn Johnson as Mrs. Bradley, Sam's mother
  • Brad Goertz as Mr. Bradley, Sam's father
  • Kiefer Slaton as Tommy Samson, a bully at Sam's school with an abusive father
  • Chelsea Lerner as Mrs. Samson, Tommy's mother
  • Steve Hale as Mr. Samson, Tommy's abusive father
  • Reggie Choyce as Hunter Sikes, a bully at Sam's school whose parents are prone to violence toward one another
  • Monica Davis as Mrs. Sikes, Hunter's mother
  • Juan Sebastian Cruz as Chase Cruz, a bully at Sam's school whose mother suffers from an addiction to pain pills
  • Amanda Passanante as Mrs. Cruz, Chase's mother
  • M.E. Frazier, Jr. as Mr. Ross, the school guidance counselor at Sam's high school
  • Nora Hahn as Principal Rutledge, the principal at Sam's high school
  • Tamara Siler as the First Mourner, the person who starts the vigil for Sam
  • Emma Hayden, Ragan Richardson, Michael J. Ross, and Taelon Stonecipher as the quartet in "It Gets Better," four people filming their "It Gets Better" stories in response to Sam's suicide[7][8]

Songs
  1. "When" – performed by Danica Dawn Johnston and Brad Goertz (as Mrs. and Mr. Bradley); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  2. "The Bullies' Song" – performed by Reggie Choyce, Kiefer Slaton, and Juan Sebastian Cruz (as Hunter, Tommy, and Chase); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  3. "Hunter's Song" – performed by Reggie Choyce (as Hunter); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  4. "Start Raising Men" – performed by Steve Hale (as Mr. Samson); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  5. "It Gets Better" – performed by Emma Hayden, Ragan Richardson, Michael J. Ross, and Taelon Stonecipher (as themselves); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  6. "Hollow House" – performed by Julian A. Puerto; lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  7. "He's a Child" – performed by Monica Davis and Amanda Passanante (as Mrs. Sikes and Mrs. Cruz); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  8. "Who's Next" – performed by M.E. Frazier, Jr. (as Mr. Ross) with Tristan Smith on jazz guitar; lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  9. "The Bullies' Song - Reprise" – performed by Reggie Choyce, Kiefer Slaton, and Juan Sebastian Cruz (as Hunter, Tommy, and Chase); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  10. "Raise Your Voice" – performed by Tamara Siler and company (as themselves); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  11. "Was" – performed by Danica Dawn Johnston (as Mrs. Bradley); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  12. "The More It Bleeds" – performed by Patrick Barton, Amy Garner Buchanan, William Sanders, Karen Schlag, Haley Simpson, and company (as themselves); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon
  13. "Did He Think" – performed by Brad Goertz (as Mr. Bradley); lyrics and music by Aaron Alon [9]

Release

Bully premiered in the United States on September 24, 2017, at Alamo Drafthouse – Mason Park in Houston.[2][3] The second screening occurred April 10, 2018, at the University of Houston.[10] The film had its film festival premiere in the 2018 Rainier Independent Film Festival in Ashford, Washington on May 20, 2018.[4]

Official selections

Bully has been selected for screening at the following festivals and events:[11]

  • Cinema Diverse: the Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (2018)[12]
  • Cult Critic Movie Awards (2018)[13]
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival (2018)[14]
  • Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival (2018)[15]
  • Filmfest Homochrom (2018)[16]
  • Five Continents International Film Festival (2018)[17]
  • Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase (2018)[18]
  • IndieFest (2018)[19]
  • Indigo Moon Film Festival (2018)[20]
  • Lake View International Film Festival (2018)[21]
  • Los Angeles Underground Film Forum (2018)[22]
  • Next International Film Festival – NiFF Houston (2018)[23]
  • Out of the Can Film Festival (2018)[24]
  • PUSH! Film Festival (2018)[25]
  • South Carolina Underground Film Festival (2018)[26]
  • Queer Hippo International LGBT Film Festival (2018)[27]
  • Rainer Independent Film Festival (2018)[28]
  • Thessaloniki International LGBTIQ Film Festival (2018)[29]
  • TMFF – The Monthly Film Festival (March–April 2018)[30]
  • UK Monthly Film Festival (2018)[31]

Awards and nominations
Year Award[11] Category Nominee(s) Result
2018 AltFF Alternative Film Festival[32] Best Feature Drama Bully Won
Best Actor Edward Henrickson Nominated
Best Cinematography Orlando Briones Nominated
2018 Cinema Diverse Festival Favorite[33] Bully Won
2018 Depth of Field International Film Festival Best of Show[34] Bully Won
2018 Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival Best Director[35] Aaron Alon Won
2018 Five Continents International Film Festival[17] Best Fiction Half-Length Film Bully Won
Best Original Music Aaron Alon Won
Best Young Actor in a Feature Film Edward Henrickson Won
Best Poster Bully Nominated
2018 Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase Best Overall Domestic Featurette[36] Bully Won
Genre Award: Domestic Awareness[37] Bully Nominated
2018 The IndieFEST Film Awards Award of Merit, LGBT[38] Bully Won
2018 International Independent Film Awards Gold Winner: Best Song[39] "Hollow House" Won
2018 Lake View International Film Festival Best LGBT Film of the Month (June)[40] Bully Won
2018 Los Angeles Underground Film Forum[22] Best Picture Bully Won
Best First Feature Bully Won
Best Narrative Feature Bully Won
Best LGBT Film Bully Won
Best Underground Feature Bully Won
2018 Next International Film Festival - NIFF Houston Best of Houston[41] Bully Won
2018 Out of the Can Film Festival Best Comedy or Musical[42] Bully Runner-Up
Best First Time Director[43] Aaron Alon Nominee

Funding

The film received grants from the Houston Art Alliance, the John Steven Kellett Foundation, the City of Houston, and donations from over fifty individuals.[44][45]

See also

References
  1. "BULLY - About". www.bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  2. "BULLY - a new film musical". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  3. "The 'Bully' Pulpit – OutSmart Magazine". www.outsmartmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  4. "BULLY - Screenings". www.bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  5. "BULLY (IV) (2017)". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  6. "Bully – Synopsis". bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  7. "BULLY - Cast & Crew". www.bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  8. Bully (2017): Full Cast & Crew, retrieved 2018-06-30
  9. "BULLY". vimeo.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  10. "Calendar". www.uh.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  11. "BULLY - Awards & Press". www.bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  12. "SHORTS: Meadowlark & Haircut: The Musical FEATURE: Bully ⋆ Palm Springs Cultural Center". Palm Springs Cultural Center. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  13. "Cult Critic Films of the Season: April-June 2018". Cult Critic. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  14. "Spring 2018 Official Nominations". www.dofiff.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  15. "April 2018 Winners List" (PDF). Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  16. "BULLY | USA 2017 | Deutschland-Premiere | homochrom". homochrom (in German). Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  17. "FICOCC #17". FICOCC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  18. "2018 Official Selections – Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase". www.fwindie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  19. "Awards of Merit May 2018". theindiefest.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  20. "Film List - Indigo Moon Film Festival". Indigo Moon Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  21. "LVIFF on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  22. "2018". Los Angeles Underground Film Forum. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  23. "NiFF Houston International Film Festival 2015". niffhouston.org. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  24. "outofthecan | Official Finalists". outofthecan. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  25. "PUSH! Film Festival". www.pushfilmfest.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  26. "scuff | 2018 FILMS". scuff. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  27. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  28. "Rainier Independent Film Festival: 2018 Festival Schedule" (PDF). Rainier Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  29. "20οΠρόγραμμα - Thessaloniki International LGBTQ Film Festival". Thessaloniki International LGBTQ Film Festival (in Greek). Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  30. "Bully*". The Monthly Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  31. "Submitting your film | uk monthly film festival". www.ukmonthlyfilmfest.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  32. "Winners". altff.org. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  33. "PSCC Newsletter 10/19". mailchi.mp. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  34. Roman, Carlos Etzio. "Winners Spring 2018". www.dofiff.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  35. "Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival: Winners List" (PDF). Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  36. "2018 Award Ceremony Results – Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase". www.fwindie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  37. "2018 Nominations – Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase". www.fwindie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  38. "Awards of Merit May 2018". theindiefest.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  39. "Gold Award". www.iifilmawards.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  40. "lviff | Films". lviff. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  41. "NiFF Houston Int'l Film Festival". niffhouston.org. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  42. "outofthecan | Winners and Runners Up 2018". outofthecan. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  43. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  44. "The 'Bully' Pulpit – OutSmart Magazine". www.outsmartmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  45. "BULLY - Grants & Donors". www.bullythemusical.com. Retrieved 2018-07-08.

Further reading
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