NEW YORK — At hotlines across the country, the phones never stop ringing. People call to confide in strangers - looking for advice, entertainment, or simply to connect with someone they don't know.
HOTLINE is a documentary about telephone hotlines, the people who call—and the people who answer— and the ways human conversation and contact can fight isolation and alienation in an increasingly digital world.
From phone sex operators that buck industry norms by advertising their services with their real photos, to New York City's only suicide hotline that doesn't trace its calls, to the iconic spokeswoman of the Psychic Readers Network, Ms. Cleo, HOTLINE takes viewers behind the scenes and lets them eavesdrop on conversations that are intensely personal. At a time when we are told that the telephone is an obsolete technology, many hotlines are experiencing record high numbers of calls. HOTLINE seeks to open up a conversation about how we deal with loneliness and isolation…and how sometimes the help and support we need can only come from a stranger.
Recent news has drawn attention to the continued importance and impact of hotlines that respond directly to personal crises. With call centers experiencing record increases in requests for help following events like the Ray Rice domestic violence scandal or the suicide of Robin Williams, it's clear that the need for these resources is still vital in today's society.
HOTLINE, which has been on the festival circuit throughout 2014 ( it debuted at the HotDocs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival earlier this year ), is set for release on iTunes and other digital VOD platforms on November 18 by Gravitas Ventures.
HOTLINE is the first feature documentary from director Tony Shaff who himself is a former telephone psychic and suicide hotline volunteer. Shaff is available for interviews from New York. Ms. Cleo is available for interviews.
About the Filmmaker:
HOTLINE director/producer Tony Shaff is a Brooklyn based filmmaker who has worked in film, television and theater for Showtime Networks, Centre Theatre GroupMTV Networks, Touchstone Pictures and others.. His work has screened at festivals across the country, and he received a Student Academy Award Nomination for his film Get Outta Here! A native of Indiana and Florida and a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he served as a producer for the groundbreaking MTV docu series Teen Mom 2 and 16 and Pregnant , as well as other specials. HOTLINE is his first feature documentary.
- Official Selection HotDocs Canadian Documentary Film Festival 2014 ( World Premiere )
- Official Selection Brooklyn Film Festival 2014
- First Prize for Documentary Feature, Rhode Island International Film Festival 2014
- Official Selection Portland Film Festival 2014
- Official Selection, New Orleans Film Festival 2014
- Official Selection, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2014
OFFICIAL FILM WEBSITE: www.hotlinedoc.com .
TRAILER: vimeo.com/88915058 .
