THE FILMMAKERS
Gabriel Diamond (Director, Cinematography, Story, Writer, Editor)
Zak Barnett (Lead Actor, Writer, Editor, Co-Director)Zak wrote, directed and starred in his first play when he was 16, and has been working on stage and in film ever since. He studied at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, the American Conservatory Theater, New College of California and San Francisco State University, earning both Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts in Acting and Playwriting.
Gabriel Goldstein (Writer, Editor, Co-Director)
His previous work includes, as a writer: two produced plays (THiS and Indigo Don’t Vote); as a filmmaker: an experimental documentary feature (Making Sense of It All), nine short films; and as a musician, two solo albums and three years, a U.S. tour, EP and full-length album with Sweet Crude Bill & the Lighthouse Nautical Society. He currently moves from season to season as an itinerant artist.
THE FILMMAKERS
Gabriel Diamond (Director, Cinematography, Story, Writer, Editor)Gabriel is a director, actor, cinematographer, and teacher. He got his start in movies by taking a video production class in the 9th grade at the local cable TV station in Oakland, CA. After high school he set down the camera and took up acting. After graduating from Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, RI, he toured the country with a traveling children’s theater troupe, appeared around the Bay Area on various stages, bunches of independent films, and is a founding member of Cutting Ball, and Precarious Theater. Now he travels the globe shooting documentaries, music videos, and other fun stuff. See www.outsidefilms.com for more.
Zak Barnett (Lead Actor, Writer, Editor, Co-Director)
Zak wrote, directed and starred in his first play when he was 16, and has been working on stage and in film ever since. He studied at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, the American Conservatory Theater, New College of California and San Francisco State University, earning both Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts in Acting and Playwriting.
While working as an actor on various film and theater projects, Zak Co-Founded and served as Artistic Director of the experimental theater company “ghosttown”, for which he won numerous grants, residencies and awards, including the Zellerbach Family Fund Multi-Disciplinary Grant in 2000, the New College Performing Artist in Residence grant from 1999-2001, and the 2006 Highsmith Award for Best Gay and Lesbian Play. From 2001-2008, Zak Founded and served as Chair of the Experimental Performance Institute (EPI) at New College of California: the first BA, MA and MFA program in the world focused exclusively on experimental, queer and activist performance.
Since Moving to Los Angeles, Zak has been working as an actor, writer and director, as well as coaching actors privately and at Margie Haber Studios: the recipient of “Best Audition Studio” in the 2009 Backstage Reader's poll.
Zak is now in development for his second feature film with a major indie film production company.
Gabriel Goldstein (Writer, Editor, Co-Director)Gabriel Goldstein is a filmmaker, writer and musician raised in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia. He was studying film at San Francisco City College and living in a communal warehouse in ‘05 when the universe (in the form of Gabriel Diamond) found him through craigslist, and called him into action, initially to write the screenplay for LESS. His roles expanded from Writer to Assistant Director to Co-Producer to Editor until eventually he had earned “film by” credit. LESS is his first feature film.
His previous work includes, as a writer: two produced plays (THiS and Indigo Don’t Vote); as a filmmaker: an experimental documentary feature (Making Sense of It All), nine short films; and as a musician, two solo albums and three years, a U.S. tour, EP and full-length album with Sweet Crude Bill & the Lighthouse Nautical Society. He currently moves from season to season as an itinerant artist.
PRINCIPLE CAST
Rebecca Noon (Mia)Rebecca is a collaborative theatre artist, devising and performing plays from Egypt to Alaska. She trained at the London International School of Performing Arts, is a member of San Francisco-based theatre company mugwumpin and a founding member of the East Coast-based Burvil Hoist.
Long before Less, Rebecca spent three years performing a one-woman show for the Faithful Fools, a San Francisco street ministry. As a Fool she participated in numerous street retreats, including one week long retreat where she slept, ate, and lived for seven days in San Francisco’s Tenderloin.
In Mia, Rebecca found a role she enjoyed so much that it was hard to let her go. After production ended, Rebecca took her first coffee shop job. It did not end well. Now Rebecca lives mostly in Rhode Island with her main squeeze Jed.
Long before Less, Rebecca spent three years performing a one-woman show for the Faithful Fools, a San Francisco street ministry. As a Fool she participated in numerous street retreats, including one week long retreat where she slept, ate, and lived for seven days in San Francisco’s Tenderloin.
In Mia, Rebecca found a role she enjoyed so much that it was hard to let her go. After production ended, Rebecca took her first coffee shop job. It did not end well. Now Rebecca lives mostly in Rhode Island with her main squeeze Jed.
Lew Levinson (Gunther)Since the character, Gunther, is the antithesis of my image of myself. I found it freeing from the restraint of worrying if anyone would think he was like me. The 20 of the 21 characters I had previously portrayed were so much closer to the me I recognize as me. Having acted and directed most of my life for the stage, having a large part in a film was a really exciting experience.
I tried hard to internalize Gunther, to like the Gunther in me, but I never liked him myself. Maybe that is why the bad guys do such risky stuff, a motive for their self-destruction.
SOUND
Nathan Matthew David (Score)
Nathan Matthew David's music has been heard in film festivals around the world. He has composed music for over ten feature films including the award-winning feature documentaries "Children of the War" (Hijos de la Guerra) and "The Philosopher Kings", as well as the award-winning feature narrative, "The Lost Coast". In addition to film work, he has written for television, video games and video art. www.nathanmatthewdavid.com
"I was very fortunate to work on Less. The film provided a unique and beautiful canvas upon which to collaborate with Gabriel and Zak, as well as the wonderful co-composers, Geoff and Ryan. I hope the film has the same impact on its viewers as it had on me. It forever will be a film that I remember.”
Hands: Geoffrey Halliday & Ryan Sweeney (Score)
Hands is an up and coming indie act out of Los Angeles, with two core members, Ryan Sweeney and Geoffrey Halliday. Originally started as Geoffrey's electronic solo project in 2008 the project quickly bloomed when he met and collaborated with fellow east coaster, Ryan Sweeney after their move to LA. They mix a wide array of influences into their music while relying on strong compositions and interesting arrangements to express their ideas with a pop sensibility hard to ignore.
For "Less" they employed a wide array of instruments and moods in order to capture the desolation and loneliness expressed through the intimate character relationships. Now working on a follow up their "Cities EP" released in May 2008, they are finding new ways to create and record music. A new single, "Hold" is set to be released via Creative Commons and the label Headphonica. See Hands on Myspace for more.
Ivy Ross (Songs)
Ivy is a traveling musician, teacher, recording artist and play-writing coach based out of Portland Oregon. Her work in the Bay Area in the late 20th century included documenting artistic endeavors of many of the local homeless population. It is no surprise that the songs that emerged from her restless psyche and minimalist aesthetic fell gently into place amidst the landscape of 'Less'.
