Summary

TAPE: EF01/0524 IN_TIME: 16:46:55 DURATION: 3:17 SOURCES: APTN/ Lions Gate Films RESTRICTIONS: No re-use/re-sale of film/video/tv clips without clearance DATELINE: n/a SHOTLIST: 1. Clip 'Bully' 2. SOT NICK STAHL (on getting in bully character): "I just tried as much as I could to understand where he was coming from and, I mean, when we weren't filming I really tried to , I mean it is pretty dark stuff so it was hard for me to dwell on it, I guess. so I tried to find some sort of escape when I wasn't working. " 3. Clip 'Bully' 4. SOT NICK STAHL (on working with people who knew real life bully of story): "A couple of people working on the movie, like on the crew, went to high school with Bobby Kent and there were and, and sort of took us around, showed us their neighborhoods. And tried to tell us about them so it was pretty intense. " 5. Clip 'Bully' 6. SOT NICK STAHL (on why film is important): " It is an interesting story, just the relationships, and the friendship between the two kids is what interested me the most about it, and I think there hasn't been many stories done in the suburbs that have looked at these elements of growing up." 7. Clip 'Bully' YOUNG CAST TELL STORY OF REAL LIFE MURDER The real life murder of a young bully by his victims in a South Florida suburb has been recreated in a new film 'BULLY'. NICK STAHL (The Sleepy Time Gal, All Forgotten) stars as Bobby Kent, who was lured into a swamp and beaten to death on the night of July 14 1993. The film, by director Larry Clark (KIDS, Another Day in Paradise) moves the attack into summer 2000. It follows the events and relationships that turned a group of friends into enemies, and co-defendants in a murder case. The central friendship is between Kent and Marty Puccio (Brad Renfro - Ghost World, 2 Little 2 Late). They have known each other since childhood, and as a teen, Puccio is egged on by his girlfriend Lisa (Rachel Miner- Joe the King) to stand up for himself and turn on his best friend and abuser. His anger grows, and gradually shifts his allegiance to Lisa. She tells friends and aquaintances that Bobby has raped her and consistently abused Marty - and needs to be dealt with. Rather than avoid him, or go to the police, her answer is to plot a murder. She draws six friends and aquaintances into her plan - including sometime teenage prostitute Ali (Bijou Phillips), Ali's boyfriend Donny (Michael Pitt), a young girl just out of rehab called Heather (Kelli Garner). Lisa and Ali contact a hitman (played by Leo Fitzpatrick - Kids) to get them guns. At 23, Fitzpatrick is one of the oldest members of the cast. As most of the cast concetrated on protraying the move from insecure teen to killer, Nick Stahl had the task of bringing a three dimensional, but very dark personality to life. Stahl explains he coped with playing the abusive Bobby by allowing himself not to think about it while he was not working. "I just tried as much as I could to understand where he was coming from and, when we weren't filming I really tried to , I mean it is pretty dark stuff so it was hard for me to dwell on it, I guess. so I tried to find some sort of escape when I wasn't working. The film was shot in and around the neighborhoods where Bobby Kent lived and died, and some of the film crew had been at high school with the teens. Stahl explains they took him to the area Bobby had grown up - Broward County, a suburb much like any other. He adds the film was important to make, "It is an interesting story, just the relationships, and the friendship between the two kids is what interested me the most about it, and I think there hasn't been many stories done in the suburbs that have looked at these elements of growing up." The attack sent ripples through the community, stunning neighbours and crushing parents. Locals say what they found most shocking was that it was a group of middle class, suburban kids who carried out the brutal ambush, pointing to lack of parental guidance, boredom and drugs. The group were convicted, but have never repented of the crime. CLEARANCE DETAILS 'Bully' Lions Gate Films 001 323 692 7300